Marian Honeymoon Destinations

Are you planning your dream honeymoon or perhaps a getaway with your spouse after a crazy year?

As a newlywed couple, travel can give you some much needed quality time after the busy season of wedding planning, and as Catholics it can also be a spiritually edifying and faith-filled experience.

PHOTOGRAPHY: PIXELMUSICA WEDDINGS

Looking to incorporate your love of the Blessed Mother into your travel plans? Check out these five Marian honeymoon destinations.

Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche 

Devotion to Our Lady of La Leche (or Our Lady of the Milk)  goes back to a 4th Century Grotto near Bethlehem which you can still visit today. It is said that the Blessed Mother stopped here to nurse the baby Jesus during the flight into Egypt. Many visitors to the Milk Grotto ask Mary for help conceiving a child. 

However, if you are looking to stay stateside and maybe spend some time at the beach, you can visit a beautiful shrine in St. Augustine, Florida dedicated to Our Lady of La Leche. This shrine is found at the Mission of Nombre de Dios which also has shrines dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe (Patroness of the Americas) and Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

Basilica of the Annunciation

If you are planning a trip to the Holy Land to see the Milk Grotto, be sure to also check out the Basilica of the Annunciation. Tradition holds that this site in Nazeraeth is where the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary announcing that she would become the mother of God. 

Just a short walk away is the Church of St. Joseph, which is believed to be the site of St. Joseph’s workshop. So you can walk with your new spouse where the Holiest of families lived and walked. Ask for their grace to follow their footsteps throughout your married life. 

Shrine of the Miraculous Medal

In 1830, the Blessed Mother appeared to a French nun St. Catherine Labouré and told her to have the Miraculous Medal made. There are actually two major shrines dedicated to the Miraculous Medal for you to consider in your travel plans––the original convent in Paris, France where Mary first appeared and a chapel in Philadelphia. These two cities offer many unique experiences for travelers and would make excellent honeymoon destinations for city-lovers. 

Knock Shrine

If you and your soon-to-be spouse want to explore the Emerald Isle for your honeymoon, you should visit Ireland’s National Marian Shrine at Knock. 

The Knock Shrine is the site of an Apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1879. Eyewitnesses say they saw the Blessed Mother, St. Joseph, and St. John the Evangelist. Along with them appeared a Lamb standing before a cross on an altar surrounded by angels.The grounds of the shrine feature five churches, beautiful gardens, and a museum. 

County Mayo, where the shrine is located, is full of natural beauty and outdoor activities, and would make a unique honeymoon destination. 

Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe

The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City houses the miraculous image of the Blessed Mother on St. Juan Diego’s tilma. It welcomes over twenty million faithful every year, making it the second most visited church in the world, after St. Peter’s in Vatican City.  So whether you want to head to a relaxing beach resort or explore more of what Mexico has to offer, you’ll want to make sure to check out this must-see Marian site. 

Newlywed Life | Surprises of Traveling with your Spouse

STEPHANIE FRIES

Whether it’s traveling for your honeymoon, a summertime vacation or holiday, sharing life as a “party of two” may eventually yield opportunities to pack a bag, load the car, board the plane, and take a trip. 

Unlike sharing a home or going on a date, traveling with your spouse may be a catalyst for surprising new conversations about values, opinions and preferences. 

PHOTOGRAPHY: LAUREN EMILY PHOTOGRAPHY

A husband and wife bring experiences from their respective childhood travels into their adult preferences, including how to spend time and money. Some couples may not realize how many expectations each partner brings into a vacation until they make opposing suggestions. 

The opportunity to travel is an incredible fortune. There are so many different ways to take a vacation: backpacking or luggage-in-tow, culturally immersive or relaxing, budget or high-end, clean or rugged, foreign or domestic, self-guided or professionally-guided, adventurous or cultural, ethnic food or familiar food, planned or spontaneous. 

Although you and your spouse love each other’s company and are in a groove with sharing chores and space around your home, time on vacation is completely different. In reality, vacation is often as a desirable “break” from routine norms. 

Discussing a budget is typically part of the initial plan for taking a trip. Beyond a dollar amount, the budget conversation involves how and where you will spend money. 

How we spend money communicates what we value. Do you value a nice hotel with all of the amenities or would you opt to allocate funds toward a private tour at an art museum? These preferences reveal and determine where you and your spouse agree to prioritize spending in accordance with your values. 

Where we spend our time also communicates what we value. It is impossible to eat at every restaurant, see every tourist attraction, and participate in every possible activity during one vacation. Husbands and wives must share decisions about what is realistic and desirable within the constraints of time on vacation. 

Like any experience in married life, we are called to die to self as an act of love for the other. Does this mean we are called to plan a vacation solely according to our spouse’s preferences? Absolutely not. 

Marriage calls two individuals into deeper intimacy. Surrendering your desires for your spouse’s preferences is an act of love. However, being honest and vulnerable about your personal preferences is also an act of love because, by sharing this part of yourself, you invite your spouse to see, know, and love you.

Maintaining a flexible and marriage-centered attitude in these conversations about potentially conflicting opinions will guide couples to make decisions with shared ownership and joy. Without a doubt, travel is an opportunity to learn about your spouse, yourself, and the values you desire to fulfill in your family. 

We would love to hear: do you and your spouse have similar opinions about travel and vacation? What areas have prompted conversations and compromise? Share your reflections with our community on Instagram and Facebook.

---

About the Author: Stephanie Fries is Spoken Bride’s Associate Editor. Stephanie’s perfect day would include a slow morning and quality time with her husband, Geoff, a strong cup of coffee, and a homemade meal (…with dessert). Read more

INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK