Look at gift-giving holidays like your birthday, Valentine's Day, graduation, Christmas, and Hannukah as opportunities to help you with your wedding expenses. Tell close friends and family that instead of flowers or sweaters or the usual gifts, what you'd really like are gift cards to the following types of stores that can help you with the wedding:

* The craft store. This is a big one, and I've asked my own family and friends to hook me up with $25 gift cards to my local craft shop. I'll get my guest welcome gift bags, labels, ribbons, and other items for FREE.
* The bookstore. With enough gift cards, you can get your bridal party beautiful coffee table books as gifts, or you can stock up on those little books and bookmarks as shower or wedding favors. Some bookstores even have Godiva chocolates.
* Lingerie stores. Your wedding day bra, stockings, and your wedding night lingerie could be free.
* Your travel agency. Some agencies offer a 'registry' of sorts where guests can contribute to your honeymoon.
* Department stores. You can take a chunk out of your trousseau and bathing suit shopping, or get your wedding day shoes for free.
* The beauty salon. Another big one. For my wedding day, an Up-Do will cost $80, and I'd like to pay for my bridesmaids' hair styling as well. So I'm asking for this as my Valentine's Day present from my fiance...because I don't need chocolates right now!

Think about the stores where you could use a collection of gift cards. It *is* okay to let close friends and family know what you would like for non-wedding gifts that you'll use for the wedding. They want to help you out, and it makes them very happy to hear how excited you are that you can get that Up-Do, those beautiful shoes, or your honeymoon bathing suits without money stress.

These little things add up, and it does a world of good for your money mindset to know that you're getting some things for free.