Listen Up Brides & Grooms,
I’m going to share with you some INSIDER SECRETS that I wish someone had shared with me when I was planning my wedding…
If you pay for your wedding costs with a few strategic flexible reward travel cards (and then pay those cards off in full every month) you can earn yourself a nearly FREE luxury honeymoon.
Yeah, you heard me right.
Got your heart set on those posh Singapore Suites to fly you there? Easy.
Want to stay at a STUNNING resort for $0/night? In the bag.
All it takes is an understanding of how credit card points and miles work. Once you get that down, you will have the skills to book yourself a LIFETIME of nearly free luxury travel! Even better, you’re in the perfect position to start on this journey. Because one of the best ways to start racking up those amazing travel rewards is with your wedding expenses.
So what all does this entail? Let’s break it down.
Step 1
Open a new flexible travel reward credit card.
Don’t make the mistake of assuming that ANY flexible travel card is your golden ticket here. There are some things you need to be aware of before you decide on your first card…
- Do you have a business or a side hustle that could qualify you for a business card? If so – business cards could be a great part of your card opening strategy. For more ideas on how you might qualify, check out this post.
- You’re going to want a flexible card that allows you to TRANSFER your hard-earned points out to travel partners. This is the KEY to doubling or tripling your point values and how you are going to get more of those luxury travel experiences. My favorite cards for this are: The Chase Sapphire Preferred, The Chase Ink Preferred, The Amex Gold, the Capital One Venture X card and the Citi Strata Premier.
- Be aware of the bank’s credit card approval rules before you apply for any of these cards. If you’re not acquainted with the rules, you could open the wrong cards in the wrong order and lock yourself out of hundreds of thousands of points!
Step 2
Use your new reward card to book your wedding venue and/or wedding planner or coordinator.
The 1st few things you typically book when planning your wedding are the venue and the person who is going to help you plan and/or coordinate everything on the big day.
Depending on your budget… these fees could be enough to earn your first sign-up bonus (SUB).
Step 3
Refer your fiancé.
Once you’ve achieved your SUB, it’s time to refer your partner to the same card (or a card within the same family of cards).
When your fiancé opens a new card with your referral link, you typically get rewarded with points. We call this magical person PLAYER 2.
Step 3
Your fiancé earns the SUB.
Now it’s time for your partner to pay for the next expenses. Ready to book your caterer? Great – player 2 uses their new card to put the deposit down.
Time to book a band or a DJ? Lovely – player 2 steps up again until THAT card’s SUB has been achieved.
Step 4
Wait 90 days from your original card opening date and apply for your 2nd card.
Your turn again. Wait 90 days after opening the first card and find another card to open (again being mindful of your credit card strategy and the bank’s approval rules).
When your new card arrives, you can book your cake, lighting, invites, etc.
Basically you just repeat the pattern making sure to space out your applications. And don’t forget to pay off those cards in full and on time every single month.
By the time your actual wedding day rolls around, you will have enough points and miles to book a seriously luxurious honeymoon!
Vendors That Typically Accept Credit Cards:
Venue
Wedding Planner or Coordinator, Caterer, Bartender, DJ or Band, Cake
The Dress + Accessories & Flowers
Wedding Favors, Lodging + Most Everything else
Trust me when I say that the wedding planning + wedding phase you are entering into seems like FOREVER when you’re living it, but it goes by SO quickly. In the blip of an eye, you’ll be married!
And if you follow these guidelines… you’ll be sipping champagne in first class while jetting off to your DREAM HONEYMOON that you magically booked for just a few hundred bucks! And idk about you, but nothing makes me happier than knowing I booked some dream luxe travel for a fraction of what everyone else paid!
HOT TIP:
If you’ve got your eye on a destination or hotel wedding, I HIGHLY suggest you look at Hyatt properties first. If you choose to wed at a Hyatt and you open a co-branded Hyatt card to pay for the venue, you’ll earn about 5 points/dollar spent and fast-track your way to Globalist status, which comes with some pretty hefty perks (like suite upgrades + free food to name a few).
Remember
No matter what phase you’re in with your wedding plans, at some point it’s going to be stressful. Take a breath, envision the outcome you want, and break it down to one task at a time. With the right mindset (and a hefty dose of points and miles) the process can actually be a lot of fun.
Cheers to you + your future travels!
P.S. If you’re curious who our Bay Area wedding vendors were, here’s the list:
- Photographer: Brogen Jessup
- Videographer: Kalvin Lindgren
- Venue:
- Ceremony: Ampitheater at Old Mill Park
- Reception: Mill Valley Community Center
- Wedding Cake: La Vie Douce Design + she did our dessert table and it was fabulous!
- Calligrapher: Renee Troy
- Caterer: Toast Wedding Catering & Events (They also brought a mixology expert who was phenomenal!)
- Vintage Furniture Rental: One True Love Vintage
- Wedding Planner: Riley Loves Lulu (Jessica Gauss)
