Wedding Insurance: Cost and What's Covered

A wedding can easily cost as much as a car, and most of that money is paid months in advance to venues, caterers, photographers and florists. Wedding insurance is a small, one-time policy that protects those deposits if something goes wrong — and it typically costs far less than most couples expect.

This guide explains what wedding insurance actually covers, what it costs, the exclusions that catch people out, and how to decide whether it is worth buying.

What wedding insurance costs

For a typical US wedding, a basic policy usually costs roughly $150–$500. Price depends mainly on how much cover you buy: a policy covering $10,000–$20,000 of expenses sits at the lower end, while cover for a $50,000+ wedding can run $500–$1,000 or more. Adding liability cover, or cover for a rehearsal dinner, pushes the price up further.

That is a small fraction of the average wedding budget, which is why insurers can offer it cheaply: most weddings go ahead without a claim.

Cancellation and postponement cover

This is the core of most policies. If you have to cancel or postpone for a covered reason, the policy reimburses non-refundable deposits and costs you have already paid. Covered reasons typically include:

• Venue problems — the venue goes out of business, floods, or becomes unusable.
• Vendor no-shows — your photographer, caterer or band fails to turn up or goes bankrupt.
• Illness or injury — a member of the wedding party or an immediate family member is seriously ill or injured.
• Extreme weather — a hurricane, blizzard or other severe weather event makes the wedding impossible.
• Damaged attire or rings — many policies also cover lost, stolen or damaged wedding attire, rings and gifts up to a set limit.

Postponement cover matters just as much: if you reschedule rather than cancel, the policy can pay rebooking fees. Check whether your policy treats postponement and cancellation the same way — some cheaper policies only pay on full cancellation.

Liability and damage cover

Many venues now require couples to carry liability insurance before they will host the event. Liability cover pays if a guest is injured at your wedding or if your event damages the venue — a guest who trips on a dance floor, or a candle that scorches a table. Typical liability limits run from $500,000 to $1 million, and adding this cover is usually inexpensive.

Some policies also include host liquor liability, which covers alcohol-related incidents where you serve drinks. If your venue requires liability cover, it will not let you in without proof. For broader personal liability protection beyond a single event, our guide to umbrella insurance explains how that works.

What it does not cover

The exclusions are where couples get caught out. Most wedding policies will not pay for:

• Changing your mind — cold feet is not a covered reason. If you cancel because you simply decide not to go ahead, you get nothing.
• Known problems — if a storm was already forecast, or a vendor was already in financial trouble when you bought the policy, related claims are usually excluded.
• Pre-existing venue issues — damage or problems that existed before the policy started.
• Cash and unattended gifts — cash gifts and cards left unattended are often excluded or capped at a low limit.
• Honeymoon costs — a wedding policy does not cover your honeymoon. That needs separate travel insurance.

Also watch the small print on vendor failure: some policies only pay if the vendor goes bankrupt, not if they simply do a poor job. A disappointing photographer is a complaint, not a claim.

How to buy the right policy

1. Buy early — you can usually buy up to a few weeks before the wedding, but earlier is better: anything that goes wrong before the policy starts is not covered.
2. Match cover to deposits — add up every non-refundable deposit and payment, then buy at least that much cancellation cover. Under-insuring is the most common mistake.
3. Ask vendors what they carry — reputable vendors carry their own liability insurance. Ask for proof, and check what their contracts say about refunds if they cancel. Our guide to business insurance for freelancers explains the kind of cover small vendors typically hold.
4. Check the venue's requirements — if your venue demands a specific liability limit or wants to be named on the policy, confirm that before you buy.
5. Read the weather clause — if your wedding is outdoors or in hurricane season, check exactly which weather events trigger a claim and what proof you will need.

Bottom line: if your wedding involves more than a few thousand dollars in non-refundable deposits, wedding insurance is usually worth it. For a small, low-cost wedding with refundable bookings, you may reasonably skip it and self-insure instead.

Frequently asked questions