A decent hall in the suburbs today charges at least ₹1,500 per plate, and in most cases closer to ₹2,000. With 500 guests, the food bill alone comes to around ₹10 lakh. Hotels are even costlier. And that is just one part of the wedding. Jewellery, outfits, decoration, sound, photography, and endless add-ons quickly push the budget higher.
What looks like a simple family function quietly becomes a multi-crore industry transaction.
Families know this, yet they go ahead. I have often asked myself why. The answers are layered.
There is tradition, there is the need to show respect to guests, and there is also the some sort of competition that weddings seem to create within communities. No one wants to be seen as having cut corners on a daughter’s big day. Social media adds its own fuel, making even ordinary families feel that they must deliver a “dream” experience.
But dreams need funding.
And that is where the trouble begins. Very few middle-class households have ₹10–15 lakh in liquid savings, even for a smaller wedding of 300 people that easily crosses ₹10 lakh. So they turn to personal loans, gold loans, or even pledging mutual funds and insurance policies to raise money. Banks and lenders are happy to oblige with special “wedding loan” offers, flexible EMIs, and quick disbursals. What begins as excitement for a celebration often ends with families signing up for years of repayment. The celebration may last a few days, but the EMIs stay for years.
Why Starting Married Life With Debt Is a Mistake
I often tell myself that the first months of marriage should bring joy and hope. I know many expect those early days to be full of dreams and plans. Yet when weddings are funded through debt those months can instead feel like walking uphill. The EMI is only the beginning. What troubles me is what that loan does to everything else.
Recent data shows how common wedding loans have become. A survey by IndiaLends finds that about 26 percent of brides and grooms who plan to self-fund their weddings are considering personal loans to cover expenses. Of those, most expect to borrow between ₹1 lakh and ₹5 lakh for just one function. WeddingWire India reports that in 2024 the average wedding cost in India rose to ₹29.6 lakhs, with about a third of couples spending more than ₹30 lakhs, and many over ₹50 lakhs.
Those numbers are not just large as they reveal something deeper. When couples borrow ₹1–5 lakh for just one part of the wedding, they lay burden on many parts of life to come.
I have seen friends delay buying their first home because the money they thought would go into down payment was gone into wedding logistics. I know couples who are still paying off clothes, jewellery and catering costs while trying to raise children or save for emergencies. Some parents pledge gold or use insurance policies just to cover the wedding venue or décor. The loan quietly steals time from other dreams.
It is true that some households do manage to self-fund without borrowing. That is praiseworthy. But those who take loans often find that what seemed like a reasonable repayment schedule at the start becomes a source of stress. Interest rates on personal loans and wedding loans often fall in the range of 10 to 24 percent per annum depending on credit score. When EMIs stack up with those interest rates the monthly burden is high. That leaves less room for savings, for emergencies, for thinking ahead.
The Issues That Follow You Long After the Wedding
The thing about wedding loans is that the problems are not just about paying EMIs. They creep into places you do not expect. I have seen couples who, instead of starting their married life thinking about travel, savings, or even just enjoying their first year together, are already thinking about how to manage cash flow each month. It changes the tone of conversations at home. A dinner table discussion that should be about weekend plans turns into a talk about repayment dates.
I know families who postponed buying a small flat because the money that could have been saved for a down payment was already tied up in a wedding loan. Some parents quietly sell gold they had kept for emergencies, just to keep the loan under control. Others dip into retirement funds, which they may never be able to rebuild fully. These are not decisions people talk about openly, but they leave a lasting impact.
What also happens is a shift in mindset. Once you take a loan for a wedding, borrowing for other lifestyle needs begins to feel normal. I have seen the same people then take loans for interiors, or even for a vacation, because the line between necessity and luxury has blurred. That cycle is hard to break.
And the toughest part? The world outside does not see any of this. Guests enjoy the food, compliment the décor, and move on with their lives. Social media likes fade in a week. But the family keeps living with the repayments. That silence between outside applause and inside struggle is what makes wedding debt so heavy.
Things to Consider Before You Borrow
In my view, the question is not only whether you should take a loan, but why you are taking it in the first place. A loan, if used well, can help you build something that lasts. Buying a house a few years earlier, starting a business, even investing in higher education as these are purposes where borrowing can be justified because the money creates or accelerates an asset. Over time, that asset gives you returns or security that outweigh the interest you pay.
The Real Cost Isn’t the Interest Rate
But borrowing for a wedding is different. A wedding is a memory, not an asset. It is an important memory, no doubt, but the day ends and what remains is only photos, videos, and stories people tell. None of those reduce your EMI, and none of them build wealth. That is why I believe families should think very hard before signing any loan form for a celebration. If the loan is only to impress guests or to match the spending of relatives, then it is the wrong reason.
If you truly must borrow, ask yourself: will this loan help me create something lasting? Or will it only leave me with a bill once the flowers have dried and the music has stopped? To me, that is the simple filter. Use loans to fast-track your future, not to fund a few hours of grandeur.
A Final Word of Caution
Weddings are beautiful milestones, but they should not come at the cost of financial peace. I say this from experience and from watching others struggle. A loan can be a powerful tool when it helps you create something lasting – a home, an education, or even a business. But when it is used only for a few hours of celebration, it becomes a burden that outlives the joy.
If you are planning a wedding, ask yourself whether you are borrowing for memories or for assets. Memories are priceless, but they do not pay EMIs. An expensive wedding will not guarantee a happier marriage, but a heavy loan can certainly make the early years harder.
Memories Are Priceless, But They Don’t Pay EMIs
My simple plea is this: begin your married life with love, not with loans. If you must borrow, let it be for something that builds your future, not for something that fades the moment the music stops.
A smaller, debt-free wedding may feel modest in the moment, but it leaves you with freedom and peace, two gifts that will serve you far better than any borrowed grandeur.
Author Note
Note: This article relies on data from fund reports, index history, and public disclosures. We have used our own assumptions for analysis and illustrations.
The purpose of this article is to share insights, data points, and thought-provoking perspectives on investing. It is not investment advice. If you wish to act on any investment idea, you are strongly advised to consult a qualified advisor. This article is strictly for educational purposes. The views expressed are personal and do not reflect those of my current or past employers.
Parth Parikh has over a decade of experience in finance and research. He currently heads growth and content strategy at Finsire, where he works on investor education initiatives and products like Loan Against Mutual Funds (LAMF) and financial data solutions for banks and fintechs.