Wedding insurance: Frequently asked questions

Event cancellation coverage helps reimburse you for lost deposits and nonrefundable payments in certain situations. For example, if you have to reschedule or cancel your wedding reception due to the serious illness of the bride or groom or one of their immediate family members, if the bride or groom are called for military deployment, or you can't hold your event due to severe weather, such as an impending hurricane, event cancellation coverage helps reimburse you for expenses.

If the venue you rent for your reception is accidentally damaged by a guest, or if you're found responsible for a guest's injuries, event liability coverage may help pay for repairs to the venue or another person's resulting medical bills.

If your reception hall unexpectedly goes out of business or can't operate on your wedding day due to circumstances beyond its control, such as a power outage, event cancellation insurance can help reimburse you for your nonrefundable deposit.

Event insurance may cover a destination wedding, depending on the location. Event insurance typically is available to U.S. citizens who hold a wedding in the U.S. or in certain locations outside the country. Your agent can tell you whether you'd have coverage in your selected destination.

If a situation covered by your event insurance policy affects both your wedding and your honeymoon, event cancellation coverage may help pay the costs of changing your honeymoon plans. However, you will not have coverage if you need to cancel your honeymoon, but not your wedding.

You may want to consider purchasing a separate travel insurance policy to help protect your investment in your honeymoon.

Coverage limits apply to both event cancellation and event liability coverage. The limit is the maximum amount your policy will reimburse you for a covered claim. Like with other types of insurance, you may also need to pay a deductible before you're reimbursed for a wedding claim

Event insurance will typically not pay for expenses if the bride or groom decide to call off the wedding due to cold feet or a change of heart. Also, event insurance generally does not cover equipment rented from a third-party business that's not affiliated with the venue. Read your policy or talk to your agent to learn what scenarios may and may not be covered.

Generally, you should purchase an event insurance policy as soon as you start spending money on your wedding. There's often a defined time frame during which you can buy wedding insurance, though - for example, no more than two years in advance but at least 15 days before your wedding date. Ask your agent about any restrictions regarding when you can purchase event insurance.

Contact your local insurance agent for help purchasing an event insurance policy or for more information. With a better understanding of how wedding insurance works, you can take steps to begin protecting your investment in your special day.