Nearly half of Malaysians taking loans up to RM40,000 for their big day

For many Malaysians, the dream wedding comes with a price tag that lasts years beyond the big day.

Despite social media’s growing obsession with simple, aesthetic ceremonies and smaller guest lists, a new study showed that nearly half of Malaysians were taking out personal loans, some up to RM40,000, just to afford their wedding day.

A study by Future Studies Berhad (The Future) found that 45.8 per cent of Malaysians planning to get married had to take out loans to cover their wedding expenses, with most spending between RM20,000 and RM40,000. The pressure to host a perfect celebration—complete with luxe venues, catering spreads, and decor for social media—was pushing many lovebirds into long-term financial commitments.

According to The Future’s Chief Economist, Dr Mohd Yusof Saari, personal loans remained the top choice at 58.8 per cent, followed by credit cards and Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) schemes at 16.6 per cent. This was a worrying sign that many couples were depending on short-term credit to fund what was supposed to be the happiest day of their lives.

He reportedly said that more than half of borrowers (54.5 per cent) faced repayment periods exceeding five years, with 27 per cent already falling behind on payments.

“More than half of respondents, 54.5 per cent, used 10 to 20 per cent of their monthly income just to repay their wedding loans, showing a heavy financial commitment among young couples,” he was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) Professor Datuk Dr Nik Maheran Nik Muhammad said wedding costs in Malaysia, ranging between RM50,000 and RM200,000, were among the highest in Asean, driven by steep hall rental and catering prices, alongside overall inflation.

He added that the figure was significantly higher than in Cambodia (RM71,000) and the Philippines (RM22,800), showing just how costly Malaysian weddings had become.

Yusof also proposed that premarital financial literacy courses should be updated to include modules on budgeting, debt management and responsible borrowing, helping couples avoid long-term financial stress after marriage.

But while experts were crunching the numbers, Malaysians online were weighing in emotionally and practically.

Many netizens said couples should scale down their celebrations and focus on building their future instead.

Instagram user Selvambigai Ravichanthiran urged couples to think long-term before splurging.

“It’s better to have a small wedding function only attended by important people and save the money for the future… always think of the future before doing something,” she said.

Echoing a similar sentiment, Krem Stark said that many people overspent on things that didn’t truly matter.

“Spend for your wedding on what you can afford. Why waste on things you don’t benefit from but end up saddled in debt? At the end, all that money spent, you don’t even get to enjoy, you’re busy hosting people you barely see,” the user said.

Another user, Harshdhindsa_, called wedding debt the worst financial decision a person could make.

"The same amount of money you and your partner can use to buy a house or start up a business. Your guests will come, smile, eat and forget about you once they leave the hall.

“Make smart financial decisions, one small mistake like this can affect your next generation," he said.