Honeymoon travels

Destination locked, visas acquired, bookings madewhat could stand between a newly-wed couple and pure, unadulterated conjugal bliss in some distant, romantic land? A lot, finds JYOTI KUMARI. Styled by LONGHCHENTI HANSO LONGCHAR

- JYOTI KUMARI

THE HONEYMOON MIGHT be a mandatory part of wedding festivities—for some, the only real reason to get married at all—but its origins are less “romantic getaway” and more “survival of the fittest”. In the 5th century, the tradition involved brides being kidnapped and held hostage by grooms (especially if they were short on dowry money) until her family either gave up or she got pregnant, according to wedding historians. It wasn’t till the 20th century that it became synonymous with the idea of consummating a union. Regardless of its purpose now—a chance to get to know one another or simply an excuse for the most lavish vacation of one’s life—not every honeymoon is a fairy tale. Hold on to your genda phools as Vogue readers recount their unforgettable honeymoon horror stories.

WILD THINGS

“We didn’t want to blow all our cash right away on our honeymoon so we were looking for a chill spot which wasn’t too far and expensive. We ended up on Gili Meno in Indonesia— it was quiet and picturesque, and famous for diving. I can barely swim, but the idea of learning something new together sounded exciting. We were feeling proud of our adventurous spirit until, on our way back from a meal at a shack, we heard a suspicious rustling. We turned around to see a real-life komodo dragon— large and scaly—following us. Cue our high-speed chase through the village, dodging curious chickens and bewildered locals. It felt like we were in an action movie with an epic soundtrack of our own terrified squeals. Safely back in our Airbnb, we laughed about our near-death experience—well, once we stopped shaking.”—Suprita Mitter, writer

OUT OF THE POX