To add to the point above: the Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED VR II gives nicer compression for portraits, even if it has a smaller aperture than the 35mm.

Honestly, grab the Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G. It is super cheap, sharp, and perfect for your D3500. Just make sure to get close to your friend for that blur!

Stumbled upon this discussion today and honestly, the other guys are spot on about those lenses. But since you mentioned you're worried about messing things up for your friend's wedding, I gotta warn you: fixed lenses can be tricky if you're not used to them. I remember my first time shooting a wedding with a prime lens, and I spent half the time running around trying to frame shots instead of actually capturing moments. If you want that background blur without breaking the bank, look at the Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 85mm f/3.5G ED VR Micro. It's a bit of a niche pick, but the compression is beautiful for faces. Just be careful with the focus. At 85mm, you need to make sure you're keeping your distance, or you're gonna lose the shot entirely. Also, grab a cheap Sandisk Extreme 64GB SDXC UHS-I card so you dont have to worry about space mid-ceremony. My biggest tip? Take a bunch of practice shots of your cat or a plant this weekend. You want to see how that aperture behaves when you have light hitting the lens weirdly. Don't stress too much though, the D3500 is a capable little thing if you keep your shutter speed up and just keep shooting.