How much does a honeymoon cost after an Irish wedding?
The wedding survey doesn't count it, but the honeymoon still needs a number. Typical spend by trip type, when to book flights and hotels, and why more Irish couples are splitting the trip in two.
Published 12 September 2026
It's the one wedding cost the survey doesn't count
Every "how much does an Irish wedding cost" figure you'll see, including ours, leaves the honeymoon out. That's not an oversight, it's because honeymoon spend varies too widely to average meaningfully: a long weekend in Kerry and three weeks in the Maldives are both "the honeymoon," and lumping them into one number would tell you nothing useful. What follows are typical ranges by trip type, not survey data, so you can see roughly where you'd land before you start pricing flights.
Typical spend by trip type
| Trip type | Typical cost for two | What it usually includes |
|---|---|---|
| Weekend mini-moon (Ireland or UK) | €300–€800 | Two or three nights, one nice dinner, no flights |
| Short-haul Europe (7 nights) | €1,500–€3,000 | Flights, mid-range hotel, some excursions |
| Long-haul (10–14 nights: US, Caribbean, Asia) | €3,500–€7,000 | Flights, 4-star hotel or resort, some excursions |
| Luxury or overwater (10–14 nights) | €7,000–€15,000+ | Business-class or premium economy, 5-star or overwater villa |
These are for two people, in euro, and assume a currency that isn't badly against you at the time. They move a lot with the season, so use them as a starting shape for your own budget, then price the actual flights and hotel for your dates before you commit to anything.
The mini-moon, then the real trip
A growing number of Irish couples are splitting the honeymoon in two: a short trip straight after the wedding, and a bigger one months later once the wedding bills have cleared and annual leave has built back up. It solves a real problem. Most couples are wedding-tired and wedding-broke in the fortnight after the big day, which is exactly when a three-week trip is hardest to enjoy and hardest to pay for.
If you're going to split it, be upfront with each other about which trip is "the honeymoon" for gift and card purposes, since some guests will ask.
When to book for the best price
- Flights: for long-haul, the best fares typically show up 3–6 months out; for short-haul Europe, 6–10 weeks out. Booking a full year ahead rarely beats this, whatever the "book early and save" emails imply.
- Hotels and resorts: book with free cancellation where you can, then rebook if a better rate appears closer to the date. Peak Irish wedding season (June–September) is also peak honeymoon-booking season for everyone else travelling then, so book early for availability even if the price isn't moving.
- Currency: if you're travelling outside the eurozone, keep an eye on the exchange rate in the weeks before you pay the balance. A weak week can move a long-haul trip by hundreds of euro either way.
Where to actually book it
Skyscanner is the easiest way to compare flight prices across airlines and dates before committing to one. Booking.com has the widest hotel selection with free cancellation on most rooms, useful if your dates might still move. Expedia is worth checking too, since its flight-and-hotel packages sometimes work out cheaper than booking the two separately.
For travel insurance, HelloSafe compares cover and prices from multiple Irish providers side by side, an easy way to check you're not paying for cover you don't need or missing cover you do. (This is an affiliate link: if you buy through it, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.)
Honeymoon funds, if the guest list asks
If your registry conversation keeps circling back to "we'd rather have a honeymoon than a toaster," a honeymoon fund page lets guests contribute directly to flights, a nice dinner or an excursion instead of a physical gift. Worth mentioning on your wedding website if you're going this route, so nobody's left guessing.
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