Ah, the honeymoon.
A once-in-a-lifetime chance to get away with your new husband or wife and bask in wedded bliss in an overpriced, exotic location.
But despite the modern day concept of intimacy and seclusion, post-wedding vacations haven’t always been quite so so enjoyable.
In fact, honeymoons have a pretty horrible history.
Here we take a look at some of the more shocking traditions.
A month of wine
OK, so in principle, this sounds fantastic – but in truth it was pretty grim.
The idea of a “honeymoon” dates back as far as the fifth century in a number of European cultures when time was measured in moon cycles.
At their wedding, couples were presented with a “moon” (or roughly one month’s) worth of mead, which was an alcoholic honey wine, to drink together.
Mead was believed to be an aphrodisiac, so couples were expected to binge on wine for 30 days to get drunk enough to establish sexual intimacy.
It was then hoped that the couple would conceive their first child during this time.
So many historians believe the term “honeymoon” was born from this concept: it’s a moon’s worth of honey wine. Yikes.
Kidnapping
Yes, kidnapping. According to some historians, the honeymoon is a relic of “marriage by capture”.
The groom would hide his kidnapped bride away for months until their family stopped looking for them or they became pregnant, at which point it was considered too late for the marriage to be nullified.
It is believed some poorer men did this to avoid having to pay the woman’s family a dowry in areas such as China, South America, East and South Asia, Africa and some European gypsy communities.
A far less romantic getaway immediately after the wedding.
A family affair
While these days couples marry for love, historically most weddings weren’t about romance.
They were about class and inheritance – think Pride and Prejudice (before the happy ending).
Because there was no need for the couple to be alone together, they would use the honeymoon experience to take a “bridal tour” to visit friends and family who couldn’t make the wedding.
Spending your honeymoon visiting your in-laws at their place doesn’t seem like the ideal post-wedding getaway, does it?
Honeymoons today
Thankfully, the honeymoon concept has grown into a much more luxury affair.
But honeymoons are changing.
No longer are they just about lounging by the pool or drinking cocktails – couples are doing it differently.
Here are just some of the latest honeymoon trends inspiring couples to think outside the box.
Two honeymoons
With the skyrocketing cost of weddings these days, many couples are choosing to go on a shorter (and less expensive) mini-moon right after their wedding.
This would usually be a domestic trip for a few days followed by a longer trip a few months (or even up to a year) later.
YOLO honeymoons
Travel agents are reporting couples are adopting the “you only live once” mantra and are blowing their budgets even further by chasing that insta-worthy trip of a lifetime.
They’re going on longer, more exotic and more expensive trips to secluded luxury destinations such as Bora Bora, the Maldives and Tahiti that would have once been considered totally out of reach.
Some are even renting a private island to show off to their friends on social media. Alright for some.
Road trips and campervans
Rather than plonking themselves on a deckchair for a few days, many couples are now choosing to hire a car and get out on the open road visiting multiple destinations along the way.
Highway One on the Californian Coast, Route 66 in the U.S., New Zealand and Europe are all popular spots to hit the highway.
Volunteer honeymoons
A growing number of couples are now choosing to share their good fortune with those less fortunate by volunteering and doing charity work for a project or organisation.
“Voluntourism” is now spreading to honeymoons, with multiple companies such as Hands Up Holidays offering a life changing experience to new couples, with an enriching and fulfilling volunteer experience in countries such as Nepal, Thailand and Borneo.
Wellness vacations
Wellness is a growing trend for vacations in general, so it’s no surprise the concept is having a flow on effect into honeymoons.
Whether it’s booking into a wellness retreat to relax from the stress of the lead up to the big day, or choosing a destination in which to embrace hiking and getting outdoors, couples are becoming more and more in touch with their health and wellbeing.
This is naturally being reflected in their romantic post-wedding getaways.
Buddymoons
A recent study revealed one in five newlyweds no longer honeymoon by themselves.
The research by Sunshine.co.uk found the majority chose to take friends with them and 12 per cent brought parents on the trip.
The poll also revealed that honeymoon destinations are most often picked by the groom, rather than the bride.