- Packing guide
- Honeymoon
- For two
Honeymoon packing list: what to bring, and what to share
Your honeymoon starts right after the busiest weeks of your life. A little planning now means you land relaxed, with what you need and nothing you don't.
By JPott Studios
About 6 minutes to read
Pack a few days before the wedding, make sure each ticket matches the passport it goes with, and share the basics instead of bringing two of everything. Get those right and the rest of your honeymoon packing list is easy.
Most honeymoon lists online are really wish lists: matching outfits, props for photos, a new swimsuit for every day. That's lovely if it's you. But what actually makes the trip feel easy is plainer stuff: the right documents, clothes for what you'll really do, and one bag's worth of shared things instead of two.
When to pack: before the wedding
Wedding week is full, and the morning after is no time to hunt for passports. Aim to have both bags packed a few days before the big day. Leave them by the door, and add only the last few things, like chargers and toothbrushes, on your way out.
If you're flying off the day after the wedding, pack a small overnight bag for the wedding night too, so the main cases can stay closed.
A calmer week of the wedding
- A few days beforeBoth bags packedLeave them by the door.
- If you leave the day afterA small overnight bagFor the wedding night, so the main cases stay closed.
- As you leaveThe last few thingsChargers and toothbrushes, and that is all.
The name check that matters most
The name on each flight ticket needs to match the passport it'll be used with. If one of you is changing your name, book the honeymoon in the name on the passport you'll actually travel with. Updating a passport takes time, so plenty of people travel on their old one and change their name once they're home.
While the passports are out, check the expiry dates. Some countries want your passport to stay valid for several months beyond your trip, and the rules differ from place to place, so look up the entry rules for your destination early.
Documents and money
- Both passports, and any visas or entry forms
- Flight, hotel and transfer confirmations, saved offline
- Travel insurance details for both of you
- Two bank cards, kept in different places
- Some local cash in small notes, for tips and taxis
- Driving licences, if you might hire a car
- A copy of your marriage certificate, but only if a hotel has asked for proof for a honeymoon offer
What clothes to pack for a honeymoon
Think about your days before you think about outfits. A beach honeymoon, a city break and a safari need very different bags. Count your nights, then plan around a few kinds of day.
Beach and pool days
- Two or three swimsuits each, so one is always dry
- A cover-up or light shirt for walking to lunch
- Sandals, plus water shoes if there are rocks or reefs
- Sun hat and sunglasses
Exploring days
- Comfortable walking shoes you've already worn in
- Light, breathable tops and bottoms that mix and match
- A layer for air conditioning, evenings and boat trips
- A small day bag
Special dinners
Most honeymoons have at least one evening that feels like an occasion. Pack one or two nicer outfits each, and check your hotel's evening dress code. Some resort restaurants ask men to wear long trousers and closed shoes after dark. One pair of smart shoes each is usually plenty, and building both outfits around one or two colours, as in our business trip packing list, keeps the case light. If your honeymoon is at sea, our cruise packing list covers formal nights on board.
For the room
Bring comfortable sleepwear, something cosy to lounge in, and anything that makes the room feel like yours. Keep it light, though. Most hotels have robes.
Share, don't double up
Two people don't need two of everything. Sit down together before you pack and decide who's bringing what. The table below shows the usual swaps. Rain gear is the exception: bring an umbrella or a rain jacket each, depending on the weather.
| Packing separately | Sharing | |
|---|---|---|
| Toiletry bag | Two full bags | One for the basics, plus a small one each |
| Sunscreen and after-sun | Two of each | One big bottle of each |
| Power bank | Two | One |
| First aid kit | Two | One small kit |
| Plug adapter | One each | One per two or three devices |
If you're flying with hand luggage, pack the shared liquids to the strictest rule you'll meet on the way. Our carry-on toiletry kit guide shows you how.
Health and comfort
- Any medication either of you takes, with a few days spare, in your hand luggage
- Insect repellent, especially for tropical places at dusk
- After-sun or aloe for the day you forget to reapply
- Plasters for new sandals and blisters
- Something for motion sickness, if boat trips or winding roads are planned
- Any personal health items you'd rather not buy abroad
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Rings, jewellery and valuables
Wear your rings while you travel, and never pack them in a checked bag. At the beach, many couples leave expensive jewellery in the hotel safe, because fingers shrink a little in cool water and sunscreen makes them slippery, so rings slide off easily. Keep cameras, phones and anything precious in your hand luggage.
A bag for the first night
Put one change of clothes each, swimwear, toiletries and chargers in your hand luggage. Then if a checked bag turns up a day late, you'll still have a lovely first evening. Our carry-on packing list helps you fit it all in.
It also helps to split your clothes between the two big bags. If one goes missing, neither of you is left with nothing.
Leave room to bring things home
You'll almost certainly buy something. Leave a little space, or pack a foldable bag flat in the bottom of your case.
Heading somewhere warm? Our guides on what to pack for a Caribbean island trip and what to pack for Jamaica cover the sun, the rain and the local details. If you'd like it all on paper, our free printable packing list maker turns your nights and plans into a checklist.
Where Neatly Packed helps
Neatly Packed builds a counted checklist from your nights, weather and plans. On Premium, you can add a traveller profile for each of you, and it counts shared things like the toiletries kit, sunscreen and power bank once for the trip, not once per person. You can also tell it how many special dinners to plan for, and with Premium it adds a formal outfit for each one.
Questions people ask
When should we pack for our honeymoon?
Before the wedding, ideally a few days ahead. The last days before a wedding are busy, and the morning after is no time to hunt for passports. Pack early, leave the bags by the door, and add only last-minute things like chargers on the day you leave.
Should we book honeymoon flights in a new married name?
Book in the name that's on the passport you'll travel with. The name on your ticket needs to match your passport, and updating a passport takes time, so many people change their name after they get home.
Should we pack in one suitcase or two?
Two is usually safer, with a mix of both people's things in each. If one bag is delayed, neither of you is left with nothing. Keep a change of clothes and the essentials for both of you in your hand luggage too.
What do couples most often forget on honeymoon?
A plug adapter, after-sun, insect repellent, plasters for new sandals, a nicer outfit for a special dinner, and space in the case for things you buy. Checking the names on the tickets against the passports is the one to do first.
From JPott Studios
One calm email a month
One useful tip, one free printable or tool, and a short note from our apps. Join and get the free welcome pack: printable trackers, a packing list maker and more.