Planning a wedding can be fun, but it’s also an investment of time, emotion and money. From booking venues and hiring vendors to selecting attire and creating the guest list, couples and families spend months (and often tens of thousands of dollars) preparing for one perfect day.
But as anyone who’s planned a large event knows, things don’t always go as expected. That’s where wedding insurance comes in. From extreme weather to vendor no-shows, wedding insurance is designed to cover the many ways a wedding day can go sideways. Here are the most common scenarios where it can save the day:
Vendor no-shows or poor service
Imagine your caterer cancels at the last minute, your photographer fails to deliver the photos or your florist uses the wrong flowers. Cancellation insurance can help recover deposits or reimburse expenses when vendors don’t meet their obligations.
Weather-related cancellations
Hosting a beach or outdoor wedding? A sudden storm, hurricane or blizzard can derail even the most carefully planned day. Weather coverage typically reimburses you for rescheduling costs, including venue, food, rentals and even flowers.
Illness or injury
If a key member of the wedding party — like a parent or the bride or groom — falls ill or gets injured, cancellation insurance can cover postponement costs.
Venue problems
Venues can unexpectedly close, experience damage or double-book, forcing you to postpone or move the wedding. In those cases, insurance can help you recover deposits and secure a new space without starting over financially.
Guest or wedding party accidents
Whenever you have a large gathering and alcohol is involved, the probability of an injury-causing accident increases. Wedding liability insurance can cover medical bills and legal costs if a guest gets hurt. Some venues will require a wedding party to secure liability insurance to ensure events like these are covered.
Property damage
Weddings can sometimes get a bit raucous, causing damage to the venue. Someone dancing on a table may break the table. Red wine spilled on carpeting is costly to remove. If you or your guests damage the facility, the owners will come to you for reimbursement. Just like with wedding party accidents, wedding liability insurance will cover the cost of property damage.
Wedding attire and gifts
Some policies even cover lost, stolen or damaged wedding items like the gown, veil or wedding gifts.
What types of coverage are available?
- Liability insurance protects you if someone is injured or property is damaged during your event. Many venues require it.
- Cancellation/postponement insurance reimburses you for costs if your wedding has to be delayed or canceled for reasons outside your control — like weather, illness or vendor failure.
Basic policies typically range from $75 to $550 depending on the coverage and size of the event. Liability insurance covering up to $1 million in damages might cost around $185. The more coverage you want — and the higher your wedding budget — the more the policy may cost, but it’s often a small price to pay for financial peace of mind.
Managing risks
Of course there are ways to control risks as well. So even if you plan to purchase wedding insurance, you can take steps to prevent accidents:
- Hire professionals experienced in event setup and teardown and skilled in mitigating damage risks.
- Ensure your guests know the expected rules of conduct and any specific venue regulations.
- Find out if anyone has serious food allergies and ensure that the caterer is aware of foods that should be avoided.
- Keep an eye on how much guests are drinking; consider offering Uber rides home or back to the hotel.
- Request that the venue mark any potential hazards before your guests arrive, such as putting out signage for wet floors.
- Confirm any venue bookings with clear, written agreements that include contingency plans and what happens in case of double booking or damage to the venue.
- If you are planning an outdoor ceremony and/or reception, have a backup plan you can execute quickly if weather issues arise.