Pick the largest optional cost—venue upgrade, guest count, jewellery, décor or travel—and calculate how much loan principal disappears if that item is reduced. Then compare the interest saved over the full tenure. A ₹2 lakh budget cut can save more than ₹2 lakh because it also removes years of interest.
Keep a post-wedding repayment calendar and decide in advance how bonuses or gifts will be used. If prepayment is allowed at reasonable cost, using part of future windfalls can shorten the loan. Do not promise all gifts to the lender before knowing the couple’s emergency needs.
The best affordability test is whether the marriage can start without the loan dictating every financial decision for the next several years.