Best wedding loans

If you’re getting ready to tie the knot, there’s a good chance it won’t be cheap.

In 2026, the average cost of a wedding was $36,000, according to Zola’s First Look report.

If you’re planning on paying for your wedding out of pocket and don’t have the funds on hand, you may find yourself at a crossroads: Do you cut back and have a smaller celebration or get a loan to help cover expenses?

A wedding loan — which is a personal loan that you use to pay for wedding expenses — could be a viable option, but only if you can afford to pay the debt off within a reasonable time.

Here are our picks for the best wedding loans to consider.

• Best for excellent credit: Regions Bank
• Best for member perks: SoFi 
• Best for less-than-perfect credit: Avant
• Best for flexible loan options: Wells Fargo
• Is a wedding loan a good idea?
• How we picked these wedding loans

Best for excellent credit: Regions Bank

Why Regions Bank stands out: Regions Bank offers low interest rates on unsecured personal loans for borrowers who have built up a long credit history and have excellent credit. The main catch is you’ll need to have had a deposit account with the bank, including checking or savings, for at least six months to apply for an unsecured loan.

• Rate discounts — You may qualify for a rate discount between 0.25% and 0.5% if you set up autopay from a Regions Bank account.
• Solid loan amount range — The minimum you can borrow for an unsecured loan is $2,000, but the maximum you can borrow is up to $50,000. That can cover a variety of needs, from small to larger.

Read reviews about Regions personal loans.

Best for member perks: SoFi

Why SoFi stands out: SoFi offers member perks such as rate discounts, networking events and financial planning advice. Its personal loans range from $5,000 to $100,000.

• Prequalification option — You can view the terms and interest rate you may qualify for without affecting your credit scores. Note that if you decide to move forward with a full application for a loan, SoFi will perform hard credit inquiry that may cause a temporary dip in your scores.
• Fast funding — SoFi says funds will typically be deposited to your personal bank account within a few days of approval — though a same-day loan is possible. Keep in mind that the exact timing will depend on your bank.
• Potential origination fee — SoFi gives you the option to pay a one-time origination fee in exchange for a lower rate, but it’s not mandatory. SoFi doesn’t charge late payment fees or a prepayment penalty.

Read reviews about SoFi personal loans.

Best for less-than-perfect credit: Avant

Why Avant stands out: If your credit isn’t perfect, Avant may be a good option: Avant says most of its borrowers have credit scores ranging between 600 and 700.

• Prequalification — Avant lets you prequalify to check for rates with just a soft inquiry to your credit, though you won’t see final terms until you formally apply, which will also trigger a hard credit inquiry.
• Longer loan terms — Avant offers loan terms ranging from 24 to 60 months, which can help out if you think you may need some extra time to pay back your wedding loan. 
• Quick cash — After getting approved for a loan, you could have funds deposited in your account as soon as the next business day, though funding time can vary depending on your bank.
• Watch out for administrative costs — The administrative fee for processing your loan is up to 9.99% of your loan amount. This is an upfront fee that’s taken from the loan proceeds before you get the money.

Read reviews about Avant personal loans.

Best for flexible loan options: Wells Fargo

Why Wells Fargo stands out: Wells Fargo offers personal loans in amounts between $3,000 and $100,000 with loan terms ranging from 12 to 84 months. So if you decide to borrow a large amount for an extended period, this lender could be worth considering.

• No origination fee — You don’t have to worry about paying a percentage of the loan upfront when you borrow here since there’s no origination fee.
• Rate discounts — If you make automatic payments from a Wells Fargo account to pay off your loan, you may qualify for an interest rate discount between 0.25% and 0.5%.
• No new customers — Only existing Wells Fargo customers who have had an eligible existing account for at least 12 months may apply.

Read reviews about Wells Fargo personal loans.

Is a wedding loan a good idea?

A wedding loan could be a solution to pay for some or all your wedding expenses — but before taking on debt to pay for your special day, consider the pros and cons.

Paying back a wedding loan over the next two to five years could hinder savings goals like buying a house or paying off student loan debt. Instead of borrowing, you could limit the number of guests you invite and scale back your plans.

Pos of taking out a wedding loan

• Fixed repayment terms — Personal loans are typically installment loans, which allow you to borrow a set amount of money to pay back over a fixed period of time.
• Lots of lender options — Many different financial institutions — including banks, credit unions and online lenders — offer wedding loans in the form of personal loans. So you should have a number of options to compare to get the best rate for you. Make sure to compare interest rates, fees and loan terms from several lenders. Finally, look for a loan with no prepayment penalty, so you have the option to repay the loan early with no additional fee.
• Select the amount you want to borrow — You may have some flexibility in how much money you can borrow when you first apply. While loan amounts vary by lender, offers can range from $1,500 to $100,000. Just keep in mind that the loan amount you qualify for can depend on many factors, including your credit.
• Potentially lower interest rates — Depending on your credit, you might qualify for a lower interest rate on your loan than you’d pay on a credit card. In November 2025, the average interest rate on a 24-month personal loan from a commercial bank was 11.65%, compared to an average APR of about 20.97% for credit cards, according to Federal Reserve data.

Cons of getting a wedding loan

• Extra monthly expense — Before you sign a personal loan agreement, consider using a loan calculator to determine your potential monthly payment to make sure it’s truly something you can afford.
• Potentially high interest — If you have poor credit, you could end up paying a steep interest rate, which can significantly increase the cost of borrowing money. For example, if you take out a $10,000 loan at a 20% interest rate for 24 months, you could end up paying about $1,470 more than you would if you had a 7% interest rate.

How we picked these wedding loans

When comparing the best loans, we looked at personal loans from banks and online lenders that you can use for personal expenses, including weddings. Then we compared the interest rates, loan terms, fees and borrower benefits to bring you the best personal loans that can help cover your wedding costs.

*Approval Odds are not a guarantee of approval. Credit Karma determines Approval Odds by comparing your credit profile to other Credit Karma members who were approved for the personal loan, or whether you meet certain criteria determined by the lender. Of course, there’s no such thing as a sure thing, but knowing your Approval Odds may help you narrow down your choices. For example, you may not be approved because you don’t meet the lender’s “ability to pay standard” after they verify your income and employment; or, you already have the maximum number of accounts with that specific lender.