Whether your honeymoon plans take you to Dominica, Denmark or Disney World, a few basic tips will help start your trip, and your marriage, on the right foot. Travel and wedding experts advise to plan, plan, plan -- but not just with COVID tests and travel documents.

*Plan Ahead

At least six months out, decide on your budget and destination. This will guide all other decisions and allow for leisurely brainstorming on the kinds of activities and types of accommodations you both will enjoy and can afford. If your dream vacation is out of bounds financially, consider scheduling it for later when you've had more time to save money and make it the trip you really want.

Talk about arrangements in general. Are you both planners? Free-wheelers? Great! If not, decide how to balance structure and spontaneity.

This also gives enough time to learn foreign language basics, reserve hard-to-get tours, train for any hiking or swimming and arrange any necessary certifications for scuba diving and other specialized activities.

*Plan Together

Travel arrangements can be daunting, especially on top of everything else going on before a wedding. It's tempting to divide and conquer when making arrangements, but making decisions together ensures that budgets, activities and the pace are what both people want. Lori Seto writes for the popular website The Knot, "Sketch out the trip together so each of your interests are addressed, (and) agree to a budget before you leave."

This is the time, Seto continues, to consider easing into your vacation by using the first day or two as downtime, deciding when you might like a break in the pace if you've planned a busy, activity-filled experience, and where to allow unstructured time to "follow your nose," as Seto says, and discover something unexpected.

As importantly, agree in advance to respect each other's interests, boundaries and energy; and when little irritations crop up, discuss a peaceful way to get back on track together. Seto says to be patient with each other: "Nip petty arguments and testy conversations in the bud right away. On your honeymoon, time is precious. Don't let a day -- even an hour -- be wasted bickering or not speaking ... Be the bigger person and extend the olive branch first." Figure out a way to do this before you leave, and enjoy a harmonious trip.

*Plan for Your Stuff

Rick Steves is famous for his packing tips. Less is best. "On your trip you'll meet two kinds of travelers: those who pack light and those who wish they had," Steves says at ricksteves.com.

If you'll be flying, decide whether to carry your luggage yourself or check it with the airline. Then pack accordingly to the carrier's size and weight restrictions. No matter how you plan to travel, list everything you might take. Reduce the list to what you'll need that, in a pinch, can't be replaced at your destination, then do a trial pack of the list. Try moving and carrying all of that stuff. You'll be glad you did.

*Plan to be healthy

Too little sleep, too many new activities all at once and poor nutrition make for cranky travelers. Rest, renew, eat well and hydrate to start and finish your trip on a high note and make great memories throughout your travels together.

*Plan Something to Look Forward to When You Get Home

Passport Health USA's website offers one more overlooked tip: "Coming home from a long trip can be a tiring and emotional experience and it's difficult to get back to your old routine ... To help alleviate this stress, make sure that you come home to something enjoyable. That may be a clean and organized environment or some fun plans for the near future."