Wedding insurance is a type of special event insurance. Providers may offer different types of policies that cover a variety of eligible situations. Event insurance often combines multiple types of coverage into one specialized policy.

Below, we’ve listed the common types of coverage:

• Liability insurance covers damage to venues or guest injuries and is often required by venues.
• Liquor liability insurance is often required if you want alcohol served at the wedding.
• Cancellation and postponement insurance, which can cover events like illness or extreme weather.
• Special coverage for specific items, like wedding dresses and rings.

Do you really need wedding insurance?

You’ll need liability insurance if wedding venues require it to book your event. The venue likely wants to protect itself against mishaps and injuries that could occur during the event, as well as damage to the premises.

If you plan to serve alcohol, then you’ll likely need liquor liability coverage in addition to general liability coverage.

You may not be required to purchase other types of insurance. Whether it will be beneficial depends on how much the wedding costs and your risk tolerance.

Insurance is a fee you pay to guard against future loss. So these are good questions to ask yourself:

1. How likely do you think it is that you’ll face a mishap like a postponement that causes you to lose deposits?
2. How financially damaging would it be?

If you’ve booked a small ceremony with DIY catering, and you’re friends with the photographer, insurance might not be a priority for you. You might just want insurance for the dress.

If you’re going bigger, with a large guest list and professional catering, a postponement could cost a lot of money. A popular venue might not be available to rebook for weeks or months, which could mean canceling and re-planning the wedding.

These are reasons to consider more expansive insurance policies.

What wedding liability insurance often covers

Liability insurance, in this case, protects you from the financial consequences of things that happen during the event. For example, repairs to damage or medical bills for injuries.

So if a guest accidentally breaks a window and cuts their hand, liability insurance may kick in to cover the cost of repairing the window and the guest’s medical bill.

Liquor liability coverage is for similar purposes; the presence of alcohol changes the risk factors and often requires a different policy.

Many venues will require you to obtain the insurance policy and name them on it so they are protected as well. When a venue is added to your policy, they are considered an “additional insured”.

What postponement and cancellation policies often cover

When you’re preparing for a large event with many people, a lot could go wrong. Wedding postponement insurance exists to protect the money you spend on planning the event. If a covered circumstance causes you to cancel or postpone, the policy typically reimburses you for expenses according to the policy’s terms and conditions.

You’re paying for two things: protection of the money you’ve already spent and peace of mind so that if an emergency does come up, you can focus on resolving it.

Consider these examples of some major things that could happen to make you hold off on the big day.

Problems with the location

The site you booked can run into trouble you never saw coming. A pipe bursts or the power goes down on the morning of the wedding. If you have already paid a nonrefundable deposit, cancellation and postponement coverage can help you recover that money. If your wedding contract doesn’t cover these issues, then an insurance policy can help you prepare for them.

Unforeseen weather conditions

A storm or a heat advisory can force you to change the date, and the deposits you already paid do not come back on their own. Cancellation and postponement policies differ in which weather events they include, so read that part closely before you sign.

Illness or injury

We’ve all heard horror stories about someone in the family getting sick or injured at the worst possible time. Maybe the bride’s mother catches the flu, or the groom falls and breaks his leg a day before the event. Coverage for illness and injury can help you in hard moments because it’s one less thing to worry about.

Sudden job changes

Work is the last thing on your mind when you’re about to marry the love of your life. But a last-minute work change, like a required move to a new city, or a military deployment order, can undo months of planning. Some insurance policies can cover this, helping you speed up your timeline or start again in a new place.

Issues with the vendor

When you hire a wedding vendor, you sign a contract with them, and these contract terms can vary. If a critical vendor backs out, you may have to reschedule other vendors. Even if the first vendor gives you a refund, there’s no guarantee the others will.

Maybe your cake artist isn’t able to finish on time, or your caterer gets ill. Nobody wants to assume their vendors will cancel at the last minute. But planning for the worst can help guard against one vendor’s problem becoming a set of financial dominoes for you.

What wedding insurance usually does not cover

Insurance has limits, and you need to know them so you don’t count on coverage that isn't there. Most policies cover events outside your control, not choices you make or risks you already knew about.

A cancellation due to someone having a change of heart would not likely be covered, and neither would changing venues voluntarily. Many policies have exclusions for “pre-existing” problems, as well as wear and tear that the insurance company considers “normal.” It’s important to read the coverage details and conditions carefully.

It helps to have a professional read a policy before you commit. With a LegalShield® Personal Plan, a provider law firm can review an insurance policy or a vendor contract with you and explain what it actually says in plain language. You can find the terms and conditions in the plan details.

Tips for choosing a wedding insurance policy

Insurance policies are dry, often long documents with tons of details about what is and isn’t covered.

• Start early. Look into coverage as soon as you begin putting down deposits. That is when you have the most money at stake.
• Read the cancellation terms carefully. These often have time limits and specific conditions, so what looks covered at a glance may come with strings.
• Compare policies and read the actual wording. Coverage limits and exclusions vary between providers. Read the policy language itself, since that is what governs rather than the marketing summary.

It’s normal to ask for help if the contracts get confusing. People train for years to interpret these kinds of documents. Getting a policy reviewed by a lawyer can help you know exactly what you’re agreeing to before you sign.

Get help reviewing documents and policies with a LegalShield Personal Plan

LegalShield Provider Lawyers can help you understand the nuances of different policies and the situations they cover.

With a LegalShield Personal Plan, members can get documents reviewed and ask questions about agreements before signing them.

Plan your most important days confidently with a LegalShield Membership.

Contact your local independent associate for full membership details.

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