A minimoon is a short honeymoon. It is usually two to five nights, taken soon after the wedding, and close enough to home that you spend the time resting rather than travelling. The word is a blend of "mini" and "honeymoon", and you will also see it written as mini moon or mini-moon.
Why couples take one
- Time. It is easier to take three days off work than two weeks, especially if you have just taken leave for the wedding.
- Money. A few nights somewhere special costs far less than a long-haul trip, and you can spend it on a better room.
- Rest. After months of planning, a short trip with no itinerary is often what couples want most.
- The big trip later. Some couples save the long honeymoon for a better season or a bigger budget, and take a minimoon so the wedding still has a proper ending.
What makes a good minimoon stay
Because the trip is short, the room matters more than the destination. The things couples ask us about most are:
- a hot tub that is theirs alone, rather than one shared with a spa full of other guests
- a spa, ideally one with adults-only times
- a hotel that is happy to mark the occasion, or that publishes a minimoon or romantic package
- a short journey from the wedding venue or from home
That is what we check for every hotel we list. So far we have checked 58 hotels across the Lake District, the Cotswolds, the Cornwall, the Yorkshire, the Wales, the Scotland.
Minimoon ideas in the UK
A UK minimoon is usually a drive rather than a flight: no airport the morning after the wedding, and no luggage limits for the leftover cake. Good places to start:
- Lake District: Lakes, fells and old stone villages in Cumbria, with more hotel rooms that come with their own hot tub than anywhere else we cover.
- Cotswolds: Honey-stone villages and country house hotels, the easiest minimoon to reach from London and the Midlands.
- Cornwall: Clifftop hotels, sea views and spas at the far south-west tip of England.
- Yorkshire: Dales, moors, York and Harrogate: big country estates with spas, within easy reach of the north and Midlands.
- Wales: Mountains, coast and castles, from Eryri (Snowdonia) in the north to the Pembrokeshire coast in the west.
- Scotland: Castles, lochs and Highland hideaways, plus Edinburgh for a city minimoon.
- UK hotel rooms with a private hot tub
Questions
How long is a minimoon?
There is no fixed length. Most are between two and five nights. Anything longer than a week starts to look like a regular honeymoon.
Is a minimoon instead of a honeymoon?
It can be. Some couples take a minimoon because of time, money or work, and never take a longer trip. Others take a minimoon straight after the wedding and a longer honeymoon months later.
When do you take a minimoon?
Usually straight after the wedding, often leaving the day after. Some couples take it a few weeks later, once the thank-you cards are done.