Best Credit Cards for Wedding Expenses [2025]

Modern weddings take a lot of time and money to plan. According to The Knot, the average wedding in the U.S. costs $33,000, excluding honeymoon expenses. Though there certainly are weddings that either cost much less or much more, chances are you'll be making some substantial purchases as you prepare for your big day.

If you use the right credit card or cards to make those purchases, you could end up getting a little back for all that spending, whether in cash back or points and miles.

Best credit cards for wedding expenses

Card	Welcome bonus	Rewards rate	Annual fee
Chase Freedom Unlimited®(Rates and fees)	Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening	5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases	$0
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card(Rates and fees)	Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening	5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠; 3X points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries; 2X points on all other travel purchases, and 1X points on all other purchases	$95
Citi Strata Premier® Card	Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com	10X Points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com; 3X Points on air travel and other hotel purchases, at restaurants, supermarkets, gas and EV charging stations; and 1X Points on all other purchases	$95
American Express® Gold Card	Earn as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases within the first 6 months of card membership (welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer; apply and find out your offer)	4X Membership Rewards points at restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000 per year, after that 1X), 4X at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year, after that 1X), 3X on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com, 2X on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com, and 1X on all other eligible purchases	$325 (Terms apply)
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card	Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening	2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day, 5 miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5 miles per dollar on Capital One Entertainment purchases through 12/31/25	$95
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card(Rates and fees)	Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening	2X points on Southwest purchases and Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners; on local transit and commuting, including rideshare; and on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming; plus 1X points on all other purchases	$69
Hilton Honors American Express Card	Earn 100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points and a $100 Statement Credit after spending $2,000 in purchases in the first 6 months (offer ends 8/13/2025)	7X points on eligible purchases at participating hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio; 5X points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations; and 3X points on all other eligible purchases	$0

Chase Freedom Unlimited^®

With all the spending you'll be doing in the run-up to your wedding, it may prove challenging to pay off your credit card balance in full. While we recommend paying off your balance every billing cycle, it's perfectly understandable that doing so might not be realistic if you're racking up tens of thousands of dollars in wedding expenses.

The Chase Freedom Unlimited^® offers a 0% intro APR period, so you'll get 0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months (then 18.99% - 28.49% Variable, so make sure you do what you can to pay off your balance during the intro period).

The card also earns cashback rewards, so you can earn on all your spending and give yourself more time to pay down your balance before you start accruing interest.

The Freedom Unlimited earns 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

You could also earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.

Apply for the Chase Freedom Unlimited^® | Read our Chase Freedom Unlimited review

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

Personally, I enjoyed my rehearsal dinner almost as much as the wedding itself. It was more intimate and offered the chance to celebrate with my closest circle of family and friends.

It was even better because we paid for it with the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card, which earns 3X points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries.

Depending on the size of your family and wedding party, the restaurant tab for the rehearsal dinner could be pretty steep, so using a card that earns bonus points on dining is a good call.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is also a good card to have on hand when you're spending big since you can earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card | Read our Chase Sapphire Preferred review

Citi Strata Premier^® Card

The first step toward walking down the aisle begins with choosing an engagement ring. Americans spend an average of $5,200 on this staple of our wedding tradition, according to The Knot, so using the right credit card for a purchase of that size could result in some substantial rewards earnings.

The Citi Strata Premier^® Card welcome offer lets you earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.

You could easily hit that spend requirement with your ring purchase and then put those points towards honeymoon travel expenses. On top of that, the card earns 10X points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com, so using the card to book a rental car or hotel room on your honeymoon could be quite lucrative if you do so through Citi's travel portal.

Apply for the Citi Strata Premier^® Card(Rates and fees) | Read our Citi Strata Premier Card review

American Express^® Gold Card

I speak from experience when I say that it is absolutely critical that you have enough food on hand to keep your energy up on the day of your wedding. So much will be going on that it can be easy to forget to eat, so having a sandwich tray for the bridal suite or snacks stashed in the best man's pockets during photos can be a real lifesaver.

The American Express^® Gold Card earns 4X points for every dollar you spend at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year, after that 1X), making it a great choice for those purchases.

The card also comes with a hefty welcome offer that makes it a great choicee for wedding expenses in general: Earn as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases within the first 6 months of card membership (welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer; apply and find out your offer). could net you up to 100,000 Membership Rewards Points if you spend $6,000 on the card in the first 6 months, so it's also a great choice for wedding expenses in general.

Learn how to apply for the American Express^® Gold Card | Read our American Express Gold Card review

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

While many cards on this list offer earn rates of more than 1 point per dollar spent on specific categories, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card earns unlimited 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day.

That can be a big earnings boost on any wedding expenses that don't fit into a typical bonus category like groceries or entertainment.

The card has an annual fee of $95, but more than pays for itself in the first year if you take advantage of the up to $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, a perk that will make your honeymoon airport experience a little less stressful.

Read our Capital One Venture Rewards card review

Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Plus Credit Card

If you have a rewards card affiliated with an airline, you may be able to pay for one or more of your honeymoon fares using points.

With the Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Plus Credit Card you could earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening — an extremely easy spend requirement to meet as you're making wedding related purchases.

The card also comes with a free checked bag, which is a big perk now that Southwest is charging for checked bags.

You could also use the card to help earn enough points to qualify for a coveted Companion Pass, so if you time it right, one of you could fly for free all honeymoon long (with the exception of taxes and fees).

Apply for the Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Plus Credit Card(Rates and fees) | Read our Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Review

Hilton Honors American Express Card

If you'll be honeymooning, it might make sense to consider opening a hotel credit card, such as the Hilton Honors American Express Card. You can use this card throughout your wedding planning journey to earn points that you can apply to your honeymoon stays.

With the Hilton Honors American Express Card, you could earn 7X points on eligible purchases at participating hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio; 5X points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations; and 3X points on all other eligible purchases.

That 7X earn rate on hotels and resorts in the Hilton Portfolio will come in real handy if you want to treat yourself to spruce up your stay with room service or an upgraded room.

Learn how to apply for the Hilton Honors American Express Card | Read our Hilton Honors American Express Card review

When to start applying for cards

You'll want to give yourself as much time as possible to earn rewards with any new card you open. Welcome offers are usually good for the first 90 days of charges, so be mindful of that time period for making the required purchases to earn your welcome bonus. Most rewards are added within days or weeks of qualifying purchases.

Overall, we recommend applying for cards as soon as is practical after you get engaged. This will give you plenty of time to plan, earn points on wedding-related purchases, and gain any other advantages you can by using the cards for work and day-to-day expenses.

There are so many opportunities to save and earn rewards throughout the wedding planning process. The key is to be smart and strategic about which cards you use and when you use them. Every card has its own rules for being able to reap rewards. Make sure you fully understand the benefits of each card and how the rewards process works.

It's also a good idea to have a plan for how you're going to pay off all the new charges you're making. The last thing you want is to start your new married life with a large amount of debt and a high rate of credit card use on your record. Remember, the goal is to spend smart and use the rewards you earn to your best advantage.

Bottom line

Your wedding is likely to be the biggest party you throw in your life. There are many credit cards out there that offer increased rewards for spending on food, events, and other services that fall in the entertainment category.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card and the Chase Freedom Unlimited^®, for example, both offer elevated rates on dining, so if your wedding venue codes as a restaurant or you use the card to pay for the rehearsal dinner, you could earn quite a bit.

Other cards like the Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Plus Credit Card or Hilton Honors American Express Card can be great for earning points toward honeymoon travel.

Whichever card works best for your wedding, when the cake's eaten and the confetti's settled, you'll be happy to have earned some rewards on all those expenses.

Great for Flexible Travel Rewards

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

4.9

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Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

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Rates and fees

Current Offer

Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Annual Fee

$95

Rewards Rate

5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠; 3X points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries; 2X points on all other travel purchases, and 1X points on all other purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• Generous welcome offer valued at up to $1,125 when redeemed via Chase Travel℠
• High rewards on dining and bookings via Chase Travel
• Up to 1.5x more value when redeeming points for travel through Chase Travel
• Up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays booked through Chase Travel
• Receive valuable travel protections like trip delay reimbursement and primary rental car insurance

Drawbacks

• Has a $95 annual fee
• Doesn’t offer airport lounge access or premium travel perks like Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit
• Doesn't offer bonus points on gas or in-person groceries purchases

Card Details

• Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
• Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel℠
• 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
• Member FDIC