No matter how much you plan, things can go wrong: a double-booking, a bankrupt caterer, a slip-and-fall incident or a gift table theft. When it comes to wedding risk, there’s more than forgotten wedding vows at stake, so take the necessary steps to protect yourself.
Insurance isn’t at the top of anyone’s fun list, especially when it comes to the romance and symbolism of a wedding. But before you say no to wedding insurance and the different options available, spend just a little time learning about how it could protect you and your brand-new life as a couple.
Vendor troubles topped the cake for wedding insurance claims in 2022, at 31%. Coming in second was property damage (19%), followed by severe weather (16%) and illness or injury (15%).1 Whether it’s a vendor no-show or a hurricane on your big day, you’re suffering a loss. That’s a liability risk you want to transfer to an insurance company. Wedding insurance is a purchase that you may never use — and that’s ideal because it means things went well. Insurance is there to help when things go wrong, not when they go right. If you’re uninsured or underinsured, an out-of pocket expense could be devastating. Here are some myths people use to justify saying no to wedding insurance when they should be saying yes.
A lot of insurance for nothing? Insurance is there to protect you, your guests, your family and your assets, especially in the event of a lawsuit. While weddings are already expensive, the last thing you want is more out-of-pocket expenses and a long-haul legal battle with no insurance to defend you. The purpose of insurance is to shift the liability risk from your plate to the insurance company’s plate.
Why get a certificate of insurance? Many wedding venues ask for proof of liability insurance in order to secure their space. This is usually given in the form of a certificate of insurance (COI) or certificate of liability. A COI is proof that you have liability insurance, the type of coverage you have and the limits on that coverage. Wedding liability will generally cover you for bodily injury, personal injury and property damage.
A word about COIs: Proof of insurance isn’t just for you. When interviewing vendors, you might want to request proof of insurance from them, too. Talk to your agent about what to look for in a vendor’s policy and how to insure those gaps in coverage.
Why do venues require additional wedding liability insurance? The venue may have insurance on their building, but they want an additional layer of protection against any liability that might occur due to guests, vendors or activities. Each wedding is different and so are the specific risks associated with it. No one intends for events to go wrong, but it’s always a possibility, so you should be insuring against it.
It’s not a big wedding, so what’s there to insure? It’s not the size that you’re insuring against — it’s the risk potential. A large wedding has its obvious perils, but even a small wedding comes bearing liability gifts of its own. A last-minute military deployment could cause a wedding postponement, leaving you with cancellations and lost vendor deposits. An intoxicated guest could get behind the wheel and cause an accident.
Even the types of activities you engage in can affect your liability exposure. Three words: wedding bouncy houses. They’re fun and popular — and risky.2 Top that off with factors beyond your control, such as people doing people things, activities and alcohol, and your liability exposure increases quite a bit.
Why go through an agent when a DIY site offers savings? The trend is toward do-it-yourself insurance. But do you know what you’re buying? More importantly, do you know what you’re not buying?
If you buy improper amounts of coverage for your needs or a policy with too many exclusions, what’s the point? Your insurance isn’t doing its job if it doesn’t protect what’s most important to you.
Your insurance agent or broker knows the questions to ask, the red flags to consider and the options available to you. They might even be able to help you find coverage for high-risk, hard-to-insure wedding activities.
Your skydiving nuptials, for example, might be awesome, but they could be an insurance nightmare. Everyone likes to save money, but savings doesn’t always equal value.
My wedding is at my house. Will my homeowners policy protect me? You may be covered for the basics of liability, but there are strict limits on what’s covered. Contact your homeowners agent and be very clear about your policy’s coverage before taking on this risk. Consider some of the caveats to floating a wedding on your personal homeowners insurance policy.
A wedding is a one-time special event and you can insure it that way Read on for details on the variety of options you can buy to customize your wedding coverage. Some packages include coverage for the rehearsal dinner and other pre- and post-nuptial events.
These packaged policies offer a variety of short-term coverage types with flexible liability limits, exclusions and write-ins to meet different needs.
Wedding liability insurance is a form of event insurance. Here are some advantages of going this route:
The future is filled with possibility — and so is wedding insurance Wedding liability normally covers bodily injury, personal injury and property damage, and has flexible limits that can go as high as $2 million. In addition to standard wedding liability insurance, you can choose optional coverage (also known as extended coverage or endorsements) to customize your protection needs.
Keep in mind that these optional coverages exist because other people have already been there, done that.
Loss of deposits No one wants to lose the perfect caterer, but what if you lose the deposit, too? This might not ruin your entire wedding, but you’ll be out one deposit and faced with finding the cash to put down on another. And if the caterer is bankrupt, the chances of having your deposit returned quickly are slim to none.
Special attire This normally covers any clothing purchased or rented by the couple or attendants (such as the wedding dress, tuxedos or special hats). Check the policy for specifics about the people who are covered and that you have protection against vendor bankruptcy (a store, seamstress or tailor, for example).
Rented property The tent and tables you rent can suffer damage, too. High winds (or a shriekingly high note from a wedding singer) might topple your event. Not only are you looking at a potential liability issue for personal injury and property damage, but you might get into the weeds with the rental company, too. Added coverage can help secure your lease.
Jewelry Jewelry coverage is for jewelry used during the ceremony. Don’t confuse this one-time event coverage with a jewelry endorsement. Always insure more expensive jewelry as an endorsement on your homeowners or renters policy, and get an appraisal when necessary.
Gifts With so many things going on during a wedding, the gift table is often overlooked — except by thieves.3 Gift theft insurance won’t replace the sentiment, but it can help you recoup the financial loss. Some policies have exclusions on where the theft occurs, such as gifts stolen from the back seat of a vehicle (as opposed to inside a locked trunk). Make sure you’re clear on these exclusions.
Professional counseling Weddings are emotional events, to say the least. If your wedding is canceled or postponed due to a covered cause, you may want to lean on this coverage. Professional counseling services often have specific time limits and requirements, such as a requirement that the counseling be prescribed by a physician.
Videographer/photographer What would it cost to restage your entire wedding party later? That’s something you may have to consider if your photographer is a no-show. Think in terms of the overall cost: coordinating travel for your wedding party, clothing, aesthetics and even a replacement wedding cake.
Second wedding, anyone? If you decide not to restage the wedding photos and opt for reimbursement for the invoice/deposit, any amount beyond the original (additional pain and emotional loss), would likely mean suing the vendor on your own. Different polices have different language, so talk it through with your agent.
Host liquor liability If you’re serving alcohol, you’re facing liability. Most wedding insurance policies include host liquor liability as part of the standard liability coverage, but always double-check.
Host liquor liability normally covers open bars — that is, when drinks are served to guests and paid for by the hosts.
Liquor liability normally involves bars where the guests pay for their drinks or an entry fee. Most U.S. weddings don’t operate this way, but everyone’s different.
The wedding is called off It’s not something you want to think about, but it can and does happen: The wedding is called off completely and will not be taking place in the future. Some have called this “change of heart” insurance. Be careful with the details on this one. The policy will likely be very specific in its wording. For example, it may specify that if the rehearsal dinner has already taken place, the coverage is no longer active — even if the wedding is called off. Your agent or broker can help you decide if it’s right for you.
Cancellation/postponement Not to be confused with canceling the wedding altogether, cancellation coverage generally deals with a postponement or cancellation, but with the intention that the wedding will proceed in the future. This coverage is useful if the venue becomes damaged by a fire or if extreme weather makes the wedding day impossible. It’s important to be aware of limitations and exclusions. The policy will usually define the types of damage or weather covered, such as winds over 65 mph, so it won’t cover a bad hair day.
Medical payments Maybe it’s a trip-and-fall while carrying gifts or a too-slick move on the dance floor. Either way, you may want to extend your general wedding liability policy to include medical payments. Medical payments insurance is wise because you’re less likely to be sued if you can offer to pay the injured person’s medical bills. Consider that multiple injuries could occur (a reception tent collapses in the wind or the conga line goes very wrong). Once you reach your policy limit, the payments stop.
Additional expense Additional expense insurance helps you with costs associated with having to secure a new venue to continue with your wedding as planned. The extra expense may be covered even beyond the original cost (so keep your invoices) because it’s understood that a lastminute scramble isn’t going to come cheap.
Imagine the venue you secured is damaged by a fire one week before your wedding. The loss is covered by your wedding liability policy, but you have family flying in and several vendors scheduled for the big day. You secure a new venue, but it comes at a steep price. Additional expense insurance makes it possible to have your cake and eat it, too. Talk to your agent about coverage options.
Weddings are already stressful enough without the added possibility of financial ruin. Contact your insurance professional early in the planning process and give detailed info about the events you have planned. It’s better to be upfront than to skimp on a policy that leaves gaps in coverage, despite any perceived savings on premiums.
Now that you’re in the know, you’ll soon be saying, “A $1 million wedding insurance package with extra coverage endorsements? Now that’s romance!”
Your Downeast Insurance Team +1 (207) 373-1683 info@downeastinsurance.com Downeast Insurance, LLC 94 Main Street Topsham, ME 04086 www.downeastcu.com/insurance/
References 1Wedding Protection Plan — The Top 4 Wedding Insurance Claims, accessed July 3, 2024, protectmywedding.com 2Today — Bounce house flies away, injuring teens: What you need to know to stay safe, May 2019, today.com 3BayNews9 — Thief Steals Thousands in Cash, Gift Cards During Bradenton Wedding Reception, November 2019, baynews9.com
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