How To Request Time Off From Work For Your Honeymoon

Requesting time off for one of the biggest events in your life can seem a little daunting. It's not just the honeymoon that should occupy most of your vacation days—there’s also the pre-wedding events, which include planning for the big day, the bachelor or bachelorette party, bridal shower, dress rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, and of course, the wedding itself. With all these events to take into consideration, how can you explain to your boss that you will need time away from your desk to plan for and fully enjoy them? Don’t sweat it. We’ll guide you through the ropes.

Give advance notice and tell your boss and co-workers. Make sure you know how many days you need for your pre-wedding, bachelor or bachelorette party, bridal shower, rehearsal dinner wedding and honeymoon. After that, start planning what dates they fall under. Once your know your game plan, immediately talk to your boss and go over the days you will need off. The more time you let them know in advance, the less stressed your boss will be arranging their own strategy of how to ensure your work is still being done while you’re gone. Make sure to talk with your co-workers as well. They could be willing to work for the days when you’re gone (so long as you fill in for them when they are off work too). And when your boss is more relaxed, the less anxious you will be asking for time off. 

Save your vacation days. See how many days of vacation you can use and plan accordingly. Once you know, do your best to not take any days off for non-wedding related purposes in order to have as many days as possible for wedding-related events.

Go the extra mile and work overtime. Showing your boss that you are not abandoning your responsibilities at work is crucial. You want to keep your superiors in good spirits after you leave. This means considering taking that extra shift or working overtime. Complete as many assignments on your boss’s to-do list to ease up any work that could accumulate during your absence. Showing that you have the initiative to take that extra step before you leave for your wedding will show your boss that you are an important asset to the company.

Consider the alternatives. You might want to consider having a shorter honeymoon and planning a bigger vacation later down the road if things don’t work out. Don’t think of your honeymoon as a hurried getaway that only lasted for a few days- think of it as a prolonged celebration. You now have something to look forward to once you’re back at work. If you don’t want to cut down your honeymoon time, it’s possible that you’ll now be looking into unpaid vacation days. Figure out if you're willing to take unpaid vacation days.

Weddings and honeymoons are all about planning and organization. As a bonus step, ask friends, family or maybe even your wedding planner for tips on how to balance your work priorities with your wedding priorities. Anybody who’s married will likely have some pointers for you. This may all seem daunting and stressful at first, but as long as you have a game plan, you can keep these feelings at bay.