How to Pay for a Wedding

There is no getting around it: weddings can be expensive. As a matter of fact, a wedding is one of the most expensive events you will face as a couple. Determining how to pay for a wedding can help the wedded bliss last past the honeymoon.

You don’t want to spend your wedding day worrying about costs, expenses, and mounting debt. Thankfully, there are ways to pay for a wedding that won’t break the bank. Keep reading to learn more about how to pay for a wedding.

5 Planning Tips to Pay for a Wedding

While planning for a wedding is all about personal preference and a couple’s dream day, paying for a wedding is something that applies to everyone. The average cost of a wedding in 2021 was $28,000, not including the engagement ring. 

Covering the expenses of a wedding is a huge undertaking. Wedding ideas and traditions vary between couples but there are some tested tips to pay for a wedding no matter your circumstances.

1. Set a Budget

This one is important! You can’t go into your wedding planning thinking the sky's the limit if it’s not!

Analyzing your personal budget and your wedding budget – which may come from multiple sources – is essential when preparing to pay for your wedding. Setting up your budget is one of the first things you should do as a couple after getting engaged.

The budget you create should be as detailed – and as realistic – as possible. There may be some items that are on your “must have” list while others are only “nice to have.” Work together as a couple to categorize the expenses so you are both on the same page.

When setting a budget, be sure to include any financial assistance you are receiving from friends or family. This will help you establish a comprehensive plan.

2. Divide and Conquer

When you first sit down as a couple to go over wedding plans, all the expenses involved may seem overwhelming. This is when the divide and conquer strategy can help you stay on track.

Take a look at some of your bigger ticket items and divide the costs into smaller portions. You can take it a step further and divide that smaller portion by the number of months until your wedding. This way, you know how much you need to save each month to meet your goal.

And, speaking of saving….

3. Set Time to Save

Most couples get engaged months or even years before their weddings. Use that time effectively to prepare to pay for a wedding. Even though your wedding may seem far in the future, it’s never too early to start planning and saving. 

3. Cut Unnecessary Spending

A chocolate fountain! An ice sculpture! A lavish destination wedding!

We all have our big dreams for our wedding day. But, when the time to plan is here, it’s time to put things in perspective. Cutting unnecessary spending will be important to make sure you don’t start your married life in debt.

So, maybe keep the chocolate fountain but skip the ice sculpture? Prioritizing your spending will ensure you budget for the items at the top of your list.

4. Keep Track of Your Spending

You can set up a detailed budget, prepare to save, and limit extra spending. But if you don’t keep track of what you do spend, all of that planning work may be for nothing.

Establish a system to keep track of all the money coming in and going out related to the wedding. Organization is key to sticking to your budget.

5. Take Advantage of Perks

We’ll talk more about using your credit card to pay for a wedding later, but you can also use your credit card to save for a wedding!

Take advantage of any credit card rewards available. With an OUCU Visa Platinum Rewards card, you can earn rewards points for cash, travel, merchandise, and gift cards. These benefits can help pay for the wedding or even offset the cost of the honeymoon!

Making a Plan to Pay for a Wedding

Tips for how to pay for a wedding can lead you down the right “aisle,” but OUCU Financial has the options to help you say “I do”!

With OUCU credit cards and personal loans, you can be confident that all of your planning and preparation will lead to the wedding of your dreams.

OUCU Visa Credit Cards

Using a credit card can be a smart strategy for paying for a wedding – especially if you keep up with minimum payments and pay the debt off in a timely manner. The benefits of using an OUCU card can help you do just that.

All OUCU credit cards come with no annual fees, competitive annual percentage rates (APRs), security with NortonLifelock, purchase alerts, no cash advance fees, and more. You can also easily access credit card information through online banking, which will no doubt come in handy when making wedding decisions.

And an extra note: you can easily set up your OUCU Visa to use abroad! Perfect for honeymoon plans!

OUCU also wants to help you pay off your credit card. After all, stacking up debt is no way to start a marriage. We can assist you with making credit card payments and you can even use our calculator to determine a payment plan. Keeping you financially healthy before, during, and after your wedding is our priority!

OUCU Personal Loans

An OUCU personal loan can be the perfect solution to paying for your perfect wedding! OUCU Financial has personal loans to help you get the money you need when you need it. And planning for a wedding certainly qualifies!

With a personal, or ‘signature,’ loan from OUCU, you can pay for your wedding while planning for your future. Our fixed-rate personal loans come with a competitive 11.24% APR.* Plus, you have up to 60 months to pay off your loan! 

Personal loans help you get the money you need and sketch out a payment plan to keep you on financial track. OUCU financial professionals are here to help guide you in the right direction – on your wedding day and beyond!

How to Pay for a Wedding: Let OUCU Financial Help!

As an OUCU Financial member, you are family and we want our family members to have the perfect wedding day!

Learn more about how to pay for a wedding by reaching out to an OUCU professional. Using a personal loan from OUCU Financial will bring you the wedded bliss you desire with a roadmap for financial success. 

Find out how to get a personal loan today!

How to Get a Personal Loan (Step-by-Step Guide)

* Minimum term: 12 months, Maximum term: 60 months. Interest rate range is 8.99% to 17.99%.The payment on a $5000 loan would be $103.80 by using the $20.76 per $1000 at a non-variable interest rate of 8.99% APR with a 60 month term and no origination fee. Late fee: If you make a payment 10 days or more after the due date, you may be charged 5% of the monthly payment amount.