Working In Weddings For A Decade, I've Seen Hurricanes, Fires, And Drunk Guests. Now, I Always Give Couples The Same Advice.

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Jen Glantz

• If you're getting married, a wedding insurance policy can protect you if anything goes awry.
• Wedding liability insurance protects you in case of an event like damage to the venue.
• Wedding cancellation insurance will reimburse you if you have to postpone or cancel your wedding.

I have worked in the wedding industry for a decade, and I've seen a spectrum of really good and really bad things happen at these celebrations. Even couples who meticulously think about every detail or hire a professional wedding planner can fall victim to unforeseen disasters.

I've watched couples scramble to postpone their wedding date at the last minute because of a hurricane, fires happening during the reception, and drunk guests injuring themselves on the property.

I always advise couples to look into wedding insurance before getting married, especially because it could save them thousands of dollars if they have to cancel their wedding or handle an unplanned blunder. Just like other insurance policies like homeowners insurance or car insurance, it's essential to know what your plan covers before you buy.

Wedding insurance protects you in case of emergencies

Many couples panic during the wedding planning process — not just about how much money they are spending, but also how much money they could waste if something happens and they have to change or cancel their wedding.

Wedding insurance policies cover you if something goes wrong. Depending on the policy's coverage, couples can receive coverage in case the venue gets damaged, extreme weather occurs, a vendor doesn't show, or a sudden illness or injury occurs.

If you're getting married, there are two main types of wedding insurance to consider; each covers a different aspect of the ceremony.

Wedding liability insurance covers injuries and damage

To protect yourself from unplanned emergencies, wedding liability insurance is a good way of getting peace of mind before the celebration. This type of policy protects you from any financial liability that could happen on your wedding day.

For example, if the venue gets damaged or a guest gets too drunk and injures themselves, you might be responsible for those bills, and some wedding venues might require couples to purchase a wedding liability insurance policy before hosting their celebration.

I priced this out for a couple getting married in 2025. A $1 million dollar liability coverage plan with $5,000 in medical coverage through WedSafe came out to cost a one-time premium payment of $225.

Wedding cancellation insurance protects you if you need to cancel or postpone your wedding

When you start to book your wedding vendors, most of their contracts will state that payments for their services are nonrefundable, even if the wedding gets canceled or postponed.

Wedding cancellation insurance helps cover the costs of reimbursement if events like severe weather, sudden illness of a close family member, venue closure, or a vendor not showing up cause you to have to postpone the wedding.

However, if a couple decides not to get married because they had a change of heart, that is often not covered by this type of policy. Many policies also don't cover cancellations due to COVID-19.

I priced out wedding cancellation insurance for a couple getting married in 2025. They plan to spend $50,000 on their wedding and Progressive Insurance quoted them a wedding cancellation insurance policy that would cost $678. In the event they canceled their wedding due to a covered reason, the policy would reimburse them for the money they spent on the wedding, up to $50,000.

You can bundle both of these wedding policies to save money

If you want to make sure that you're fully covered on your wedding day, you can bundle both types of wedding insurance and save through different insurance providers.

For example, Progressive Insurance offered a 15% discount when bundling wedding liability and cancellation insurance.

Don't know where to start? Consider a financial advisor.

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