Jennifer Repetto and Mark La Bella had planned on taking a weeklong honeymoon after their Dec. 27 wedding in Philadelphia. But instead of jumping on a plane to the Caribbean or some far-flung locale, the couple, who live in North Wales, Pa., headed off to coastal Maine.
“We wanted to keep it simple and low-key and not change time zones,” Ms. Repetto said. “The trip was about being with each other without spending a fortune.”
Their getaway began at Cliff House Maine in Cape Neddick on the southern coast, where they celebrated New Year’s Eve. Ms. Repetto, 44, a middle-school math teacher, and Mr. La Bella, 51, an owner of a sheet-metal fabrication business, then drove a rental car 45 minutes north to the Cape Arundel Inn & Resort in Kennebunkport.
“We had great seafood, cozy dinners, soaks in hot tubs and took walks along the water,” Ms. Repetto said. “We came back refreshed, not exhausted, which is exactly what we wanted our honeymoon to be about.”
Married couples have traditionally used their honeymoons as an opportunity to take once-in-a-lifetime trips that have long been on their wish lists or to book stays at romantic resorts in the Caribbean or farther afield. More recently, however, many newlyweds have been opting for domestic honeymoons instead.
The shift can be attributed to several factors, including constrained budgets, limited time off, or a desire to avoid the complications of international travel. Many couples are also increasingly drawn to the idea of a more laid-back, relaxed honeymoon without the pressure of a packed itinerary.
Domestic honeymoons and weddings have had a slight but steady year-over-year increase between the first quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of this year, according to data from the Internova Travel Group, a travel service provider in New York that has more than $20 billion of travel sales a year overall. The data reflects sales from 20 travel agencies within Internova specializing in honeymoons and destination weddings.
When choosing where to go, couples appear to be looking beyond beaches, resorts and other domestic honeymoon mainstays like Hawaii, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
Internova’s data indicates that Massachusetts more than doubled its wedding and honeymoon travel sales, while Colorado, Arizona and Utah also gained momentum as romantic destinations.
New York City also had a significant rise in popularity, according to Internova, with bookings more than tripling. Other emerging city destinations for couples include Phoenix; Memphis; Knoxville, Tenn.; Austin, Texas; and Burbank, Calif.
The Knot 2025 Real Weddings Study, released in February, also indicated an incremental increase in domestic honeymoons. Of the nearly 17,000 U.S. couples surveyed who wed last year or planned to marry this year, 41 percent opted for the United States as their destination, compared with 38 percent of couples asked in 2023.
Florida, Hawaii and California were the most popular states for these trips, with Tennessee and Colorado not far behind.
In a recent survey of 400 engaged couples by the wedding platform Joy, nearly half said that they planned to have a domestic honeymoon. “We’re finding that many couples are making the conscious choice to simplify, to savor and to stay grounded in the moment,” Vishal Joshi, the chief executive, said. “The dream of faraway places meets the reality of time, budget and logistics.”
Speaking to this point, Caitlin Bell-Evans, 26, a nurse, and Erica Bell-Evans, 28, a middle-school special-education teacher, who wed last April and live in Philadelphia, took a 10-day honeymoon to Palm Springs, Calif., last November.
They stayed at the Mediterranean-inspired Korakia Pensione during the trip and spent their days sleeping until 10 a.m., sitting by the hotel’s pool and visiting local spas to use the hot springs. Come evening, they enjoyed Mexican food with tacos and tequila and treated themselves to a few nicer dinners. Caitlin Bell-Evans said that they chose Palm Springs because the city’s mountain and desert landscape offered a stark contrast to the East Coast and made them feel as if “they really escaped.”
“It was so much less work to stay domestic,” she said. “We put so much work into planning our wedding and were tired. Plus, I didn’t have a passport and didn’t want another thing to add to my to-do list.” She noted that they also thought domestic travel would be “cheaper” than going abroad.
“We really feel that staying in the U.S. was our way to give back to ourselves,” Erica Bell-Evans added.
Some luxe domestic resorts also report a bump in honeymoon bookings. The Wauwinet, an oceanfront resort in Nantucket, Mass., introduced a “happy honeymoons” package this spring in response to the rise in newlyweds at the property, according to Ashish Verma, the executive vice president of White Elephant Resorts, the resort’s parent company.
The offer includes two nights of accommodation, daily breakfast, one lunch and one dinner. When they arrive, couples are welcomed with flowers, oysters and champagne.
Kara Bebell and Harlan deBell are the brother-and-sister owners of the New York travel company the Travel Siblings, and planned Ms. Repetto’s and Mr. La Bella’s trip. They said that the United States had an abundance of resorts for newlyweds. “Whatever experience couples find romantic to them, from wineries and small towns to beaches and glamping in the wilderness, there is something fabulous for everyone,” Ms. Bebell said.
The two suggest Acqualina Resort & Residences on the Beach, Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club and Faena Hotel Miami Beach, in the Miami area. “These resorts have a Caribbean feel without leaving the country, and for the West Coast, it doesn’t get more romantic in Laguna Beach than checking into the Montage,” Mr. deBell said.
Wine lovers might consider Napa, Sonoma and Healdsburg, which are among the wine regions in California. For couples seeking upscale camping with activities like fly fishing and hiking, Ms. Bebell and Mr. deBell recommend resorts in Montana, including Paws Up, a ranch resort in Greenough, or the Ranch at Rock Creek, in Philipsburg. They also recently planned a weeklong honeymoon to the all-inclusive luxury resort Twin Farms, in Barnard, Vt., which offers activities such as archery, ax throwing, cycling, hiking, canoeing and pickleball.
Caitlin Fogle, a travel adviser with Protravel in Miami, suggests couples plan their trips six to nine months in advance, if possible. “You’ll get better rates and hotel availability, especially on premium rooms,” she said. But she added that a memorable, last-minute domestic honeymoon was “definitely doable.”
Ms. Fogle also advises couples to splurge on one or a few extravagant activities. This might include a private cruise with a sunset dinner, a hot-air balloon ride or a lavish private picnic in the middle of a hike. “These extras go a long way in elevating your trip,” she said.
Andrew Gehrt, 36, the owner of a tree removal company, and Brittany Quay, 30, the director of a child development center, who live in Spartanburg, S.C., took her advice during their late-May honeymoon to Jackson Hole, Wyo.
At Ms. Fogle’s recommendation, they splurged on privately guided tours of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. They also golfed, explored downtown Jackson and soaked in a hot tub while drinking champagne.
“Most of our friends go to beach resorts in the Caribbean for their honeymoons,” Mr. Gehrt said. “Ours was different. It was unique and definitely perfect.”
Shivani Vora is a New York City-based travel writer who considers herself a very savvy packer.
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