Make wedding insurance an invited guest at your nuptials

Wedding insurance is one of those things that you want to have, but hope to never have to use. It’s there for protection, so that you can put worry aside and focus on planning your joyful day.

Sure, things can happen on that day of days, but chances are that they won’t. Make no mistake: Weddings these days are a large investment. The average U.S. wedding now costs more than $27,000, according to popular wedding websites. In larger cities, that average goes up to more than $40,000.

With that much on the line, it’s not fear that leads you to purchase wedding insurance – it’s just good business sense. Here’s what you can protect against:

Weather

You want a beautiful sunny day, but you’ll settle for less. The only problem would come if the weather really got severe, and guests couldn’t make it to the ceremony. If having those special people there is important to you, you might consider postponing the ceremony. Special events insurance would help you get deposits back that you would otherwise lose.

Illness/injury

Again, a special guest or even a member of the wedding party could be temporarily incapacitated and unable to make the ceremony. Again, this would provide a situation that might lead you to put off the ceremony until everyone you wanted there could make it.

Venue problems

It’s not fear-mongering to suggest that mistakes can be made in reserving venues for the wedding or reception. A double-booked location could present a problem for you. Again, your special event coverage would help reimburse you for costs.

Many venues will require you to purchase liability insurance. That will protect them – and you – in case someone is injured during the event or something is damaged. Is that likely to happen? No, but it’s smart to be prepared.

What’s the cost of all this? Surprisingly low. Special event insurance, according to the Insurance Information Institute (III), usually runs between $125-$400, depending on the size of the wedding and the type of coverage you want. And remember, the ultimate goal of coverage is to help you get the wedding of your dreams.

This article was contributed by Shannon Casey, writer for HomeInsurance.com. With a background in comedy and playwriting, Shannon branched into blogging and marketing in 2011, writing for several national brands. She graduated from Hampshire College in Amherst, MA, in 2010 with a B.A. in Liberal Arts.