Several studies have proven that gift cards are top choice for consumers. However, there are some who still believe that such kind of gift has no or very little personal value. They still prefer to give traditional gifts.

To address this issue, gift card providers made adjustments to allow customers to personalize their gift cards. This can be done by providing the recipients name and writing a short personal message. These two elements are printed on the card. For, some gift card providers, the message is written on a separate card. In the case of e-gift cards, the message is written as part of the email sent to the recipient. All of these data are captured prior to the purchase of the gift card.

Another thing that can also be personalized is the gift card design. Most gift card vendors will let you choose from a variety of designs. You will then have to select the best design that suits your recipient, and match it with the name and your personal message.

To add more personalization to the gift card design, some companies allows a customer to personalize the gift card with a photo. Two of the businesses that provide personalized photo gift cards are Cardways and Walmart.

To do this at Cardways, you will have to first select a retailer of your choice. After which, you will be directed to the ‘select a gift card’ page, where you will be asked to type in the amount or denomination of the gift card you want to purchase. You are also given a choice to choose from ready made designs, or to ‘design your own’ gift card. At the bottom of the page, you are also given the option to add a personalized greeting card.

After the ‘select a gift card page’, you will then need to personalize your gift card, assuming that you opted to do so. You have the option to upload your own image or to select from the pre-set backgrounds available. Next, you need to write a message that will also be printed in the card. Note that the layout and the design of the message can also be personalized, meaning that you get to design the location of the message in the card, the color and the size of the font.

Once you click continue, you will need to select the greeting card if you chose to include this in the earlier step. Again, the greeting card can also be personalized.

After all the steps, a preview of the gift card and the greeting card will be shown for you to confirm their designs. Then, you need to provide shipping information, then you’ll be taken to the usual shopping process.

At Walmart.com, personalized gift card can be purchased and personalized with recipient’s name and message. Buyers are allowed to upload a personal photo. The card can then picked up the card at the local Wal-Mart an hour later, all through its Digital Photo Center.

Other merchants that allow personalized photo gift cards are Borders, Lowe’s, Edwin Watts Golf, Lids, Omaha Steaks, Regis Salon, Shoe Buy.com, Logan’s Roadhouse, Claim Jumper. All of these are affiliated to Cardways.

In general, personalized gift cards requires additional charge, but this is in exchange of a less impersonal kind of gift.

Gift giving during weddings is a tradition for almost any countries. It is actually optional, but any gift is appreciated even if it’s as simple as a token gift of best wishes to the bride and groom.

When buying a gift to newly wed couples, there are some things that need to be considered:

• Will they be able to use the gift you will give? For example, if you plan to give a food processor, how sure are you that the couple needs one?
• What are the chances that your gift will be similar to what others will give? Do the couples need more than one of that? This is a common dilemma for newly weds because they tend to receive the same kind of gift. In the end, most of them are kept in the closets and won’t be used for a long time, or maybe not at all.
• Where will the couple settle down? This definitely should be known especially if the couple works in a different place from where the wedding is held. Typically, the newly wed pair doesn’t want to carry a bulk of items with them once they plan to go home or move to a new place.

In order to eliminate some guesswork in gift giving during wedding, one system developed is the wedding gift registry. This scheme works by allowing the couple to register in a store that offers such program. The couple would then create a list of items such as kitchen wares, household decorations, pots and pans, china, and other items that are available in that store. The couple’s wish list will then be provided to the guests upon their request.

The actual purpose is for guests to feel at ease that the gift chosen is in actual accordance to the needs of the couple. However, this system was questioned by some because it deviates from the traditional notion that gifts are supposed to be optional and pleasant surprises.

Wedding Gift Cards

In today’s setting, many couples are open to non-traditional types of gifts. Such includes cash, wedding gift registry, and gift card cards or gift certificates. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. The point however is that any type of gift should be matched to the bride and groom’s likes and interests.

The wedding gift cards are acceptable nowadays whether it’s the common plastic card or the electronic kind (e-Gift card/e-Gift certificate). This works by having the wedding guests select the stores that best fit the couples needs or interests. Depending on the policy of the store chosen, the gift card will then be delivered to the couples. Note that some gift cards allow your own wedding gift card wordings.

It is still highly recommended that the gift giver know the terms and conditions for the wedding gift card that they purchase. Most of them are written on the company’s website.

Given this, here are some sites that offer wedding gift cards:

• Target Gift Cards
• Macy’s e-Gift Cards
• Kroger Gift Cards
• Lowe’s Gift Cards and e-Gift Cards
• Luxor Hotel Gift Cards
• Sears Gift Cards and e-Gift Cards
• GiftCardMall.com
• GiftCards.com

Visit here to find wedding gift card holders.