Bonus Point Palooza

Even though I'm in the middle of wedding season, my mind is focused on the home. With spring in the air, I am repainting, re-cleaning and reorganizing my entire house. And I do all my bargin hunting, it got me thinking about a great blog post to help make your wedding pay for your honeymoon so here starts Bonus Point Palooza!

You're about to spend a lot of money, so make sure you make the most of every day and how you pay with those dollars with a little up front planning.

1) Delta Skymiles bonus points - Being in Atlanta, this is a no-brainer. Most facilities and caterers will accept credit card, so why not use a card that can help pay for your plane flights? New cardholders get bonus miles for their first purchase to help you achieve points faster. You probably will not get a flight on points alone, but you can at least get them discounted or use the points for some in-flights perks. Warning- Just be sure not to take on charges you can't pay off - otherwise it will cost you more in the end!

2) Visa extras/ rewards points/ possibility points - Whatever you bank calls it, you probably get bonus points for using your debt card as a credit card. For big purchases, stick with your skymiles card. For small purchases like favors, program supplies and wedding party gifts, order the items online through their market place. This way, you'll get 3, 4 or 5 points per dollar you spend and sometimes free shipping. Then, use those bonus points for gift certificates for car rental or statement credit to cover your expenses for food and fun while on vacation. Warning - this requires advance planning to have the items ship through the retailer and the points to appear on your statement. Shop early!

3) Work your registry - Before you pick your stores to register at, visit more than you think! Incentive programs are on the rise that can get you bonus gift certificates or 10% off items people do not purchase for you. Some resorts like Sandals allows you to register with them so your guests can contribute to your honeymoon costs. My favorite registry idea though is to partner up with the I Do Foundation - there's no cost to you or your guests and up to 10% of gifts purchased through your registry will be donated to a charity of your choice. In my head, that is a no-brainer!