National Marriage Week 2025

Wedding celebrations take place year-round. And with all the costs associated, it’s little surprise that so many couples prioritise all the required bills and outgoings for their big day, rather than their combined financial future. 

With National Marriage Week upon us (7th to 14th February), it’s a good reminder to add a fundamental money conversation to your to-do list before getting married. 

Whether it’s buying your marital home, getting ready for your newlywed trip of a lifetime, or starting to combine your finances and savings goals - there are some important steps to take before your nuptials to ensure money doesn’t become a source of stress for you both. 

Mamta Shanbhag, Borrow Director at Tesco Bank, offers five money tips for anyone set to marry this year:

1. Get a clear view on your shared bills

Most married couples will agree to share ongoing bills, expenses and outgoings - but it’s best to have that conversation early on so you’re both clear on who is responsible for what. Mortgage payments, car payments, and household bills are just a few examples of what a couple may split. Whether you decide to use a joint bank account or individually track what each of you owe is up to you. It’s worth having a view of your outgoings month to month so you can quickly spot if any expenses are becoming unmanageable and also plan for occasions when you both might need to dip into any shared savings you have.

2. Take advantage of tax benefits

Tax and romance don't tend to go hand in hand, but there are many financial benefits that money-savvy couples can take advantage of. If one partner earns less than the Personal Allowance (currently £12,570) and the other is a basic-rate taxpayer, the lower earner can transfer up to 10% of their Personal Allowance to the higher earner*. This is known as Marriage Allowance. Couples may want to consider a joint appointment with a financial advisor to understand any other opportunities to efficiently manage your finances.

3. Get on top of your debt

Don’t panic if married life starts with a bit of debt between you. Start by setting aside regular time to review any individual or shared debt repayment plans you have in place. If you have multiple payments due a debt consolidation loan could make it easier to manage and could reduce the total amount of interest you pay on existing debt payments. 

4. Stick to a plan

Whether you’ve got shared or individual savings goals you want to achieve this year – or simply want to feel more in control of your joint finances - it’s best to agree an adaptable budgeting plan between you. List your shared and individual goals, map this against your current incomes and household expenditure and you have the beginning of a financial plan, which, if you stick to it, can make a huge difference. 

5. Wedding in 2025 – have you considered a loan?

If the big day is scheduled for this year a wedding loan could help ensure you both celebrate in style and give you peace of mind on how you’re going to pay for it. You can start by using our loan calculator to tell us how much you want to borrow, and we’ll show you an example of what you might repay. At Tesco Bank, with Clubcard Prices, if you enter your Clubcard number when you apply and if you're accepted you'll get a better rate.