The short answer
Whether wedding insurance is worth it depends on how much you would lose on the dates that matter and on what a specific policy covers. Gather your contracts and amounts at stake, then ask a licensed insurance professional in your state what the policy covers and excludes, how it defines each reason for cancelling, what limits and deductibles apply, and whether it meets your venue requirements.
What should I gather before asking about wedding insurance?
Start with your own documents, so the questions are about your wedding rather than wedding insurance in general. Collect each vendor contract, its cancellation schedule, the payments you have made and the dates of the payments still to come. Work out what each vendor would keep if you cancelled on a given date; the cancellation cost calculator can help with that.
Then read the venue contract for any insurance it requires of you. Note the type of coverage it names, the limits, any additional insured wording, the date a certificate is due and who it must be sent to. These are requirements you have to meet, and they belong at the top of your list.
- Each vendor contract and cancellation schedule
- Payments made and payments still due
- Amount at stake with each vendor on key dates
- Venue insurance requirements, limits and wording
- Certificate due date and recipient
- Your own list of concerns
Does wedding insurance cover cancellation? What to ask
Ask the professional to show you, in the policy wording, which reasons for cancelling or postponing are listed and how each is defined. Ask how the policy treats events that were known or forecast when you bought it, and whether a change of plans is addressed. Ask what happens if a vendor fails to perform or goes out of business.
Ask whether payments made before the purchase date are treated differently from later ones, and what documentation a claim would need. Write the answers down with the policy section each one relies on. An answer you cannot tie to wording is worth asking about again.
- Which cancellation reasons are listed, and how is each defined?
- How are known or forecast events treated?
- Is a change of plans addressed?
- What if a vendor fails to perform or closes?
- Are earlier deposits treated differently?
- What documents would a claim need?
What should I ask about liability insurance for the venue?
If your venue requires you to carry liability coverage, take the exact requirement to the professional. Ask whether a given policy meets the limit and wording the venue names, whether it can name the venue as additional insured in the form the venue asks for, and how and when a certificate would be issued.
If alcohol is served, ask whether the requirement includes host liquor liability and what that means for your plans, particularly if you are supplying the alcohol. Ask how your policy relates to the coverage your vendors carry, which you can see on their certificates of insurance.
When should you buy wedding insurance, and what limits apply?
Ask what the limits are for each part of the policy, whether any category has its own lower limit, and what deductible applies. Ask how a claim is calculated and paid: against receipts, against amounts in your contracts, or some other way.
Ask when coverage starts and ends, whether the purchase date affects what is covered, and what deadlines apply to notifying the insurer and filing a claim. Put those deadlines on your calendar alongside your vendor dates. Insurance rules vary by state, so make sure the person answering is licensed in yours.
How much wedding insurance do you need? Compare what is at stake
For example, a hypothetical couple works out from their cancellation schedules that, if they cancelled on a date six months out, the venue would keep $6,000, the caterer $3,500 and the photographer $2,000. Their total at stake on that date is $6,000 + $3,500 + $2,000 = $11,500.
They take that figure and the three contracts to a licensed insurance professional and ask, for each amount, which policy sections would apply, under which reasons, and how the limits and deductible would affect it. They ask the same for a date closer to the wedding, when the amounts are higher. The answers, not the policy name, are what they compare.
How do I keep a wedding insurance policy with my paperwork?
Save the full policy wording, the declarations page, any certificate issued to the venue and the written answers you received, in the same folder as your contracts. Note the policy number and the insurer contact details in your planning notes, so they are easy to find if you need them in a hurry.
If your plans change after buying, such as a new date, venue or vendor, ask the professional whether the policy needs to be updated, and keep their answer. Add the certificate due date to your payment calendar so the venue requirement is met on time.
Wedding insurance question list
Use one row for a decision or deliverable. Keep unanswered items visible. Download the blank worksheet to open in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets.
On a small screen, swipe the worksheet sideways to see the remaining columns.
| Question | Who answers | Answer in writing | Policy section or page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venue coverage requirement met? | — | — | — |
| Additional insured wording accepted? | — | — | — |
| Cancellation reasons listed | — | — | — |
| Postponement terms | — | — | — |
| Vendor failure or closure | — | — | — |
| Limits and deductible | — | — | — |
| Coverage start date and purchase timing | — | — | — |
| Notice and claim deadlines | — | — | — |
A message you can make your own
Change the wording to suit you, fill in anything in brackets and keep the questions that apply. You decide what to send and send it yourself.
We are looking into insurance for our wedding on [date] and want to make sure anything we buy meets your requirements. Could you confirm in writing what insurance you require from us, the minimum limits, the exact additional insured wording, whether host liquor liability is included, and the date and address for the certificate? If you have a sample certificate that shows the wording you need, please send it. Thank you.
Common questions
Is wedding insurance required?
Wedding insurance is required only where a contract requires it, so check your venue contract first. A venue may require you to carry liability coverage, name it as additional insured and send a certificate by a set date. Beyond any requirement, whether to buy a policy is your decision, ideally made after talking with a licensed insurance professional in your state.
What does wedding insurance cover?
What wedding insurance covers depends on the specific policy, so the answer comes from its wording, not from the product name. A policy may address cancellation or postponement, liability at the event, or both, each with its own listed reasons, exclusions, limits and deductible. Ask a licensed insurance professional to show you the section that applies to each concern on your list.
How much does wedding insurance cost?
Wedding insurance has no single cost you can rely on, because the price depends on the policy, the coverage and limits chosen, the deductible, your state and your wedding details. Ask for written quotes for the same coverage and limits, then compare each premium with the amount you would have at stake on the dates that matter to you.
Does wedding insurance cover bad weather or illness?
Whether wedding insurance covers bad weather or illness depends on how the specific policy lists and defines those reasons, and on any exclusions for events known or forecast when you bought it. Ask a licensed insurance professional to point to the wording for each situation and to explain what documentation a claim would need.
Does wedding insurance cover a vendor going out of business?
Whether wedding insurance covers a vendor going out of business depends on the wording of the specific policy. Ask a licensed insurance professional in your state to show you the section that addresses vendor failure, how it would apply to your contracts, and what records you would need to keep, such as receipts and correspondence.
If my vendors have insurance, do I need my own?
A vendor's insurance covers the vendor, and your venue may still require coverage from you. A vendor certificate of insurance shows what the vendor carries, not what protects your payments. Ask a licensed insurance professional how your vendors' certificates relate to anything you are considering buying, and check the venue contract for your own requirement.
Can my credit card protect wedding deposits?
Whether a credit card protects wedding deposits depends on your card account terms, so ask your card issuer what, if any, protections apply to purchases of services, and what conditions and time limits apply. Keep receipts and contracts either way, and do not assume the answer until the issuer confirms it in writing.