The 7 best credit cards for wedding expenses

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You’re recently engaged — congratulations! We now pronounce you — needing to make a lot of purchases.

As you start looking at wedding items such as a venue, photographer and outfits, you may realize that wedding planning is as expensive as it is exciting.

According to Zola, the average wedding budget this year will be $20,000-$40,000. Regardless of where your budget falls, there’s a good chance that this will be one of the largest expenses of your life.

But at The Points Guy, when we see big expenses, we also see big rewards-earning potential.

Let us help you choose the best credit card for wedding expenses, from the venue to invitation postage and everything in between.

The best credit cards for wedding travel

Whether you’re booking your honeymoon or making arrangements for a destination wedding, use a card that earns travel rewards when you book hotels and flights. Plus, if you’re using a hotel for your venue, using a travel rewards card for that purchase is an easy way to earn some serious rewards.

The Platinum Card® from American Express

Welcome bonus: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new card in your first six months of cardmembership. TPG values this bonus at $1,600.

Annual fee: $695 (see rates and fees).

Why we recommend it: You’ll earn 5 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airlines and travel booked through American Express Travel, on up to $500,000 per calendar year. You’ll also get up to $200 in hotel credits and up to $200 in airline fee credits as well as access to the Global Lounge Collection of airport lounges and a Clear credit to make your travel experience easier and more comfortable.

You’ll also enjoy up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue, which can help offset the cost of a rehearsal dinner outfit or some new makeup, as well as a Walmart+ membership to get snacks and last-minute items delivered to you wherever you are.

For more details, read our full review of the Amex Platinum Card.

Official application link: The Platinum Card from American Express

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. TPG values this bonus at $1,200.

Annual fee: $95.

Why we recommend it: You’ll earn 5 points per dollar spent on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 2 points per dollar on all other travel and 3 points per dollar on dining.

We love that this card earns bonus points on both travel and dining expenses. Chase has a generous definition of travel, so this card is especially handy if you’re paying for parking or going camping for the bachelor party. And with the bonus points on dining, this is also a great card to use if you’re taking your bridal party to brunch or getting your reception catered by a local restaurant. However, traditional catering services don’t code as dining with Chase, so you’ll want to use a different card if you’re going that route.

For more details, read our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

Official application link: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

The best credit cards for wedding catering

From the official rehearsal dinner and reception meals to snacks to fuel your late nights of planning, you’re sure to spend a good chunk of money on food for your wedding. For these expenses, use a card that earns bonus points for dining and grocery purchases.

Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on purchases on your new card in your first six months of cardmembership. TPG values this bonus at $1,200.

Annual fee: $250 (see rates and fees).

Why we recommend it: This card earns 4 points per dollar spent at restaurants and supermarkets, making it ideal for all your celebratory meals. It also earns 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com, so it’s great to use for booking honeymoon flights as well.

For more details, read our full review of the Amex Gold Card.

Official application link: American Express Gold Card

Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

Welcome bonus: Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.

Annual fee: $0.

Why we recommend it: This card earns unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and grocery stores. This makes it a great card to use for meals and activities you’re probably planning for the bachelor or bachelorette trip, like going to dance clubs and sporting events.

For more details, read our full review of the SavorOne Card.

Official application link: Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

The best credit cards for everything else wedding-related

Other than food and travel purchases, most of your wedding spending will fall into the “all other purchases” category, earning a measly 1 point per dollar spent on most rewards cards. For these purchases, use a card with a solid flat earning rate instead of bonus categories.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Welcome bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. TPG values this bonus at $1,388.

Annual fee: $95.

Why we recommend it: This card earns an unlimited 2 miles per dollar on all purchases, meaning you’ll earn extra miles on everything you buy, from the catering to your nail appointment for the big day.

We also love that Capital One miles are incredibly easy to redeem for a statement credit to reimburse travel purchases you make on the card. If you want to focus on using just one travel rewards card for all your wedding expenses, this is the one.

For more details, read our full review of the Capital One Venture Rewards Card.

Official application link: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Chase Freedom Unlimited

Welcome bonus: Earn an additional 1.5 points per dollar on all purchases on up to $20,000 spent in the first year.

Annual fee: $0.

Why we recommend it: This card earns 3 points per dollar on dining and drugstore purchases, making it perfect for all your dining out and last-minute runs to the drugstore for tissues and bobby pins. It also earns a flat 1.5 points on all other purchases, and if you’re eligible for the welcome bonus, you’ll get an impressive 3 points per dollar on all your wedding purchases up to $20,000.

In addition to its impressive earning potential, we love that this card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points and gives you redemption options. Most simply, you can redeem this card’s points for a cash-back statement credit to help offset some of those wedding expenses. But if you also have the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, you can transfer your points to that account and open up the full line of Chase’s travel partners as additional redemption options.

For more details, read our full review of the Chase Freedom Unlimited card.

Official application link: Chase Freedom Unlimited

Citi® Double Cash Card

Welcome bonus: None.

Annual fee: $0.

Why we recommend it: This card earns unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases (1% when you buy and 1% when you pay). If you want to simplify your strategy and focus on earning cash-back rewards to help you save on your wedding, this is a great card for all your wedding purchases.

For more details, read our full review of the Citi Double Cash card.

Official application link: Citi Double Cash Card

More ways to earn points on wedding expenses

Earn a welcome bonus

Planning your wedding is a great time to get a new credit card with a great welcome bonus since you’ll be able to easily meet the minimum spending requirements for a new card with your wedding purchases. If you’ve had your eye on a card with a good bonus, apply for that card and use it for all your wedding expenses until you’ve reached the spending requirement.

Buy gift cards

If you have a credit card that earns bonus points for shopping at grocery or office supply stores, you can purchase gift cards from these stores. Then you can use the gift cards at some of the places you know you’ll be spending money for your wedding, such as makeup and craft stores, to earn bonus points on those purchases.

Check merchant offers

Check the merchant offers on all your cards regularly, and add any that you think you might use. We recommend using a note on your phone to keep track of which offers are on which cards, so you can easily reference it when you’re ready to make a purchase.

Use shopping portals

Always use your favorite shopping portal for all your online shopping to earn even more points on your wedding purchases.

Choose zero-interest credit cards

We firmly believe in paying off your full credit card balance each month, but it’s understandable if you need to make an exception for such a large event. If that’s the case, choose a card that has an introductory period with a 0% annual percentage rate. Just make sure to note when the 0% period is over and pay off your full balance by then.

Bottom line

Add to the excitement on your road to “I do” by using the best credit cards for wedding expenses. The right cards can help you save money, cover your honeymoon or launch the new chapter of your life with a good stash of points and miles. With these strategies, you’ll be celebrating long after your wedding day.

Further reading: 

For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum please click here For rates and fees of the Amex Gold please click here