After “I do” it’s time to say “au revoir” to your guests and jet off with your betrothed to an exotic adventure of a lifetime or a romantic, laidback getaway. If you’re in the midst of planning your big trip, these blissful locales chosen by iconic couples, such as John and Jackie Kennedy and Prince William and Kate Middleton, will hopefully inspire where you celebrate newly wedded bliss.
John and Jackie Kennedy
For Jackie and John F. Kennedy, a West Coast honeymoon was the perfect way to relax after a whirlwind wedding complete with 1,200 guests and a flurry of press coverage. Their trip began with a two-week stay in Acapulco, once considered the most glamorous destination in Mexico, and culminated with the pair meandering up the California coast.
They enjoyed a stay in a cottage now known as the Kennedy Suite at Santa Barbara’s San Ysidro Ranch for just $27 a night back in 1953. Couples looking for a retreat between the ocean and mountains can book that very same cottage today. Before heading back East, the Kennedys called a quintessential Beverly Hills mansion home for three nights. The house, as seen in The Godfather trilogy, boasts gardens designed by landscape architect to the stars Paul Thiene, and a location right by The Beverly Hills Hotel.
Elizabeth Taylor
As a perennial bride, Academy Award winning actress Elizabeth Taylor knew just how she liked to bask in the newness of marriage. Six of her eight honeymoons were spent at Bungalow 5 tucked away in The Beverly Hills Hotel. You too can stay in Bungalow 5, now decked out in gold and citrine finishes inspired by the screen starlet’s jewelry collection. Her first honeymoon, with husband Conrad Hilton Jr. in 1950, was a 14-week European tour aboard the RMS Queen Mary with stops in Monte Carlo, Cannes, and Cap d’Antibes.
Grace Kelly
Fellow actress Grace Kelly took to the seas for her honeymoon, too. When her Serene Highness, the Princess of Monaco, married Prince Rainier III in 1956, it was the royal wedding of the century. Guests including Ava Gardner and Cary Grant attended the A-list affair, and shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis gifted them a 147-foot yacht. The Princess and her groom would sail around the Mediterranean for seven weeks on the luxury vessel, which has recently been rechristened the M/Y Grace Kelly. For those wanting to recreate the To Catch a Thief star’s honeymoon, “The Grace” is available for expeditions around the Galapagos Islands. If you’re looking for a destination on land, Mallorca’s Hotel Formentor has a suite named after Grace Kelly where the pair stayed to cap off their travels.
Mick and Bianca Jagger
Proving that yachts are always in style, Mick and Bianca Jagger spent their 1971 honeymoon aboard the Romeang. The boat, replete with a six-man crew, was the perfect way to soak up the islands of Corsica and Sardinia for a week. For their St. Tropez nuptials, Bianca cut a sleek figure in a plunging YSL Le Smoking jacket and coordinating hat. Her first night as Mrs. Jagger would be spent at the Byblos Hotel, a glamorous hotspot befitting of her chic sensibilities. The French five-star hotel, whose sophisticated charm has remained unspoiled, was built by a Lebanese billionaire in hopes of wooing screen siren Brigitte Bardot.
Brigitte Bardot
While filming And God Created Woman in St. Tropez during the 50s, Bardot became enchanted with the then-quaint fishing village and helped to make it a celebrity destination. If you’re into a splashy party scene for two, a honeymoon in St. Tropez is for you. The French Riviera hotspot is where Bardot met her third husband, Gunther Sachs, in 1966. After a short courtship, the two exchanged vows in Las Vegas and boarded a private jet headed for Tahiti.
Prince William and Kate Middleton
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are another couple who accessed their tropical trip by chartered aircraft. While the Royals’ wedding may have trumped Bardot’s in elegance and fanfare, their island-hopping honeymoons were very similar. For a Kate Middleton experience, you can also stay on North Island, the most exclusive spot in the Seychelles. There are 11 guest villas to choose from with post-nuptial perks like Michelin-star meals and yoga on the beach included in your resort package. From extravagant holidays to stateside stays, history’s chicest brides have left us with a loved-up honeymoon legacy to draw from. Have fun planning and bon voyage!
—Written by Emily Jackson, the founder of Stuffy Muffy, a blog about art, decor, and other marvelous musings.
