You’re planning  your wedding. You’re trying to squeeze everything you want into your budget, and no matter what size that budget might be, it seems to be wrapped tightly around all the elements that will make your wedding perfect for you.  Have you thought about….gift cards?  Not for your bridal party thank you, not as a suggestion for wedding gifts, but as a way to keep that pesky budget under control.

It’s a pretty simple concept; almost every place you need to spend money has gift cards, and you can buy them at a discount and use them yourself.  At Cardpool,  AC Moore (for DIY crafty stuff), cards go for %16 off the face value.  You could use a J.Crew card (at 10% off) to buy one of their fantastic, modern wedding dresses, or a Sunglass Hut card (at 12% off)  for the shades you’ll need for that honeymoon.   You could even cater your rehearsal dinner at a multitude of restaurants from Scoozi to Tru, to Uno’s Chicago Grill, all at discounts from 8-16% off.  It’s a wonderful way to shave a little off each bill (oh, and  you can also find gift cards, at a discount, on ebay!) And as a bonus, you’ll feel so cagy, you might even want to reward yourself with a gift card for a massage………