If you’re currently planning a wedding, you understand the wonderful combination of excitement and anxiety it is. From choosing the perfect dress to sending out invitations to writing your vows, you have many things to take care of. Protecting the money you’ve invested is another thing to consider.
Do you need wedding insurance for your big day? It’s a question that many soon-to-be brides and grooms ponder. Any number of things can derail your ceremony, jeopardizing any money you’ve already invested in the day.
Having wedding insurance provides a layer of protection that ensures your hard-earned money remains safe if something impacts your wedding date. Read on to learn more about wedding insurance, why it’s important, and how to decide if you should purchase it.
The Purpose of Wedding Insurance
From sharing your love with friends and family to experiencing the legal benefits of marriage, there are many positive aspects of getting married. Something that’s not always so positive is the expense. Weddings can be costly affairs, and no one wants their wedding to set them back too much financially.
Regardless of how much you’re spending on your wedding, you don’t want to lose money because of a last-minute change of plans. This is exactly what happens if you cancel or postpone your event without wedding insurance. When you cancel your wedding due to unforeseen circumstances, wedding insurance covers expenses and deposits on the following things:
- The venue
- Catering
- Clothing
- Entertainment
Wedding insurance covers a wide range of possibilities, from bad weather to no-show entertainment. These policies cover almost any unexpected occurrence that causes you to cancel or reschedule your event. You can even get insurance to cover individual items that are essential to the day, such as your groom’s tuxedo or the floral arrangements for the reception.
Types of Wedding Insurance
Some types of wedding insurance protect you from paying out of pocket for anything that goes awry during your event, such as injuries or property damage. Choosing the right type of wedding insurance makes a world of difference if any mishaps impact your occasion.
There are two main types of wedding insurance: postponement or cancellation insurance and liability insurance.
Postponement or Cancellation Insurance
Postponement insurance covers expenses and lost deposits if you cancel or reschedule your wedding due to unforeseen circumstances. This includes severe weather that impacts the venue or, in the case of destination weddings, your ability to travel to the location.
Liability Insurance
Liability insurance protects you from being held personally responsible for injuries or property damage during your wedding. In many cases, this insurance covers the rehearsal and reception in addition to the ceremony.
Should You Get Wedding Insurance? Factors to Consider
So, do you need wedding insurance? Wedding insurance is a precaution — one that could save you a large sum of money if something were to go wrong.
Anything can happen in the days leading up to your ceremony. Actually, anything can happen during your ceremony. Consider the following factors before making a decision on wedding insurance.
#1. Extreme Weather
The ever-changing climate doesn’t take breaks for weddings. Severe weather events like hurricanes can derail a wedding on short notice, with only weeks to change plans.
Postponement or cancellation insurance gives you peace of mind when extreme weather is at risk of impacting your special day. If you cancel or reschedule your wedding due to weather, you won’t lose deposits or additional expenses.
#2. Travel Delays
Are you getting married in San Francisco, where guests will be traveling from different areas? Severe weather events make travel impossible, meaning your guests (and you) won’t make it to the destination. This is a good reason to have postponement or cancellation insurance.
The COVID-19 pandemic taught us that other unexpected circumstances can limit travel. Countless people canceled or postponed their weddings due to quarantine regulations. Having wedding insurance kept them from losing everything they spent.
#3. Open Bar
Alcohol is a fun addition to special occasions like weddings, but it also presents some risks. When guests are drinking and inhibitions decrease, injuries and accidents are more likely to happen.
If you’re serving alcohol at your wedding, consider liability insurance so you’re not responsible for these instances. In fact, most venues require couples to have liability insurance whenever there’s alcohol involved.
What Will Wedding Insurance Not Cover?
Wedding insurance covers many things, but there is one main thing it will not cover: simply canceling your wedding without cause. Having a change of heart or experiencing cold feet are not viable reasons for reimbursement.
Wedding insurance only covers unforeseen, emergency circumstances that were out of your control before or during the event.
Is Wedding Insurance Expensive?
Many people wonder if wedding insurance is really worth it. What if you pay for coverage, and everything goes as planned? Did you just waste a large sum of money?
The cost of wedding insurance varies greatly depending on several factors. The size of your wedding is one of the biggest things that impacts coverage cost.
Merkel Insurance provides wedding cancellation insurance for $50, covering up to $5,000, for example. If you’re having a smaller ceremony, this is a good investment.
On average, liability insurance ranges from $155 to $550. A $185 policy usually covers $1 million in accidents. This makes liability insurance an affordable way to put your mind at ease regarding injuries and property damage.
Opting Out of Wedding Insurance and Your Other Options
Do you need wedding insurance to have a successful ceremony? No, but it does give you peace of mind. If you’re not interested in cancellation or liability insurance, there are alternative options.
Some people choose to insure individual aspects of their wedding, such as the dress or cake. For example, insuring your wedding ring protects against damage, theft, or loss.
Is your special day on the horizon? City Hall Wedding can help you prepare for your ceremony and make the most of your nuptials. Contact us online or visit our blog to learn more!