How to Plan a Wedding Without Breaking the Bank

In 2026, the average couple will spend $35,000 on their wedding. Can most couples afford that price tag? Definitely not. Nearly 60% say they’re putting off major financial milestones, like buying a home, in order to cover the cost of a wedding.

Fortunately, you don’t have to spend anywhere near $35,000 to plan a great event. The key to hosting a memorable but affordable wedding isn’t to throw money at your big day. Instead, you’ll need to pinpoint how much you can afford to spend, learn where and how to cut costs, and aim to spend less than your full budget. 

If you do that, you’ll not only enjoy a guilt-free celebration, but you’ll start your marriage off with a more secure financial footing.

Set a budget (and stick to it)

If you’re planning a wedding on budget, hold off on scouring Instagram or Pinterest boards for inspiration, and start by looking at your finances instead. Nearly half of all newlyweds say they made financial mistakes while stretching their budgets to follow a wedding trend they saw online. But given how fast social media trends change, you might quickly end up regretting your choice quickly.

To figure out how much money you realistically have for your wedding budget, start by adding up the following figures: 

1. Current savings: Pinpoint how much you and your partner already have saved for the event. Don’t include your emergency savings in this calculation, since you may need that money for other expenses.
2. Gifts: Talk to your family to determine if they’re willing to contribute to the wedding, and how much they can give. If there are strings attached to their gifts, take the time to decide if you’re okay with their terms.
3. Future savings: Estimate how much more money you can save before it’s time to start covering expenses. To get a realistic estimate, review your budget to determine how much you can save from each paycheck, and then multiply that figure by the number of paychecks you’ll receive before you start making wedding purchases.
4. Borrowing: It’s not recommended, but you may be able to cover budget shortfalls by borrowing money. The amount you can borrow, and the cost of borrowing (represented by interest charges and fees) depend on the lender and details like your credit scores.  

As a general rule of thumb, aim to spend at least 10% less than your full wedding budget. Why? Because unexpected costs will always come up along the way. In a survey from Zola, nearly 70% of newlyweds said they went over budget due to expenses that were unpredictable or last-minute, including things like transportation, fashion accessories, weather contingencies and overtime fees from vendors.

Determine your non-negotiables

Unless your wedding budget is unlimited, you’ll likely have to cut certain costs. One of the best ways to do this is by discussing your finances with your partner, including your wedding “non-negotiables.” Together, you can make a list of the details that are most important to both of you and the ones you’re willing to cut. 

Costs to consider

It’s easy to overlook the long list of expenses that are usually part of a wedding budget. To make sure you don’t forget anything major, here’s a list of common expenses you can refer to, with the average amounts couples are now spending:

• Venue & site fees $10,700
• Caterer $7,000
• Engagement ring and wedding bands $6,100 
• Bar services $5,500
• Honeymoon $5,000
• Flowers & decor $4,900
• Wedding planner $4,100
• Photography $3,600
• Wedding dress $2,000
• DJ $1,700
• Tips for vendors $800
• Cake and dessert $750
• Hair & Makeup $650
• Dress alterations $500
• Invitations and postage $450
• Tux rental $300
• Officiant: $300

Of course, you’re not obligated to keep up with other couples’ spending. If you’re creative, you can cut or reduce costs and throw a meaningful, personalized wedding for less than $10,000.

Determine your guest list

One of the fastest ways to cut your wedding costs is to reduce your guest list. In 2025, the average cost per wedding guest was nearly $300. At that price, a couple could save $15,000 just by reducing their guest list from 100 to 50. 

Of course, this part is easier said than done, since there are often complicated feelings on the line. To make cutting easier, avoid debating over individuals and consider cutting these groups:

• Distant relatives
• Coworkers 
• People you haven’t spoken to in a year 
• People your partner has never met
• Plus ones
• Kids

If you’re worried about ruffling feathers, just let people know you’re keeping the wedding small and intimate.

Map out your venue options

The venue is usually the biggest expense associated with a wedding, accounting for a massive 73% of the average budget. So if you want to find significant savings, one of your best options is to think outside the box when it comes to location.

Instead of booking a high-cost venue like a country club, a vineyard or a hotel, opt for one of the following spots:

• Family backyard
• Park or garden 
• Restaurant
• Rental home
• Museum

Alternatively, you might want to elope or have a civil wedding and then throw a more informal reception elsewhere. The fees for municipal weddings are usually under $100. 

Negotiate with vendors

Believe-it-or not, most vendor’s prices are not set in stone. You can potentially reduce some of your major wedding expenses by working out special deals with your vendors. Here are a few approaches that can help you get a discount:

• Ask for a price match
• Offer to set up a payment plan
• Ask about off-season discounts
• Offer to make a larger deposit
• See if a package upgrade would be more cost-effective 

Funding your big day

There’s more than one way to come up with the money for your big day. Here are a few ways to come up with more funds and cover the costs that your budget might not allow for.

Boost your savings

Put your savings into an account that earns a competitive interest rate, such as a high-yield savings account (HYSA) or a certificate of deposit (CD). You can currently find HYSAs and CDs that offer 4% APY or more.

While 4% might not sound like much, if you put $5,000 into a HYSA with 4% APY, you can earn over $200 in interest in a year. If the HYSA has an account-opening bonus, you’ll get even more free money.   

Family gifts

When it comes to high-end weddings, most couples say they get help from family to cover the cost. If your family members can’t make large contributions, consider asking them to cover a specific cost such as the wedding dress or the cake.

Honeymoon registry

Traditionally, couples use wedding registries to help cover the cost of things like home goods. But alternative registries that cover specific costs are becoming more common. 

To save money, consider setting up a honeymoon registry where people can contribute to specific honeymoon expenses like your flights, hotel or meals. Or you might set up a registry that allows people to contribute to your down payment on a car or a home.

Personal loan

If you’re short on funds for your wedding, the best thing to do is cut your budget or take extra time to save money. However, if you’re really set on having wedding features you can’t afford yet, and your credit is good (generally, scores of 680 or higher), you might consider a loan. 

One option is a wedding loan or a personal loan, which you can get from a credit union or online lending platform to cover wedding expenses.

Wedding loans can start as low as $1,000, and rates range anywhere from 6% to 36% APY. Just note that going into a marriage with debt can cause stress in your relationship, especially when you take on high-interest debt (anything above 7% APR). 

Rewards card

Roughly a third of couples now say they use credit cards to pay for their weddings. But that doesn’t mean it’s a smart option. With the average credit card interest rate now at 21%, it can be nearly impossible to pay off credit card debt.

For example, if you charge $5,000 to a credit card that has 21% APR, and you make minimum monthly payments of $150, it will take you over four years to pay off the card, and it will cost you $2,570 in interest charges.

Some couples see a wedding as a great opportunity to earn credit card rewards. This can certainly be a good way to earn cash back or miles, which could potentially go towards your honeymoon expenses, but it’s only a good idea if you already have the money saved to pay off the credit card purchases right away.

Conclusion

When you’re envisioning your special day, the last thing you want to think about is money. Sure, most couples would love to have unlimited funds for a beautiful destination wedding, luxurious wedding favors and live entertainment. But that’s not what makes a wedding (or marriage) meaningful.

As you’re deciding what to spend, remember that your special day isn’t about big bells and whistles, it’s about declaring your love for your partner. For that, you don’t need much money at all.