With the price tag of weddings so high, couples are opting to pay for wedding insurance. Coverage varies with different companies. Popularized in England, wedding insurance is now available in all 50 states. Some of the accepted reasons for cancellation, or postponement are severe weather conditions where bride and/or groom, or most of the guests cannot reach the premise, death in the family, illness, a natural disaster (fire, flood, etc.), inaccessibility to the ceremony, or reception site, wedding professional no-shows, or going out of business, a lost, or damaged gown, or the bride, or groom, or other "key" participants getting sick. Insurance may also extend to damaged property and/or gifts, military deployment, a last-minute corporate relocation, acts of terrorism, and, in some cases, cancellation due to job loss.

Photographs and video are all that "remain" after the wedding is over and are, therefore, a crucial element. If the photographer and/or videographer fail to show, wedding insurance can also include payment, where necessary to reshoot. It can also cover the fee for shooting again, in the event that negatives are lost, damaged, stolen, or not properly developed. Some policies will even pay to have the wedding staged and principal participants brought together so that "authentic" photos can be retaken. If the professionally produced video is damaged, a policy will usually pay to have either a video montage created, a video compilation made of the photographs and other wedding memorabilia, or, if possible, a retaking of the official video at a restaging.

Wedding gifts will either be shipped in advance, or given to you on your wedding day. Often the gift table is not "secured," and, it is possible for gifts to "walk away." Your wedding insurance can cover gifts, or anything else of value that is being utilized during the event. If non-monetary gifts are lost, stolen, or damaged, it is likely that a police report will need to be filed. In order to be covered, any claim for damage, or theft needs to take place within a limited time.

Should someone be injured, or property damage because of an accident during the course of your wedding, the policy may cover reasonable medical expenses. Some policies even cover professional counseling for emotional distress resulting from wedding cancellation.

Most honeymoons today are very expensive. That's why the industry set up travelers' insurance. Before buying travel insurance, it'‘s best to see if your credit card and/or homeowner's policy cover you if your luggage is damaged, or stolen, your trip is delayed, or you have to cancel. Your insurer, or travel agent can help you make the best choices.

"Changes of heart" are almost always excluded from the policy. Jewelry is usually not covered and needs to be on a separate "floater" policy. Keep in mind that your insurance could be invalidated if you cancel because of something you knew about when you bought the policy, you cancel because you can't afford the wedding, or you cancel because of injury due to hazardous activities.

As with any contractual agreement, it's important to read the fine print. There is usually a specified maximum amount, which can be claimed under each section of the policy. Couples should make sure they know what they are buying and they should choose wisely. The price also varies, but runs in the vicinity of 1% of the total cost for the wedding. Policies start at around $150. Average policies cost between $200 and $400. Wedding insurance can protect you against disasters, and give you peace of mind. With the right wedding insurance policy, you can reschedule your wedding and still recoup your expenditures, less the policy's deductible.

The sooner you take out a policy, the better, but certainly before you start spending any monies on your wedding. It's best to contact the insurance company you are already working with for renters, or car insurance. Because not all insurance companies offer wedding insurance, if your company doesn't write such policies, they will, hopefully, know who does and where to send you. Your insurance dealer should also be able to tell you if any of your existing insurance policies cover any part of wedding issues.
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