Honeymoon Swimwear: How Many Bikinis to Pack and Which

Fall wedding season means many honeymoons in November and December, mostly somewhere warm: the Maldives, Mexico, the Caribbean, Bali. Swimwear is the one category you'll wear every day of that trip, and in a lot of the photos.

How many swimsuits to pack

Pack three or four. The common advice, which Paperlust's honeymoon packing list also gives, is that you'll wear one or two a day and each one needs time to dry. A damp suit pulled on the next morning is unpleasant, and heat and sunscreen wear out elastic faster when a suit never dries fully.

For a trip longer than ten days, four suits is about right. For a long weekend, two is enough.

Which styles to bring

Choose suits by what you'll be doing on the trip.

• One for doing things. Snorkeling, paddleboarding, getting knocked over by a wave. You want something that stays put, like a sporty scoop neck or a halter. The Lavender Ribbed and Red Halter presets fit here.
• One for the photos. This is the suit you'll see in pictures for the next twenty years, so pick a color that suits you over a trend that might date. Classic is safe: black, red, navy stripes.
• One for lounging. Something comfortable at the pool or on a lounger. A crochet or textured suit looks good with a cover-up at lunch.
• One wild card. A print you'd never wear at home. A honeymoon is a good place to try one. Tropical High-Waist or Polka Dot Retro.

Bikini or one-piece?

If you love one-pieces, bring one for pool days and dinners by the water. If you're only packing bikinis, mix and match: two sets with tops and bottoms in colors that go together give you four looks. Bring one cover-up that works over every suit, like a sarong, a light kaftan or a linen shirt. It's what lets you walk from the beach to lunch without going back to the room.

Check how your suits photograph

Most honeymoon couples take a lot of photos, and the light at a beach resort is harsh. Bright midday sun bleaches pale colors, and deep colors look richer. A pastel suit that looked great in the store can look washed out on vacation.

You can check that before the trip. Upload a full-body photo of yourself to the AI Bikini Generator, ideally one taken outdoors in daylight, and try the styles you're considering. The AI keeps your face, pose and background and changes only the swimsuit. Results are private to your account and you can delete them at any time.

If you've already found a suit online, upload its product photo under Upload reference. The AI copies only the swimsuit and ignores the model wearing it, so your skin tone and body stay your own. If you haven't, the 12 presets help you decide on a cut and color first. Only upload your own photo, or one of an adult who has agreed to it, which on a honeymoon probably means your partner asking you first.

Quick packing list

• 3 to 4 swimsuits (one active, one for photos, one for lounging, one wild card)
• 1 cover-up that matches all of them
• Reef-safe sunscreen and a hat
• A dry bag for wet suits on the last day

New accounts get 3 free generations, enough to test the photo suit, the active suit and the wild card. More credits start at $9.90 (pricing). For what to wear to the wedding itself, see fall wedding guest dresses.