A wedding means a joyous occasion, filled with your long-waited love & cherished memories. But besides the excitement of your wedding event, it is also important to consider the wedding venue’s safety. That’s where wedding insurance can save you from wedding loss. So, how does wedding insurance protect your special day?
Do you want the answer? If yes, then you are in the right blog article.
This blog article explores every detail about wedding insurance to explain how wedding insurance can save your special day. Let’s start with the following:
Key takeaways:
- Wedding cost increases by about 3.50% to 20% in America. So, wedding insurance can save you from venue damages.
- Wedding insurance is not mandatory in the US. You don’t need to buy for a small wedding event that costs less, but for a big venue, wedding insurance can save you in crisis.
- Do not allocate much of your income for wedding insurance if you have serious personal finance issues.
- Before buying a wedding premium, closely review the policy to understand whether it meets your need.
- Don’t buy wedding insurance for more than two years. It will increase your extra premium expense.
What is wedding insurance?
Wedding insurance, also called special event insurance, is a financial protection to manage unexpected risks during the wedding. Wedding insurance helps you postpone the wedding date and gives monetary coverage for losses associated with the venue from the deposit premium.
For example, after several months of thinking, Anna & Andrew have planned to marry on 25th December to remark their wedding date. They wish to celebrate their last bachelor Christmas at night & want to marry in the daytime on 25th December.
But something unexpected happened to their special day & they were forced to change their wedding date. If they have wedding insurance, they will get money to cover losses like venue, catering, & other vendors. Insurance providers also provide financial benefits if they don’t reschedule the event date.
But they have to bear all the financial losses if they don’t have wedding insurance.
Is wedding insurance a one-off payment?
Yes. You must buy premium for a specific period, like up to the wedding day or rehearsal dinners. Your wedding insurance duration can vary depending on the coverage package & policy terms.
Say, Lucy wants to buy a wedding premium for four days before & after the wedding. If the premium cost is $400, Lucy has to pay a one-time payment of $400 in advance during purchase. Lucy must pay extra if she wants to extend the duration, according to the insurance provider. But if Lucy wants to conceal before the wedding day, she will get a partial refund based on the insurance package & risk factors.
Does wedding insurance cover break up?
No. A breakup means a misunderstanding between the groom & bride, which can be resolved under mutual understanding. But if a separation comes from one side, says the bride, you will get reimbursement for your wedding event.
Say, Camila & Benjamin planned to marry on their next birthday, but suddenly Benjamin breakups with Camila. In this case, Camila will get wedding coverage because this incident comes from one side.
What does wedding insurance cover?
Wedding insurance mainly covers two types of damages: rescheduling & liability associated with a special event. Wedding insurance also covers damages that arise before or after your wedding event. Below is the table showing what wedding insurance cover:
| Risks name | What does wedding insurance cover? |
| Cancellation | Under this coverage, you will get financial benefits from your deposit premium to reimburse wedding postponement loss that arises from family problems, natural disasters, illnesses, injuries, or any unexpected reasons. |
| Event Liability | Say, a guest injures himself or others & damages the venue unexpectedly. In this situation, the wedding insurance provider gives you monetary support to cover such losses. |
| Vendor Failure | Cover all types of vendor damages that arise from their service. For example, one of your vendors can’t provide catering, photography, or decoration service for some reason. In this case, the wedding insurance provider gives you money to reimburse costs or help you to arrange alternative vendor service. |
| Wedding Attire and Personal Belongings | Wedding attire means clothing and accessories you wear to the special event as a participant or guest. It includes Dresses, skirts, tops, jumpsuits, suits and ties, tuxedos, dark suits & such types of items. Personal belongings mean wedding items that belong to the groom or bride. It includes jewelry, makeup for the wedding ceremony, marriage certificate, & such types of items. |
| Wedding Gifts | You will get compensation for any practical items such as art, photo albums, cookware, and bedding damaged, lost, or stolen. |
| Wedding Property Damage | You will get monetary coverage to repair any wedding property damage caused by bad weather, fire accident, or unexpected event. |
What doesn’t wedding insurance cover?
Many unexpected situations do not cover wedding insurance, such as pre-existing medical history, bad weather, war or political instability & more. Sometimes it varies based on the insurance provider’s policy & limitations.
Say, Sarah has a destination wedding plan at a beautiful beach in Florida. Due to the heavy flood several days before wedding days, the local government marks this beach as highly risky on FEMA flood maps. So, Sarah wants to change the wedding date & location due to safety concerns.
Now the question is, will wedding insurance provide financial coverage for Sarah?
No; here is why:
- Flooding is an external reason that is beyond the insurance company’s or couple’s control.
- If Sarah knows about the upcoming bad weather, i.e., flood, it will consider a widely known risk not covered by wedding insurance.
- Sarah will not get insurance coverage because the insurance provider will consider it a mutual decision to cancel the wedding date.
Below the table lists show what does not cover wedding insurance & why:
| What doesn’t wedding insurance cover? | Why |
| Cold Feet | If Sarah decides to postpone after depositing the wedding insurance premium, the insurance provider will consider it a change of heart. So, cold feet will not cover by wedding insurance. |
| Known risk | Any pre-existing conditions associated with a couple or wedding event, say; pre-existing medical condition of pregnancy, will not cover wedding insurance due to widely known risk. |
| Intentional damage | Losses arises from negligence or illegal activities will not cover wedding insurance because Insurance provider will consider it as a preventable risk. |
| Vendor carelessness | Any dissatisfaction with the vendor’s poor service, quality of work, & performance will not cover under wedding insurance. The insurance company considers it a controllable risk that can be minimized under mutual agreement. |
| Outdoor weddings | If you purchase a premium for an outdoor venue, it will not cover wedding insurance. Because damages outside the wedding place do not fall under the wedding insurance policy. |
| War or violence | Wedding insurance will not cover damages caused by uncertain violence such as politics, war, or community. These types of incidents occur beyond the control of the groom, bride, or insurance provider. |
| Wedding ring | Wedding insurance does not cover Jewelry, watches, pearls, and engagement rings because these items fall under home insurance. |
| Any types of pandemics | Pandemics such as covid-19 can affect the bride or groom anytime. The pandemic is a matter of uncertainty & has no controllable measurement. Therefore, it will not cover wedding insurance. |
How much does it cost to insure an engagement ring?
The insurance cost of an engagement ring could be a Minimum of 1% to a maximum of 2% of the ring’s value. It would be best to buy home insurance because wedding rings fall under household contents. Usually, wedding insurance doesn’t cover engagement rings, but some companies may cover it if you pay extra.
Say, Elizabeth buys her wedding ring at $8000. So, Elizabeth has to pay $80 (8000×0.01) to $160 (8000×0.02) for the annual premium. This price could vary based on ring size, the complexity of the ring setting, your location, deductible, & coverage limits—usually; higher deductibles give lower annual premiums. So, Elizabeth has to pay more than $160 if any of these factors are associated with the cost of the ring.
How much does wedding insurance cost?
$125 to $11,00. But it can vary depending on location, insurance provider, coverage limits, wedding value, deductible policy & number of guests.
For example, wedding insurance costs could be between $120 to $218 with 100 guests in California. But wedding insurance costs can be higher in Florida due to risky geographical locations.
How to make a cost estimation chart for wedding insurance?
In the US, the estimated price of wedding insurance could be varied depending on coverage level & total wedding cost. Some insurance companies set minimum annual premiums that may increase premium value. Below the table gives an overall idea of the estimated cost of wedding insurance:
| Coverage level | Estimated cost (wedding) | Estimated price range (premium) |
| Basic | Maximum $10,010 | $105 to $305 |
| Medium | $10,010 to $30,050 | $208 to $508 |
| Comprehensive | $30,050 to $50,050 | $410 to $810 |
| High value | $50,050 to $100,500 | $830 to $1750 |
| N.B: The above cost estimate is based on guest number 100 to 110 |
Does wedding cost increase in the USA?
Yes, based on states, wedding cost increases average 3.50% to 20%. Due to inflation, the price of wedding goods & services has hiked. Therefore, vendors are forced to increase their prices because they are paying more than in past years.
For example, the average wedding cost in the USA is $29,500, which was 28,500 in the previous year. So, Americans have to pay an average of 3.56%, which can be a burden for many.
Below the image table gives overall price hike data of weddings for 11 costly cities in America (all the data collected from a recent survey):
Do I need Wedding insurance?
Yes, wedding insurance can protect you financially & mentally in times of unexpected events. It is recommended to buy wedding insurance if you are planning to spend a significant amount of money.
Imagine Maya plans to invite more than 200 guests to her wedding in New York. Therefore, set a big wedding budget to arrange her wedding event. Now the question is, does Maya need wedding insurance? Yes, if there is no flexibility to cancel or postpone the venue without monetary loss.
Usually, a small wedding hosted with a rescheduling option without financial loss does not need wedding insurance.
What percent of my income should I spend on wedding insurance?
You should spend your income minimum of 1% to 4% based on your financial situation, budget, & risk tolerance. It is recommended to allocate a small percentage of your monthly income for wedding insurance & emphasize more on essential needs.
Let’s say monthly income of Ella is $6000 & planning to buy wedding insurance. First, Ella should consider affordability to meet essential financial needs such as emergency funds, savings, debt, etc. If Ella has a serious debt problem, she should allocate $60 (0.01×6000) or below 4% for wedding insurance. If Ella has no financial obligation, she can pay $240 (0.04×6000) for the wedding insurance premium.
When should I buy wedding insurance?
Buying wedding insurance at least 15 days to 2 years before the wedding day would be best. Early enough can cost you more for your premium, and too close may not allow you to cancel the wedding venue if something unexpected events happen.
Imagine David is a 20-year-old American & planning to marry at 30. If David buys wedding insurance now, he will have to pay premiums for a long time which will not be right financially. Risk & surrounding situations can change significantly over time. Therefore, David should focus on savings & deposits for premium with the above mention time.
How do you compare different wedding insurance policies?
You can compare wedding insurance policies by analyzing coverage limits, premiums, deductibles, inclusion, exclusion, & how customers review it. Before choosing any insurance premium, it is recommended to emphasize which policy meet your special event need.
For example, military deployment coverage should be the main concern for a military person. Then they can consider about premium amount & subsequently, other factors. For others, service holders may consider destination coverage first if it belongs to Miami or Florida, then premium or deductible policy.
How to buy wedding insurance?
You can buy wedding insurance on both ways online & offline. If you have home insurance, you can consult an insurance agent to decide the best wedding insurance policy for you.
But before buying, it is wise to follow the below steps to understand which policy best works for you.
- Customer Review: Search for which company offers wedding insurance in your area. Try to find out the answer to this question, are they reputable with positive customer reviews? If yes, you can consider it.
- Coverage: Understand the insurance coverage clearly. Does this coverage meet your wedding event needs? If yes, you can consider it.
- Review quotes: Compare as maximum as possible quotes from different insurance providers. You can compare quotes based on location, wedding budget, personal needs, etc.
- Understand policy: Search for the following answer; how is their insurance claiming process? What do they cover & what don’t?
- Duration: Do you need extra coverage for the event, say another three days after the wedding date? Then closely review the policy duration to know whether it covers that period.
- Ask for clarification: Please ask questions if you need help understanding anything or have doubts. It will help you to understand the wedding policy & coverage clearly.
- Extra wedding assistance: Do you need additional vendor assistance? If yes, ask the insurance company whether they provide or not. If yes, you can choose this wedding policy if this service is essential to you.
- Take your decision: After analyzing every factor, if you satisfy, you can decide to buy wedding insurance.
- Buy the policy: This is the time to call the insurance provider to finalize the wedding insurance policy.
- Keep copies: Keep copies of documents, such as policy papers, receipts, contracts & other relevant papers that may need you to claim in the future.
Concluding Thought
A wedding involves a lot of preparation with a budget. Our general anticipation often goes wrong & have to suffer financially & mentally due to careless wedding planning. Wedding insurance can save us both ways mentally & economically. But before buying wedding insurance, you should patiently analyze every policy so that you can meet your wedding event need.
Frequently Asked Question
Does wedding insurance cover relatives’ money?
Yes. Most of the wedding insurance forms mention it under immediate family. Immediate family includes parents, children, grandparents of the bride and groom, or any family member or relatives.
For example, parents of Zoe pay her vendor deposits & all the wedding event cost. In this case, the insurance provider considers it a relative’s money & covers it under the immediate family provision.
Does state farm offer wedding insurance?
Yes. State firm offers wedding insurance to cover venue damages. In the US, this coverage protects your coverage items before & up to 3 months after your wedding day under Personal Articles Policy (PAP).
For example, if your wedding venue is damaged due to an unforeseen incident, you will get financial cover under PAP. But the damages must fall under coverage items of wedding insurance.
What is wedding cancellation insurance?
Wedding cancellation insurance is financial coverage against uncertain damages arising from canceling or postponing your wedding date. It helps you to reimburse non-refundable deposits & lower potential financial losses associated with wedding events.
For example, Lucas had planned to marry in New Jersey, but suddenly, his father was affected by COVID-19. So, Lucas has to change his wedding date for safety concerns & serious medical issues. In this situation, the insurance provider will cover losses associated with rescheduling events.
Disclaimer
This is not a promotional post. The information provided in this article is author’s view & only for educational purposes. By reading this, you agree that the information is not purchasing advice for wedding insurance. Do your research before making any important financial decision. Therefore, FinanceIdeas.org will not be liable for your financial loss.
