Planning a romantic vacation can be a lot of fun, but it can also sometimes be tricky. You want to make sure you’re both going to have an amazing time and make memories that you’ll cherish forever. While I truly love getting gifts, hubby and I actually prefer to plan experiences as opposed to buying physical items for each other. I'm fairly certain we haven't purchased anniversary gifts since we've been married - instead, we've planned things to do together (and maybe we've bought items during our experiences). As a guide, here are some of our dos and don’ts of planning a romantic vacation:



Do plan things you can both enjoy

Your vacation shouldn’t be focused on something only one of you enjoy - it should be focused around things you can both enjoy and want to do together. A romantic vacation can mean you have to compromise to have the best time together. Like, when we went on honeymoon - it was to Universal Studios. Harry Potter is one my favorite things in the world and hubby enjoys, but it's not as big a deal to him as it is to me. But Universal offered things we both enjoy immensely (Men in Black, the Simpsons, Jurassic, Park), so it wasn't just me getting to go to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, you know? So, when you're on a trip together, compromise. Maybe one of you wants to go scuba diving and the other wants to go for a hike. Maybe you’ll agree on a mixture of adventure and relaxation. Whatever you do, make sure you’re both happy.






Don't spend too much time with other people

Making friends is great, but alone-time is essential for a romantic vacation. For example, hubby and I are heading to Vegas this week, in part for a Call of Duty championship thing. Hubby knows people there - I won't. But we're making it a collaborative trip and we'll have alone-time, too. So, make sure you still plan plenty of time alone and enjoy one another’s company.



Do go somewhere new for both of you

Don’t go somewhere you had a wild weekend away with friends, as you might find yourself comparing the trip and feel like you’re showing your partner around. Experience new things together, to make that place special to both of you. Going somewhere new will be exciting for you both and you’ll be able to bond more over new shared experiences.






Don’t spend too much time on your phone

I'm the worst at this. I'm always taking pictures for the blog and posting things on Instagram in the moment. I mean, taking pictures and updating family back home is fine, but it shouldn’t be excessive social media or spending too much time on your phone. Make sure you pay attention to your surroundings and live in the moment. Don’t worry too much about always capturing the moment. Live in the present. (PS. I should take my own advice.)



Do choose accommodation together

Make sure you take your time to choose the right kind of accommodation together so you’re both happy when you arrive. A villa will mean having your own place and total privacy, or you can look at vacation condo rentals instead. A hotel will mean meeting new people and being around others most of the time, so consider the sort of trip that you actually want. Again - there's compromise to consider here. Make it an enjoyable experience for the both of you!






Don’t be surprised if you bicker

You can’t put yourself under pressure by vowing to have the ‘perfect’ trip together. There’s no such thing as "perfection." I'm a planner and hubby prefers to go with the flow, so veering from schedule can set me off and make me uncomfortable, which may cause an attitude on my part. You’ll probably still bicker on your vacation about one thing or the other, and honestly, it’s nothing to worry about - as long as you’re not having full-blown screaming matches every night.






Do spend a little time apart

Spending some time apart on a romantic vacation is totally fine. In fact, it’s pretty healthy and should be encouraged. Spending time apart from your partner to explore on your own for a while and do something you wanted to do will give you more to talk about when you meet up with them later on. If I'm being honest, though, I probably wouldn't wander off because hello, world, but I may spend some time reading, while he's enjoying video games. You shouldn’t feel under pressure to live in one another’s pockets or do absolutely everything together if you don’t want to - but maybe don't pull a Vegas Vacation and head to Wayne Newton's palace, okay?




Seriously though, planning a romantic vacation should be fun, so consider these tips and tricks above to have the best time with your partner. Live in the moment and make the most of your experiences together!














*This is a collaborative post.