Lune de miel vs. voyage de noces
In French, both 'lune de miel' and 'voyage de noces' are terms used to describe the trip taken by newlyweds following their wedding. While they are often used interchangeably in modern French, traditionally they held slightly different connotations.
Lune de miel
Literally translates to 'honey moon' and originally refers to the sweet beginning of marriage, akin to the sweetness of honey, often implying the idyllic phase right after the wedding.
Ils sont partis en lune de miel aux Maldives.
(They went on a honeymoon to the Maldives.)
Le couple a célébré sa lune de miel avec un dîner romantique à Paris.
(The couple celebrated their honeymoon with a romantic dinner in Paris.)
Après la cérémonie, ils ont rêvé de leur lune de miel à Venise.
(After the ceremony, they dreamed about their honeymoon in Venice.)
Voyage de noces
'Voyage de noces' is more straightforward, directly referring to the 'wedding trip'. It denotes the journey itself, traditionally taken right after getting married.
Ils organisent leur voyage de noces un an à l'avance.
(They are planning their honeymoon a year in advance.)
Leur voyage de noces les a emmenés dans plusieurs pays d'Europe.
(Their honeymoon took them through several European countries.)
Pour leur voyage de noces, ils ont choisi un circuit culturel au Japon.
(For their honeymoon, they chose a cultural tour in Japan.)
Summary
'Lune de miel' and 'voyage de noces' both refer to the post-wedding vacation taken by newlyweds. 'Lune de miel' carries a more romantic and symbolic implication reflecting sweetness and bliss immediately following the wedding. In contrast, 'voyage de noces’ focuses on the practical aspect of travel and may also be used for trips that are not immediately after the wedding but still celebrate the marriage. Today, however, these distinctions are mostly semantic as both phrases are synonymously used to describe a honeymoon.