To think a mini moon at Xmas is depressing?

[Angel0u]

Posting for traffic. DP and my income is looking uncertain until the new year when he starts a new job. We are getting married at Xmas and our although we'd love to go off on honeymoon straight away we can't afford it, so we are planning to go in the Spring when things are more secure.
Any ideas for a mini moons / alternative that won't feel like a let down over Christmas week? It's our 1st Christmas celebrating as a couple without families - we had already booked time off work ready to go away, and our DC will be at MIL for a week! We'd like to go somewhere but within a budget, and as it's Christmas where we spend the actual day is a consideration.

Edinburgh's Christmas market is absolutely fabulous! Try and borrow a small child while you're there just to visit Santa, he looks so like the 'real' Santa I almost peed myself with excitement.
Wandering around looking at things while drinking mugs of mulled wine or cider is great.

Cyrpus do some great specials at that time of year as its not peak season but the weather is still pleasant.

ackergilltower.com

Or Germany for Christmas markets? Stuttgart has a lovely one and there's medieval market in Esslingen.

We got married December 20th, had a mini moon straight after then had a bigger holiday in March. Was nice to spread it out a bit!

We stayed at Babington House. Super lovely at that time of the year, though you'll probably need to book now as it gets VERY busy.

We got married between Christmas and the New Year and had a week in Ireland. I was pregnant, so didn't want a long haul flight (or be too far from home), so we splashed out on staying in a really posh hotel instead. It pissed down all week, but we were perfectly happy, cosied up in our suite with a proper fire!

It depends on where you live OP, as I wouldn't want to travel too far over Christmas (traffic jams, rail strikes etc.) but either Bath or Edinburgh would get my vote. I hope you have a wonderful time wherever you decide to go, and congratulations on your forthcoming wedding!

Great ideas here OP. If you want the christmassy feel I would get a nice hotel in Germany, do a few hristmas markets, go ice skating, walk in the snow. Sounds heavenly. Congratulations on your wedding, I’m sure your daughter will enjoy Christmas at Grandmas with her cousins.

We had our honeymoon 2 months after our wedding and it was one of the best holidays ever. Something to look forward to after the actual day.

We stayed in a hotel for a few days immediately after the wedding. We have gone back there for anniversaries too.

OP, DH and I married on 21st December. We spent our wedding night and the night after it in the hotel where we had held our reception. We then went on a 3 night mini moon to Edinburgh on the 28th December after spending the time in between with our then 3 year old, taking her to a Christmas concert and to see Santa. It was an absolutely fabulous mini moon. We took the train up, stayed in an amazing hotel and ate at incredible restaurants each evening (Tasting menu at The Balmoral, The Witchery and Ship on the Shore). We were overwhelmed by the generosity of our guests and received over £5000 as part of our wedding gifts Anything that wasn't a cheque was spent over those 3 days in Edinburgh and it was brilliant soaking in the festive atmosphere, quaffing champagne and cocktails, and stuffing ourselves with beautiful food - very lavish and what we felt to be an appropriate length away from our daughter. Go for it OP. You only live once and your daughter will no doubt be really happy to see her mum so loved up. We then had a proper honeymoon to Arbua the following August (without daughter), but I honestly enjoyed Edinburgh more. It was the most perfect Christmas holiday ever. Very jealous of you actually. Would love to do it again.

Oh OP, I feel sorry for you. Your request and situation is all perfectly reasonable but some pp have got upset because of the way you framed the info. Anyway! A pp mentioned Salzburg, which is gorgeous at Christmas but it’s also very cold (like really cold) so you’d either end up shelling out for proper cold-weather gear (a Normal UK winter coat won’t cut it) or being miserable.
Have you looked at the west coast of Ireland? It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve been. You could drive to the ferry (depending on where you live) and make the journey part of the holiday or just fly. There’s loads of beautiful hotels too. Good luck and congratulations on the wedding.

I second The Witchery in Edinburgh but you wouldn’t get a week for your budget. It’s very expensive but you could probably do a couple of nights.

I know you said UK but we went to Salzburg the week before Christmas and it is absolutely beautiful. All twinkly lights and music. Would love to go back again.

Bizarre drip feed OP. Your DD is spending Christmas with her dad and your ex MIL as it is his turn. Your thread implied you were sending her to your partner’s Mother through choice. It really changes the context of your question.

Anyway. If you’re not arsed, I’m told that flights that cross into Christmas Day can end up being incredibly cheap. And the atmosphere is quite nice. Maybe have a look at that.

It's our 1st Christmas celebrating as a couple without families

I find that bit depressing, yes. I'd hate to spend Christmas with just my DP and no one else if there was an alternative.

our DC will be at MIL for a week

Lol that it transpires pretty much every word of that was untrue!

Why didn’t you just say in your OP that your DC is a teen and spending xmas with her father (your ex) and his family, as they have done every other year before?

I wouldn't look at it as a mini moon just a short break.

Your budget won't go very far for a week of luxury in the U.K. and if going over Christmas week lots will be booked up. I would probably go to mainland Europe.

Just a warning, friends went to Germany over Christmas and everything was shut for a couple of days so they were disappointed.

Bizarre drip feed.

Well you wanted opinions, you got them. Sorry if you think my comments are twattish OP but all your dewy eyed comments about your ‘special day’ and ‘enjoying your first Christmas alone as a couple’, and ‘mini-moons’ etc it all sounds a bit forced and contrived coming from someone whose been happily partnered for years.

Sorry OP but you got a lot of judgy comments because your initial post created the wrong impression.

Ignoring everything else (yabu to blow £1500 when money is uncertain) I would either do a couple of nights in a boutique hotel somewhere or a cottage somewhere nice. Our main honeymoon was a cottage in the lakes. Lots of gin and pub lunches.

Edinburgh, or further north would be lovely, or the Cotswolds, 3 days Christmas breaks come in at about £500 full board per head when I looked. However £1500 is a very generous budget - it's a bit disingenuous posting here you are a bit tight on money for a honeymoon then, most people have that as their total budget, my total wedding only came to that!

Might be worth considering the expected awful weather over winter with regards to travel. Scotland or Lakes are fab but if you're in Cornwall or London getting back is very different in thick snow.

Nothing wrong with your budget but the whole money is precarious until Spring, we can't afford a proper honeymoon yet, we've never had a Christmas alone does rather over egg the poor us. As opposed to DD is with her DDad happily and per ongoing arrangement and we have a healthy £1500 for somewhere in the UK before we jet off to Bora Bora in March

For what it's worth, when I was 14 I went to spend Christmas with my cousins and absolutely loved it. It was my mum who was upset and didn't really want me to go but didn't want to be mean (not that she told me at the time) (I am also an only child so Xmas was boring with just my parents).

Edinburgh or York would be lovely. Liverpool and Leeds are very interesting cities too but I wonder if there's anything going on over Christmas itself once the Christmas markets have finished.

Christmas markets point also applies to Germany - they finish by Christmas.

OP check out the Chester Residence if you decide on Edinburgh. We stayed there the night of our wedding and it was amazing. Not horrifically expensive compared to a nice hotel but much more space and the breakfast they provided was lovely

If you enjoy Christmas lights London or Blackpool. For a cosy cottage, or hotel and towns and historic houses like Chatsworth Peak District. On various rent a cottage
or hotel websites you can filter to select open fire, swimming pool, unusual place to stay. Prague beautiful, with lovely markets. Iceland is magical, go to blue lagoon pool, tour the golden circle, see northern lights, but food expensive. Start booking now, because places get booked up

York is lovely at Christmas, but it is expensive to stay. However dh and stayed overnight for my 40th in an amazing air b&b apartment with parking for a reasonable price. Happy to message you the details.