Best Wedding Loans in 2026
From rings to dresses to catering, a wedding loan can help you pay for your big day
Best personal loan lenders for weddings
| Lender | User rating | Best for | APR | Term | Amount | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Joint wedding loans | 8.99% – 29.99% | 24 to 60 months |
$5k – $50k |
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Wedding loans for good credit | 7.99% – 24.99% | 36 to 84 months |
$2.5k – $40k |
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|
Wedding loans with no fees | 8.24% – 24.89% (with autopay) | 24 to 84 months |
$5k – $100k |
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|
Wedding loans for fair credit | 8.99% – 35.99% | 24 to 60 months |
$2k – $50k |
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|
Big wedding loans | 8.74% – 35.49% (with discounts) | 24 to 84 months |
$5k – $100k |
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|
Wedding loans for bad credit | 6.50% – 35.99% | 36 to 60 months |
$1k – $75k |
Read more about how we made our picks for best wedding loans.
Best loans for weddings at a glance
Best for: Joint wedding loans – Achieve
- APR
- 8.99% – 29.99%
- Offers rate discounts, including one for adding a co-borrower
- Can get help from a dedicated loan consultant during the application process (online or over the phone)
- Free mobile app can help you manage your loan and includes personalized budgeting tools
- Will keep 1.99% – 9.99% of your loan as an origination fee
- Must borrow at least $5,000
- Can take up to three business days to get your money
Joint loans (or loans with two borrowers) can help make it easier to get approved. Plus, adding a co-borrower on an Achieve loan will get you a discount on your interest rate. You can also save by showing proof that you have a healthy retirement account, such as a 401(k) or Roth IRA.
Some lenders only charge origination fees if you have bad credit. Achieve charges them on every loan. Origination fees aren’t out of pocket. Instead, the lender deducts the fee from your loan before sending it to you.
Other than a credit score of at least 640, Achieve may ask you to provide the following documents and information:
- Proof of income
- Social Security number
- Government-issued ID
- Employment status
Additionally, Achieve is not available in Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, North Dakota, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia or Wyoming.
Best for: Wedding loans for good credit – Discover
- APR
- 7.99% – 24.99%
- Competitive rates
- No fees
- Financial assistance options if you need help during repayment
- Won’t qualify with bad credit
- Can’t include a second person on your loan
Discover offers online personal loans with low rates and unique perks. If you get laid off or have health issues or another hardship, Discover has financial assistance options to get you on track. Its customer service department is also based in the U.S., and is available seven days a week.
However, Discover can be hard to qualify for. It requires strong credit (720) and has a relatively high annual income requirement ($40,000).
You’ll need to meet these eligibility criteria to get a Discover loan:
- Age: Be at least 18
- Citizenship: Have a Social Security number
- Administrative: Have a physical address, email address and internet access
- Income: Minimum income of $40,000 (individually or as a household)
- Credit score: 720
Best for: Wedding loans with no fees – LightStream
- APR
- 8.24% – 24.89%
- Doesn’t charge any fees whatsoever
- Will beat a competitor’s offer with Rate Beat program (stipulations apply)
- If LightStream approves you by 2:30 p.m. ET on a business day, can get your loan the same day you apply
- Can’t check rates without hurting your credit
- Other lenders offer lower starting rates
- No small loans
Even if you pay late, LightStream won’t charge you a fee (although missed payments affect your credit score). And if you get a better offer from a competitor, LightStream may beat it by 0.10 percentage points through its Rate Beat program.
Unlike many lenders, LightStream doesn’t let you prequalify for a personal loan. In other words, you must go through the full application process and agree to a hard credit inquiry to see if you’re eligible.
LightStream doesn’t specify its exact credit score requirements, but you must have good to excellent credit to qualify. Most of the applicants that LightStream approves have the following in common:
Best for: Wedding loans for fair credit – Prosper
- APR
- 8.99% – 35.99%
- Don’t need perfect credit to qualify
- Doesn’t require a certain number of years of credit history, and income requirements are easy to meet
- May change your due date once each year with no additional fee
- After Prosper approves you, investors must fund your loan
- Can take up to 14 days to get your loan funded
- Could have a high origination fee
If you’re having a hard time getting a wedding loan, give Prosper a try. Prosper is a peer-to-peer lender. That means individual investors fund your loan instead of a bank. Generally, peer-to-peer loans have easier eligibility requirements than traditional personal loans.
There is a downside to peer-to-peer lending, and that’s time. You’ll have to wait for the investors to fund your loan (think GoFundMe). You could get your loan the day after Prosper approves you, but it depends on how fast investors fund your loan. You’ll have up to 14 days to get at least 70% of your loan funded. Otherwise, Prosper will cancel your loan and you’ll have to start again.
To get a loan with Prosper, you must meet the following requirements:
- Age: Be 18 or older
- Administrative: Have a U.S. bank account and Social Security number
- Residency: Not live in Iowa, North Dakota or West Virginia
- Credit score: 560+
Best for: Big wedding loans – SoFi
- APR (with discounts)
- 8.74% – 35.49%
- Can borrow up to $100,000
- Offers member benefits like a free financial planning session
- Most approved applicants get same-day funds
- May have to pay an optional origination fee to get the lowest rates
- Can’t borrow less than $5,000
- Requires fair credit
SoFi offers big loans with big benefits to match. One of these is a free, 30-minute consultation with a professional fiduciary. Now that you’re combining incomes with your future spouse, this could be the perfect time to look at your budget and goals. You could also opt for SoFi Plus membership (which costs $10 a month) for unlimited sessions.
SoFi loans don’t have any required fees, but you can pay an origination fee in exchange for a lower rate. Compare offers that both do and don’t include an origination fee to see which direction makes the most sense for you.
You must meet the requirements below to get a loan from SoFi:
- Age: Be the age of majority in your state (typically 18)
- Citizenship: Be a U.S. citizen, an eligible permanent resident or a non-permanent resident (a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipient or asylum-seeker, for instance)
- Employment: Have a job or job offer with a start date within 90 days, or have regular income from another source
- Credit score:620+
Best for: Wedding loans for bad credit – Upstart
- APR
- 6.50% – 35.99%
- Can still qualify with a credit score as low as 300
- Some college students and grads don’t need a credit score at all
- Can borrow as little as $1,000
- Might be on the hook for an expensive origination fee
- Can’t add a second person to your loan
- Only two repayment terms available
Upstart is a loan marketplace that connects borrowers to lenders. It considers factors like your education and employment alongside your credit score. This helps it approve people who other lenders deny.
But if you qualify for a bad credit loan with Upstart, don’t expect it to be cheap. Not only does it charge some borrowers a high origination fee, but you also could pay an annual percentage rate (APR) as high as 35.99%. You also can’t add a co-borrower (a common strategy to get a lower rate).
Upstart has transparent eligibility requirements, including:
- Age: Be 18 or older
- Administrative: Have a U.S. address, personal banking account, email address and Social Security number
- Income: Have a valid source of income, including a job, job offer or another regular income source
- Credit-related factors: No bankruptcies within the last three years, reasonable number of recent inquiries on your credit report and no current delinquencies
- Credit score: 300+ (unless you’re an eligible college student or graduate, in which case Upstart could approve you with no credit)
What is a wedding loan?
A wedding loan is an unsecured personal loan that you use toward wedding expenses. Unsecured loans don’t require collateral. Collateral is a valuable piece of property you’ll lose if you don’t repay what you borrow.
Personal loans come as a lump sum and have fixed interest rates. That means your rate will stay the same as you pay back what you borrowed. Also, if you have very good credit (740+), wedding loans typically have lower rates than credit cards.
You can use a personal loan to pay for nearly anything wedding related, including engagement ring financing, wedding dresses and venue rentals.
Wedding loan pros and cons
Taking out a wedding loan and starting your married life with debt isn’t an easy decision. Your wedding is important, but ultimately, it’s a one-time event. Ask yourself if years of debt is worth it, and if it is, borrow wisely.
Pros
-
Lower rates for excellent credit
Wedding loans usually have lower rates than credit cards if you have solid credit. -
Easier budgeting
Loan repayments are the same each month, and a lump sum could help you avoid overspending. -
Can improve your credit
Making on-time payments can help boost your credit score (especially if you don’t have any other installment loans).
Cons
-
Debt
It might not be the best idea to start your marriage by taking on a lot of debt. -
High rates for bad credit
If you have a credit score below 670, you could see a rate of 35.99% (or higher). -
No financial returns
Unlike taking out a mortgage for a house (which could appreciate in value), your wedding won’t help build your investment portfolio.
How much does a wedding loan cost?
The average wedding cost in 2024 was $33,000. With this in mind, we used internal LendingTree data to calculate the average monthly payments on wedding loans of different amounts, each with a five-year term.
Note that if your score is less than 680, lenders probably won’t approve you for a loan as big as the ones below. Use LendingTree’s personal loan calculator to get a more detailed breakdown of what you could expect on a wedding loan.
| Credit score range | $5,000 wedding loan payments | $8,750 wedding loan payments | $17,500 wedding loan payments | $35,000 wedding loan payments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excellent (800 and above) | $110.64 | $193.62 | $387.25 | $774.49 |
| Very good (740-799) | $118.27 | $206.97 | $413.94 | $827.88 |
| Good (670-739) | $140.15 | $245.26 | $490.52 | $981.04 |
| Fair (580-669) | $162.29 | $284.01 | $568.01 | $1,136.03 |
| Poor (under 580) | $168.56 | $294.97 | $589.95 | $1,179.90 |
Should you get a wedding loan for bad credit?
As you can see in the table above, wedding loans can get expensive (and quick). Borrow as little as possible and if you have fair to bad credit, improve your credit score before applying.
To get a lower interest rate, you could get a joint loan.
A joint loan is a loan with two borrowers — yourself and a friend or family member. Your co-borrower acts as a sort of backup for the lender. They are as responsible for the loan as you are. Joint loans are easier to qualify for than single-person loans.
Depending on the lender, you might be able to get a secured loan.
A secured personal loan requires collateral, usually your car or savings account. If you don’t pay back your loan, the lender can seize your collateral. Secured loans are risky. Ask yourself if your wedding is worth putting something so valuable on the line.
Before you tie the knot, figure out how you both will manage your finances together. Money problems are a leading cause of divorce, so having a plan now can save you heartbreak later.
How to find a wedding loan through LendingTree
Could “something borrowed” be a wedding loan from the LendingTree marketplace? LendingTree users can save around $1,659 on average by reviewing at least six personal loan offers and choosing the one with the lowest rate. Here’s how.
Tell us what you need
Get your credit score for free with Get your credit score for free with LendingTree Spring. Knowing where you stand before you shop can help you figure out if your loan offers are competitive.
Shop your offers
LendingTree users who get at least one offer receive 20 personal loan offers on average. Compare your offers side by side to get the best deal.
Get your money
Pick a lender and sign your loan paperwork. You could see money in your account in as soon as 24 hours.
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Savings
We’ll match you with up to five lenders from our network of 300+ lenders who will call to compete for your business.
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Alternatives to wedding loans
Save up and scale down
How much you spend on your wedding doesn’t reflect how much you love your partner. Focus on ways you can save money on your wedding. Instead of spending thousands renting a hall, a backyard barbeque might be more reasonable (but just as memorable).
0% APR credit card
A 0% APR credit comes with an introductory period that usually lasts between six and 21 months. During this time, you will have 0% interest. Still, be sure to pay your balance in full before your intro period ends. If you don’t, interest will start to accrue on what you owe.
Buy now, pay later
Buy now, pay later might be a good choice for smaller wedding purchases like linens, shoes and accessories. These apps let you split up retail purchases. You’ll likely have a few payment plans to choose from, but the most common is four interest-free payments split over six weeks.
How we chose the best wedding loans
We reviewed more than 40 lenders and loan marketplaces to determine the overall best six wedding loans. To make our list, lenders must offer wedding loans with competitive APRs.
From there, we assessed each lender or marketplace across four categories: eligibility and access; cost to borrow; loan terms and options; repayment support and tools.
According to our standardized rating system, the best wedding loans come from: Achieve, Discover, LightStream, Prosper, SoFi and Upstart.
Our categories
We assess how easy it is for people to qualify and apply. This includes state availability, soft-credit prequalification, membership requirements, funding speed and whether borrowers with less-than-excellent credit can get a loan.
We evaluate how affordable the loans are based on minimum and maximum APRs, loan fees and rate discounts. Lenders with unclear or potentially predatory costs receive lower scores.
We consider repayment term flexibility, loan amount ranges and whether options like secured loans, joint loans or direct-to-creditor payments are offered — plus whether the lender clearly communicates these options.
We evaluate borrower experience after funding: customer service access, hardship or forbearance programs, payment flexibility and digital tools like mobile apps or credit monitoring.
Our process
We gather data directly from lenders through their websites, disclosures and direct communication with company representatives. Our editorial team verifies and updates information regularly. We value transparency and award less favorable scores when lenders obscure or omit details.
Our editorial team applies the same scoring model and standards to every lender. Lenders cannot pay to influence our ratings.
Why trust LendingTree’s methodology?
Our writers and editors dig through the facts, contact lenders directly and even go through the application process ourselves if it helps better explain what you can expect. As a Certified Financial Education Instructor℠, I’m committed to breaking down complex financial details so people can make confident, informed decisions with their money.
Jessica’s experience in editing and financial education helps shape LendingTree articles that are clear, accurate and truly useful to readers. Her certification means our recommendations are built on a foundation of consumer-first financial knowledge — not just numbers.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, some people take out a personal loan for their wedding (also known as a wedding loan). Wedding loans come as a lump sum that you’ll pay off in equal monthly payments, plus interest.
If you have at least good credit and are planning on using a credit card to pay for some parts of your wedding, a wedding loan might save you money. Wedding loans usually carry lower interest rates than credit cards, as long as you have strong credit.
However, wedding loans have high rates if you have bad credit. It might be worth waiting until you improve your credit before borrowing. And regardless of your score, consider whether you want to take on debt as you start your new life with your spouse.
Every lender sets its own credit score minimums. You usually need at least good credit (670+) to get competitive rates. You may still qualify with bad or fair credit, but the interest might not be worth it.