Why more couples are choosing wedding insurance

6 reasons couples are choosing to purchase wedding insurance

1. Wedding insurance provides peace of mind.

   Weddings can be expensive. Often couples and their immediate family members spend large sums of money to pull off a dream wedding – from the hall to the food to the music and everything in between. According to theknot.com, the average couple spends nearly $30,000 on their wedding. When you are investing that kind of money, you want to make sure the day goes smoothly. Wedding insurance protects you in two ways. Wedding cancellation insurance covers your financial obligations should your wedding have to be cancelled or postponed. It also provides coverage for damage to your wedding attire and jewelry, lost/stolen gifts, photographs, lost deposits from no-show vendors and more. Wedding liability insurance, on the other hand, covers you when you are legally responsible for injury or damages that occur at your wedding. Having this type of insurance can take a huge weight off your shoulders, so you can enjoy your big day.

2. Many wedding venues are now requiring liability insurance.

   More and more venues are unwilling to take on sole responsibility for situations out of their control that cause damage to their property and are finding alternative means to protect themselves from liability. This means requiring additional short-term event insurance from their clients, which spreads the risk among all parties involved.

3. Vendors are not offering refunds.

   Many vendors do not offer refunds due to any circumstance. Unfortunately, events do happen that force you to cancel or postpone your wedding. In these cases, you will want to recoup as much money as possible.

4. Online vendor bookings are on the rise.

   With the popularity of the Internet, many people are booking vendors online without having the opportunity to meet them in person (this is especially true for couples who plan a destination wedding). By doing all of your communication online, sometimes, personal connections aren't formed with your vendors and you become “just a number” to them. If this happens, sometimes there is a greater risk of no-shows or last minute cancellations. Wedding insurance can financially protect you against unreliable vendors.

5. Extreme weather is unpredictable.

   The one item you surely cannot predict is the weather. Extreme weather such as a hurricane or tropical storm (or even an epic snowstorm) can cause your venue to be unusable or even prevent you or your significant other from reaching the wedding! Wedding insurance can help recoup your costs if you have to cancel or postpone. (Sorry, outdoor wedding aficionados, the average summer thunderstorm would not be covered).

6. A family member suddenly passes away.

   Another event that is out of anyone's control is the death or illness of an immediate family member. If the bride or groom has an ailing family member who suddenly passes away, and wedding cancellation insurance coverage has been purchased, the wedding could be cancelled or postponed as the family deals with their grief of losing a loved one.

Markel offers wedding cancellation insurance, which reimburses you for lost deposits and non-refundable amounts if you have to cancel or postpone your wedding due to unforeseen circumstances such as the instances listed above. Coverage can be purchased anytime up to 14 days before your event, and policies start as low as $130.

In addition, Markel offers wedding liability insurance, protecting you from incidents such as property damage to the venue or if someone gets injured at your event. Up to $2 million in wedding liability insurance can be purchased from Markel any time up to 1 day before your event. Policies start as low as $75.