Personal Insurance
Two different things get called wedding insurance.
One covers the venue's requirement that somebody is liable. The other covers the deposits you would lose if the day could not go ahead. They are separate decisions.
No obligation. Starting a review does not change or bind any coverage.
What's going on
The venue has sent a contract asking for a certificate of insurance naming them, with limits you have never thought about before — or you are looking at the size of the deposits already paid and wondering what happens if the day cannot go ahead.
Why it matters
Two quite different products share the name. Event liability responds if someone is injured or something is damaged at the venue, and is usually what a contract is asking for. Event cancellation reimburses deposits and non-refundable costs when the day has to be called off or moved for a covered reason. Most venue contracts require the first and say nothing about the second, which is the one with your money in it.
Things worth considering
Points we would talk through with you. Which of them apply depends on your situation, and what you do about them is your decision.
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Read what the venue contract actually asks for
It will usually name a liability limit and ask to be added as an additional insured — meaning the venue is covered under your policy for claims arising from your event. Get the wording before buying, because the certificate has to match what is written, not what is roughly similar.
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Cancellation is about deposits, not the wedding
It looks at money already committed and non-refundable: venue, catering, photography, flowers, the lot. Covered reasons typically include severe weather, a vendor going out of business, illness or injury to key people, and military deployment. Deciding not to go ahead is not one of them.
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Buy it before there is anything to claim for
Cancellation coverage bought after a problem is foreseeable — a named storm, an illness already diagnosed, a vendor already in trouble — will not respond to it. The practical rule is to arrange it around the time the large deposits go out.
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Alcohol changes the conversation
Venues often require liquor liability where alcohol is served, and how it is served matters — a licensed bar operating under its own policy is a different situation from a host supplying drinks. Ask before assuming your liability coverage extends to it.
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Rings, attire and gifts
These may be addressed by a policy, by a homeowners or renters policy, or by neither. Jewellery in particular often carries a low sub-limit on a homeowners policy, and a ring is frequently worth more than that limit.
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Photography and video
Some policies contemplate a photographer failing to deliver or images being lost. It is one of the more common real-world claims and one of the least expected.
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A wedding at home is a different question
If the event is at your own house, your homeowners liability may already do more than you think — though it will not cover cancellation, and it will not satisfy a venue requirement, because there is no venue.
Information on this website is general in nature and is not a complete description of any insurance policy or every coverage option that may be available. Coverage availability, terms, conditions, limits and exclusions vary by insurer, policy and individual circumstances. The issued insurance policy and applicable endorsements control coverage. Beacon Point Insurance Group may provide information regarding available insurance options and discuss coverage considerations based on information you provide, but customers are responsible for selecting the carrier, coverages, limits and deductibles they wish to purchase. No insurance coverage is bound, changed, or canceled through this website unless confirmed by Beacon Point Insurance Group or the applicable insurer.
How this tends to come up
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The certificate the venue needs
The contract asks for a specific liability limit and additional insured status by a set date. It is a short, cheap policy — the work is matching the wording, and the deadline is usually the real constraint.
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A vendor that folds
A caterer or venue goes out of business between booking and the date, taking the deposit with it. That is what cancellation coverage is for, and it is the scenario people least expect when they decline it.
We Learn. We Compare. We Explain. You Decide.
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We Learn
We ask questions about your situation and the insurance you currently carry.
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We Compare
Based on the information you provide, we can obtain and compare available options from the insurance companies we represent.
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We Explain
We help you understand important differences in coverage, limits, deductibles, policy terms, and price.
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You Decide
You select the company, coverages, limits, deductibles, and options you want to purchase.
What working with us is like
The part people tend to mention is that someone explained it and then let them decide.
More personal coverage
Let's find the options that work for you.
No obligation. Starting a review does not change or bind any coverage.