Wedding Loans: What Borrowing for Your Wedding Really Costs

A wedding loan is a personal loan you use for wedding costs, and it makes sense only for a gap you can repay within a few years. The Knot's 2026 Real Weddings Study puts the average U.S. wedding at $34,200, and borrowing even $10,000 of that at 25% APR over three years adds about $4,314 in interest. Below is how a loan compares with a 0% intro APR card and savings, where to trim first, and an honest look at whether to borrow at all.

What Weddings Cost Now

The Knot surveyed 10,474 couples who married in 2025. Its 2026 Real Weddings Study found:

• An average total cost of $34,200
• An average of 117 guests, at about $292 per guest
• Couples with budgets of $15,000 or less spent about $8,900 on average; those with $15,001 to $40,000 budgets spent about $26,400; those above $40,000 spent about $70,300
• City averages from about $20,000 in El Paso to about $51,000 in Boston

Averages are pulled up by big weddings, so your own number matters more than the national one. Price your guest list first, because nearly every line item scales with it.

$10,000 Borrowed Over 3 Years at Two APRs

36-month loan of $10,000	Monthly payment	Total repaid	Total interest
12% APR	About $332	About $11,957	About $1,957
25% APR	About $398	About $14,314	About $4,314

For reference, the Federal Reserve's October 7, 2026 release put the average rate on a 24-month personal loan at commercial banks at 11.90% in August 2026. Rates for fair or bad credit run well above that. The difference between the two rows, about $2,357, is roughly what eight guests cost at The Knot's per-guest average.

If you borrow through LendUp, amounts top out at $5,000, so a loan there can cover part of a wedding, not all of it. At 25% APR over 36 months, $5,000 costs about $199 a month and about $2,157 in interest.

Examples for illustration only, not an offer. Your actual APR, fees and payments are in your loan agreement and vary by lender and state.

Personal Loan vs. 0% Intro Card vs. Savings

Option	How it works	Watch for
Personal loan	Lump sum with fixed monthly payments for a set term	Origination fees, and payments that start about a month after funding
0% intro APR card	No interest during the promotional period; under federal rules a temporary rate must last at least six months	The regular APR on whatever is left when the promotion ends; the average card rate was 21.19% in August 2026
Deferred-interest store card	"No interest if paid in full" by a deadline	Interest charged back to the purchase date if any balance remains
Savings	Pay vendors as deposits come due	Needs lead time: $10,000 over 12 months is about $833 a month

A 0% card is cheapest only if you clear it in time. To pay off $10,000 within a 15-month promotion, you'd need about $667 a month. If that's more than you can pay, a fixed loan payment may be easier to stick to. Many couples combine options: save what they can, put deposits on a card they can clear, and borrow only the remainder.

Where to Cut Before You Borrow

• Guest count. At about $292 per guest, 20 fewer guests saves about $5,840 at the national average.
• Date and season. The Knot lists season and location among the biggest cost drivers. Ask venues for off-peak and weekday pricing.
• All-in venues. A venue that includes tables, chairs and catering can cost less than renting each piece.
• Itemized quotes. Ask every vendor for a written, itemized quote and a payment schedule that matches your paydays.
• The extras. Favors, upgraded linens and late-night food are easy line items to drop or scale back.

Should You Borrow for a Wedding?

Borrowing can make sense if the payment fits your budget after rent, bills and savings, you'd repay it within about three years, and you're borrowing for a gap, not the whole event. It's a warning sign if you'd need the longest term to afford the payment, if you're borrowing to match what friends spent, or if the only offers you qualify for carry very high rates. Remember that you start married life with the debt. Talk through the payment together before you sign, and check whether family contributions or a smaller guest list could close the gap first.

If You Need to Cover a Smaller Gap

LendUp is an online loan-matching service for $200 to $5,000, which can fit a vendor deposit or a final balance. Checking your rate is free and available for any credit score, and approval is not guaranteed. Learn how fixed payments work in our personal loans guide, or see costs on our rates and fees page.

Frequently Asked Questions