NEW YORK, February 24, 2023 (Newswire.com) - iQuanti: Wedding photographer Olivia Kalton knows a thing or two about the costs involved in making a wedding day happen. So when she got engaged, she decided to shop around and find the right credit card for wedding expenses she'd have to pay that would also give her the most bang for her buck.

She posted her "hack" on TikTok detailing how opening a new Chase Sapphire card helped her maximize her purchases and allowed her to convert all those points she earned on purchases into an all-expenses-paid honeymoon.

Though her TikTok doesn't specify if it was the Reserve® or Preferred® version of the card, we'll show you how you can use any card to help subsidize your wedding or honeymoon costs just for buying the things you already need.

Difference between a credit card and a personal loan

First, let's cover the basics to help you decide if you should use a credit card for wedding expenses or a personal loan for wedding expenses. While there are some similarities between a credit card and a personal loan there are also some major differences. 

Personal Loans

• Work like installment loans so you will receive the funds upfront in one large sum and repay the loan each month over a certain period
• They can be both secured or unsecured
• Personal loans have an end date
• Personal loan funds can be used for almost anything

Credit Cards

• Work as revolving credit, so you can borrow as much as you need (up to your limit) and then your payments depend on the outstanding balance.
• The payments don't have interest if the balance is paid in full each month
• Credit cards usually have interest rates
• Credit cards can be used for everyday purchases

How to earn a free honeymoon with your credit card

Step 1: Figure out which costs you'll have to pay.

Before you even start looking at cards, you'll need to know your budget and what you'll need to pay for. 

Step 2: Start saving

None of this works if you'll be left with a balance on your credit card at the end of the month. While free travel is always nice, it's not really "free" if you're paying compounding interest on your purchases, so start putting money away for your wedding ASAP.

Step 3: Ensure your vendors accept credit cards

Some of Olivia's commenters mentioned they had trouble paying with credit cards for wedding services, so shop around first to see what companies accept credit cards and which type. Some vendors will accept Visa or Mastercard but not American Express (due to their higher vendor fees). Knowing this ahead of time will give you a better idea of which card you'll need to get.

Step 4: Research your honeymoon ideas

You can do this after Step 5 if you want, but having an idea of where you want to go will help you determine which airlines, hotels, cruises, etc., you'll need to work with.

Step 4: Research credit cards

There are dozens of cards that offer membership or reward points for purchases, so you'll need to research and find the one that best fits your needs. In particular, look at:

• How many points you'll get for each spending category (some cards will offer more points for travel, while others give bonus points for groceries, online shopping, etc.)
• Their travel partners - Again, you can base your honeymoon off of your preferred cards' travel partners instead of Step 4. Regardless, see which travel partners (airlines, hotels, cruises, rental car companies, etc.) they work with so you'll know your options.
• The annual fee - Many premium travel cards come with hefty annual fees that should be considered in your expenses
• The welcome offer and terms - Most cards will offer you a lump sum of reward points, typically in the tens of thousands, if you spend a specific amount of money within the first few months of opening your card. This is usually a one-time offer, so you'll need to strategize your costs accordingly.

Step 6: Check award blogs and calculators

Now that you know how many points you'll earn off the bat (plus a rough estimate of how many points your purchases will earn), you'll need to find out just how many points it'll cost you to do your honeymoon. There are dozens of travel blogs and websites with calculators that help people figure these out, like Doctor of Credit or the /r/churning and /r/awardtravel subreddits.

Step 7: Open the card and start spending

Step 8: Keep a running tally of your total points and how close you are to your goal

Step 9: Convert the points with travel partners

This is it! Now that you've accumulated all those points, it's time to cash it in and book your trip! Keep confirmation records handy, just in case.

Bonus tip

Keep an eye out for promotional offers from credit cards and travel partners that offer bonus points. Some hotels will offer a % bonus if you buy points in bulk (i.e., 25% more points if you buy points directly from them), while others will have a temporary promotional period where your credit card points convert to a higher amount (i.e., instead of 1:1, 1:2, etc.)