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Cristina Montemayor is a freelance writer and makeup artist whose work has appeared on HelloGiggles, Slate, Elite Daily, and Bustle.

Planning a honeymoon is one of the most exciting parts of the wedding journey. It all comes down to the right location and the experiences you want to embrace; and wherever you choose to travel, it's sure to be the trip of a lifetime.

Though planning can be fun, packing for it is a different story. You don’t want to overpack, but honeymoons are traditionally a week or longer, and often you’ll need multiple outfits for every day. After months of stressful wedding planning, you'll want to feel comfortable and relaxed, but also look cute since you’ll inevitably take a million photos.

So, to help you decide what to wear, we brought in the experts to share their best honeymoon packing tips. 

To start, and before you start throwing things in your suitcase, you’ll want to take into consideration the location, season, and length of your stay. 

The most important part of planning your honeymoon is deciding on a location, and you should pack your suitcase accordingly. Leave the clothes you wear on a day-to-basis at home, and really try to envision yourself in the destination as you’re putting together outfits. 

“I'm really big on situational dressing,” says Stefana Tabacaru, founder of Tabacaru Swim. “I really love to [dress] in the vibe of the place that I'm going, so I would recommend people do a little bit of research on where they're going so that they have a better understanding of the local style.”

Tabacaru suggests looking up the location tags of places or restaurants you plan to visit, in order to get a sense of what others might be wearing and the level of formality, colors, and styles that are most common. “It's quite nice to wear pieces that resonate with that place,” she says. “If you're going to Italy, I think it's great to wear an Italian designer. You want to wear things that feel like they fit in where you're going.”

Once you know where you’re going and the typical style of dress, it’s important to take into account the time of year and the weather forecast during your visit. “Brides should consider first the location and inclement weather potential,” says Danielle Leilani, founder of wedding planning and lifestyle brand Leilani Weddings.

Leilani suggests packing lots of layers that correspond to the location. For a beach trip, this means lots of swimsuits, cover-ups, and tank tops. Don’t forget to bring a light jacket for chilly mornings and evenings. 

For a more adventurous mountain or safari trip, pack extra base layers like outdoor and athletic pants, short and long-sleeve tops, and extra undergarments. These extra layers shouldn’t take up too much room in your suitcase since they are lightweight, but trust us, you’ll be glad to have them. 

Most honeymoons are, on average, about a week-long, while others may last up to two to three weeks. In most cases, a carry-on isn’t going to cut it so plan to check a bag.

A longer honeymoon generally means you’ll have more flexibility in how you’ll be spending your days, which also means it may be more difficult to pack an outfit day by day. So, how do you avoid overpacking for an extended honeymoon vacation? Leilani has some sage advice. 

“Imagine yourself on picture day as a kid in grade school, and how you wanted to be remembered in the yearbook,” she says. “You'll want to look back on this time together as a time capsule for you both as a couple and recognize yourselves years later. You'll find that packing and dressing based on what you think you'd wear on your ‘best days’ will help deter you from over-packing or bringing items you'd inevitably never wear.” 

To further help your packing journey, here are a few essentials you should always remember.

It’s tradition for brides to wear white leading up to and on the day of their wedding, but after you say “I do,” you’re free to wear whatever color you choose. “Obviously, lots of white is classic, but don’t shy away from choosing another color palette, and feel free to mix in some prints,” says Leilani.

You’ll want to dress comfortably, especially if your trip is going to take longer than a few hours. A coordinating athleisure set will make you feel put together without sacrificing your comfort. Wear light layers and don’t forget to bring a jacket in case it gets cold on the plane. We also recommend socks, closed-toed shoes, and a sleep mask if you want to catch some Zs before landing in paradise.

Depending on where you’re going, you want to bring at least three but no more than five pairs of shoes. Wear a comfortable sneaker on the plane for walking tours and light excursions, a heel or elevated sandals for dinners, and a sandal or flip flop for the beach/pool. If there’s room in your luggage, bring a slipper for walking around the hotel. You can bring additional shoes for going out or adventuring, but if you bring more than five pairs, you may as well check another bag filled with shoes (which we fully support, too). Try to pack light when it comes to shoes so you can bring more outfits, which is all you'll see in photos anyway.

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