YOLOmoons and minimoons: how newlyweds are honeymooning in 2014

 The travel industry is pretty clever when it comes to coining new names for travel concepts like “staycation,” “glamping” and “bleisure travel.” And honeymoons are no exception. From buddymoons, YOLOmoons and minimoons, here are a few ideas and trends for time-crunched couples with a social conscience and every kind of budget.

Ideas culled from experts over at 101 Honeymoons and wedding.theknot.com.

Minimoons

It’s become increasingly popular to forego the extensive, two-week honeymoon abroad in favor of taking a shorter staycation closer to home and saving the larger vacation for later in the year. As pointed out in an article for Skyscanner.net, minimoons offer the possibility of splurging on a five-star hotel for a few nights, rather than slumming it out in a mediocre, two-star property over two weeks.

YOLO or Maximoons

At the other end of the spectrum, the industry is also seeing couples embark on Maxi or YOLO -- You Only Live Once -- moons. For some couples, honeymoons are seen as their last hurrah before they face commitments like mortgages, children and mountains of bills. Whether it’s taking months off work to backpack through Europe or Southeast Asia, or splashing out on an exorbitant all-inclusive resort in Bora Bora or the Maldives, the maximoon is for couples who want to kick off their new lives together in a big, big way.

Honeyteering

It’s a riff off voluntourism: Combine the concept of honeymoon and volunteering, and you get honeyteering, a vacation idea that aims to appeal to couples with a social conscience. Nowhere is this trend perhaps most promoted than Thailand, where couples can stay in luxurious hotels like the Four Seasons Chiang Mai and also lend their time to animal conservation efforts or teach English to young Thai children.

Buddymoon

The primary reason some couples invite friends and family on their honeymoon? To save money, says 101 Honeymoons. But according to scientific research, opening up your vacation to other couples could also help strengthen your relationship. One study out of Wayne State University in Detroit, for example, found that spending time with other couples can help people view their partners in a new light and add another level of excitement to their relationship. But be careful the kind of couple you choose, warn relationship experts, and invite couples you admire and who share the same interests.