9 Bad Credit Wedding Loans (Feb. 2024)

Bad Credit Wedding Loans

Bad credit wedding loans can help you pay for one of the best days of your life, regardless of your credit history. The average couple spent $19,000 on their wedding in 2020, significantly down from the pre-pandemic average of $28,000 in 2019. This means the average cost of a wedding is likely to rise again.

A wedding loan is considered a personal loan — personal loans don’t restrict how you use the money you borrow, so you can use them to help pay for the wedding of your dreams.

Short-Term Loans | Installment Loans | Home Equity Loans | FAQs

Short-Term Wedding Loans For Bad Credit

A short-term wedding loan is a quick cash loan that can help you cover the vendor bill you forgot was due next week. These loans can be funded within one business day but must be repaid quickly — usually within 90 days or less — depending on the loan agreement.

  • Short-term loans up to $5,000
  • Online marketplace of lenders
  • Funds available in as few as 24 hours
  • Simple online form takes less than 5 minutes
  • Trusted by more than 2 million customers
  • See official site, terms, and details.
★★★★★

4.8

Overall Rating

Loan Amount Interest Rate Loan Term Loan Example
Up to $5,000 Varies Varies

See representative example

You may recognize MoneyMutual from its commercials starring Montel Williams. MoneyMutual is an online lender network that specializes in helping people access funds within 24 hours of submitting an application. The loan amounts are small, and the APRs may be high, but approval is generally easy for most applicants.

  • Quick loans up to $5,000 as soon as tomorrow
  • Submit one form, get multiple options
  • All credit ratings welcome — good or bad
  • Requires a checking account and $800 minimum monthly income to apply
  • No collateral or cosigner required
  • See official site, terms, and details.
★★★★

4.0

Overall Rating

Loan Amount Interest Rate Loan Term Loan Example
$250 to $5,000 Varies Varies

See representative example

InstallmentLoans.com is another online lender network that can help match you with multiple loan offers. It only takes a few minutes to fill out the prequalifying form to see if any lenders are willing to work with you. Don’t let a bad credit history deter you from applying — borrowers with any credit rating are welcome to apply.

CreditLoan.com is much like the companies above and can provide you with an unsecured loan even if you have a bad credit score. Be sure to review the loan agreement carefully, including the monthly payment and interest rate, before accepting any loan offer you receive.

Installment Wedding Loans For Bad Credit

An installment loan is a loan in which you have several months or years to repay the loan amount. These make great wedding loan options to cover big expenses, such as your honeymoon or to foot the bill for your venue.

CashUSA provides loans of up to $10,000 for borrowers who have a less-than-perfect credit score. Of course, the worse your credit, the more unlikely you are to qualify for the largest loan amount. Still, all are welcome to apply, and prequalifying to see your approval chances for a bad credit loan won’t affect your credit score.

Bad Credit Loans has been around for quite some time and specializes in helping people with poor credit scores obtain loans for any purpose. You can qualify for an unsecured personal loan as small as $500 to help you pay for a last-minute wedding expense or a larger amount for any wedding cost.

PersonalLoans.com offers the highest loan amounts on this list. It can be a great option if your credit score is in the fair range, which is considered a score of 580 or higher. As with the other loan options on this list, you can receive your wedding funds as soon as one business day with direct deposit into a bank account.

Home Equity Wedding Loans For Bad Credit

A home equity loan can be a great option for a wedding loan if you have equity in your home. That means your home is worth more than you owe on your mortgage. Most home equity lenders require you to have at least 20% equity in your home to qualify. 

These loans take time to process and aren’t quick solutions for wedding financing like the loans above. Home equity loans are a type of secured loan, which means your home is used as collateral for the loan, and why you can qualify with a poor credit score.

  • Easy to OwnSM programs give options for those with lower income, limited credit history, and low down payment needs.
  • Provides the potential for minimal out-of-pocket expenses with seller contributions.
  • Offers loans that don't require monthly mortgage insurance.
  • Requires less cash upfront for your down payment and closing costs.
  • See application, terms, and details.
★★★★★

4.5

Overall Rating

Interest Rate In Business Since Application Length Reputation Score
Varies 1852 6 Minutes 8.0/10

You may be able to get a home equity loan or a home equity line of credit with Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. A home equity loan will require fixed monthly repayments over several years, whereas the line of credit is like a credit card — you can withdraw funds from your line of credit and repay as you borrow.

  • Loan programs include down payment and closing cost assistance.
  • Variable and Fixed-Rate loans available with flexible qualification guidelines.
  • Up to 100% financing—with as little as zero down payment for qualified borrowers.
  • No maximum income/earning limitations.
  • See application, terms, and details.
★★★★

4.4

Overall Rating

Interest Rate In Business Since Application Length Reputation Score
Varies 2008 5 Minutes 7.0/10

Bank of America Mortgage also offers home equity loans and lines of credit, both of which can be had if you have equity in your home and a less-than-perfect credit rating. You can speak with a Bank of America lending specialist for free to see whether this is the right wedding financing option for you.

  • Low or no down payment required; flexible credit guidelines.
  • Seller can contribute up to 6% of sales price.
  • Streamlined refinance programs that speed the closing process.
  • Closing costs can be rolled into the loan.
  • Opportunities Within Neighborhoods (OWN) programs offer low down payment options, flexible credit criteria and other attractive features to meet the needs of many low- and moderate- income borrowers and those purchasing homes in low- and moderate - income areas.
  • See application, terms, and details.
★★★★

4.3

Overall Rating

Interest Rate In Business Since Application Length Reputation Score
Varies 1998 9 Minutes 8.0/10

Our final secured personal loan option, CitiMortgage, can help you cash in on the equity in your home. A good credit score isn’t required, and the repayment term and interest rate you receive will be better than that of most short-term lending options.

What is a Wedding Loan?

A wedding loan is a personal loan. Some online lenders will specify “wedding loans” as an option on their websites, but the interest rate and loan term you receive will match that of the personal loans offered on their site. A personal loan is an unsecured loan that can be used for any purpose, and that is why couples use them to help pay for their nuptials.

Photo of a couple at their wedding

A wedding loan is simply a personal loan that is used to pay for wedding expenses.

Couples borrow an average of $16,000 to pay for their wedding, according to a 2019 article from The Washington Post. That explains why more couples are saying “I do” to wedding loans, even as student loan debt and credit card debt weigh on the wallets of many Americans.

How Can I Get a Wedding Loan With Bad Credit?

Consumers with bad credit account for 16% of the population. A lot of lenders specifically cater to this demographic and can help them obtain financing for things like cars, homes, and even personal loans that can be used for anything, including a wedding.

In fact, these lenders want to approve your loan application. It’s how they make money to stay in business.

How much you need and how long you need to repay the loan will determine the best lender and bad credit wedding loan for you. If you only need a small amount and can manage total repayment within 90 days or less, check out the short-term lending networks we’ve recommended.

If you think you’ll need years to repay a bad credit wedding loan, check out the installment loan providers above. An installment loan provides manageable monthly repayments and charges a lower interest rate than the interest rate a short-term loan would charge.

If you have equity in your home, a home equity loan or line of credit may be your best option. That’s because these loans provide the lowest interest rate of any loan option we’ve reviewed, and you don’t need excellent credit as you would to get a low-rate unsecured loan.

But there’s a big risk involved with home equity loans — if you don’t repay the debt, the lender can foreclosure on your home. Losing your home is never worth the cost of an open bar.

Do Banks Give Loans For Weddings?

Yes, pretty much all banks offer personal loans. You can also get an unsecured personal loan from your local credit union if you’re a member. But banks and credit unions generally have tighter lending restrictions than do online lenders.

Banks and credit unions may require at least a good credit score for approval, and the COVID-19 pandemic has further restricted bank lending.

Prequalifying with any of the lending networks or mortgage lenders above won’t affect your credit score. It’s worth submitting a loan application to one or more networks to see whether you receive a loan offer.

Bank Lending

Banks have tightened their lending restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you like the loan terms, you can accept the loan and receive your funds within 24 hours (maybe longer if you apply on a weekend or holiday). If not, you can move on and continue to compare your options.

The mortgage lenders provide calculators on their website that will tell you exactly how much you may qualify for and at what interest rate based on the information you provide.

How Much Will a Wedding Loan Cost?

This depends on:

  • how much you borrow
  • the interest rate you’re charged
  • how long you have to repay the loan (the loan term)
  • any fees associated with the loan

Unsecured wedding loans, i.e., the short-term and installment loan options, will charge a higher interest rate than will a secured loan. That’s because secured loans are less risky for the lender.

If you fail to repay your debt, the lender can seize your collateral to recoup the money it lost. Whereas with an unsecured personal loan, the lender can’t really do much to get its money back, other than repeatedly try to contact you and report nonpayment to the bureaus, which will damage your credit score.

Of course, the lender could sue you, but that’s unlikely for small loan amounts.

In terms of fees, short-term loans may impose a finance fee on any amount borrowed. This is common with payday loans, where you may be charged $15 to $20 per $100 borrowed.

Payday loans charge a finance fee instead of a fixed or variable APR like a credit card charges. But if you were to calculate that fee as interest, it would equal a much higher APR than that of installment loans.

For example, a $200 loan with a 14-day loan term and a finance fee of $15 per $100 borrowed would require a repayment amount of $230.

That may not seem so bad on the surface, but it’s an effective APR of 391.07%, whereas most installment loan APRs are capped at around 36%.

Home equity loans and lines of credit may charge an origination fee to process the loan request and/or an early repayment fee in addition to the interest rate. Most lending sites provide calculators to help you see how much you can qualify for and at what cost.

The Best Bad Credit Wedding Loans Depend On You

Comparing bad credit wedding loans online can be a daunting task, especially if you believe lenders will laugh when they view your credit report. But that’s not the case at all — financing options are available to any borrower who can prove they have sufficient means to repay the debt.

A bad credit loan doesn’t always mean bad financing terms. You may be surprised at the loan offers you receive, and there’s never any obligation to accept a loan. Spend less time worrying about wedding finance options and more time planning your big day!

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