Don’t Rush Away: Why Delaying Your Honeymoon Can Be the Best Decision

A serene guest room at Kateri Weddings and Events features elegant decor, a cozy Sleep Number bed with floral accents, and a glimpse of the inviting pool through the window.

By Emma Taylor, Kateri Weddings & Events

When your ceremony ends, the confetti settles, and the last song fades out, it’s tempting to sprint off into your honeymoon as quickly as possible. But here at Kateri Weddings & Events, we love to whisper a different invitation: take a pause. Let the echoes of your day settle a little. We also have beautiful on-site rentals designed just for you—spaces to linger, to breathe, to begin your marriage slowly, intentionally, and memorably.

The Allure of the “Delayed Honeymoon”

The idea of waiting a few days—or even weeks—after your wedding before jetting off to paradise is gaining momentum among couples and wedding planners alike. (Some call it a “mini-moon now, honeymoon later” strategy.) In 2025, couples are leaning into this rhythm more and more, favoring meaningful experiences over rushed transitions. The Knot+2Travel Agent Pro+2

Why? Because your wedding day is an emotional, often exhausting whirlwind. Savouring those first few wake-ups as spouses in the place you’ve committed to start your life—without packing suitcases or ordering airport transfers—is a gift in itself.

Honeymoon Trends to Know (2025 & Beyond)

To help you dream about what “not rushing” might feel like, here are some of the honeymoon patterns shaping the moments right now:

• Sweet-spot itineraries: Instead of packing multiple countries into two weeks, couples are choosing one or two deeply immersive locations where they can slow down. Teach Travel Discover+2Beyond The Horizon Travel Agency+2

• Adventure + wellness blends: You’ll see more hikes in jungle canopies, yoga retreats, hot springs, and nature immersion paired with spa days. The honeymoon is becoming as much about growth and renewal as romance. Silver Linings+2Perfect Venue Manager+2

• Eco-luxury and authenticity: Travelers are gravitating toward lodging that is sustainable, regenerative, and rooted in local culture. Think off-grid treehouses, rainforest lodges, or boutique eco-retreats. Silver Linings+2The Romantic Tourist+2

• Hidden gems over clichés: Instead of the Maldives or Paris by default, couples are turning to underappreciated places—Dominica, Bhutan, Montenegro, or corners of Japan—for privacy, uniqueness, and stories that are theirs alone. Who What Wear+3The Romantic Tourist+3Secret Bay+3

• Off-season and flexible travel: Booking in “off” months has perks—fewer tourists, better rates, more intimate experiences. Vincent Vacations+1

• Extended romance: Some couples are skipping the “one big honeymoon” altogether and instead planning multiple shorter escapes over the first year of marriage—what travel experts call romance layering. Fraxioned

Begin Your Marriage in Place: Kateri’s Signature Rentals

Here at Kateri Weddings & Events, we don’t just host your ceremony—we want to host your first whispered mornings as a married pair.

Our on-property boutique rentals let you rest in the elegance of the day you’ve just lived. Imagine:

• Waking up side by side in historic charm, with sunlight streaming through the windows and the most amazing views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

• Sipping coffee on the porch or wandering the gardens before any destination beckons.

• Taking day trips through the Shenandoah Valley or the Blue Ridge (the Homestead, and Historic Warm and Hot Springs, Virginia are quainter than quaint!), with no rush to check out.

• Returning home to your venue for quiet dinners, cinematic evenings, or unscripted moments.

You don’t have to leave immediately. Stay here. Let your wedding day’s joy settle. Let your spirits catch up.

A Gentle Invitation

To the couples reading this: you deserve more than a whirlwind exit. You deserve a beginning. A beginning with softness, with connection, with space to transition from guests and ceremony into you two as a new “we.”

Whether you decide to depart tomorrow or linger for a romantic week in place, Kateri’s doors are open, your welcome is warm, and your first days together deserve plenty of breathing room. Let’s ease into this next chapter together.

If you’d like help designing a “stay-then-go honeymoon plan” or exploring local getaway ideas to anchor your first days as married, we’re here. Just reach out.

With warmth,

Emma Taylor

Kateri Weddings & Events

P.S. Our couples keep telling us we are underselling how gorgeous and peaceful our venue is. We would love to see you on a tour, so you can see the hype for yourselves!