Waking up after Hurricane Dorian passed brings a lot of emotions. Thankfulness is a major one because last week we were staring down the barrel of a possible direct hit of a Cat 5 storm. Our little corner of Florida experienced high winds, lots of rain, and flooding in some areas. South Florida and the Bahamas weren’t as lucky and that is terrifying. Prepping for a weekend with a hurricane on the horizon is stressful for both the planner, but more so for the Bride and Groom and their families.

Speaking specifically of last week, my incredible family trusted me to work with all the vendors and specifically the venue to guide them in making the best preparations possible if the storm did hit. We ended up having 15 less guests than expected, but the wedding went off without a hitch. Other weddings weren’t as lucky and that is really what spurred me to write this blog.

A very popular wedding venue in St. Augustine canceled their Sunday wedding in anticipation of the storm. I am not sure what type of restitution was given to the couple, but I do know that they moved their wedding to a church fellowship hall on Saturday. Unfortunately, the DJ they hired and had paid in full for as well as the Hair and Make-up team weren’t available because they were the contracted vendors for my wedding. So, what was the bride to do!? This scenario happens all too often. While I don’t know if the Bride had insurance, it would have been less of a hit if she did.

Nowadays, many of my Couples are choosing unconventional wedding venues such as parks, museums, historic mansions and private estates. There is a huge appeal to being able to get married in their childhood backyard or at a space that has never been used as a wedding before.

Many of these venues now require event hosts to purchase liability insurance. Most will also require a host liquor liability provision that extends coverage for alcohol-related incidents. Sometimes your chosen vendor has their own coverage, but it is always better to be safe than sorry. What costs more, a few hundred dollars at the beginning or shelling out nearly $1,000 after the wedding because some idiot decided punch a hole in the wall of the mens bathroom. (That LITERALLY happened, so don’t think that it can’t)

There are two types of coverages:

Wedding Liability Insurance

• Liability Required/preferred by wedding venue
• Affordable coverage protects you in the event of injuries or property damage
• Offers host liquor liability to protect against alcohol-related accidents (alcohol liability insurance for weddings
• Allows for wedding ceremony, reception and rehearsal dinner venues to be named as “Additional Insured” for one low price
• Can be purchased up to the actual day of your wedding
• Purchase online for coverage in minutes; the certificate of liability insurance can be emailed directly to your venue
• This coverage is primary for both you and your venue; if you have a covered claim, your policy will pay first, before other insurance you may have

Cancelation

Why should you buy wedding cancellation insurance? 
No matter how diligent you are or reputable your vendors promise to be, wedding mishaps happen. This could lead to financial loss for you.

What does wedding insurance cover? 
Wedding Event Cancellation/Postponement Insurance offers protection if you need to cancel/reschedule your event for reasons such as:

• Severe weather – READ: HURRICANE
• Sudden illness 
• Lost/non-refundable deposits 
• Vendor bankruptcy 

Coverage provides protection for: 

• Damage to wedding attire such as bridal gown, wedding rings 
• Damaged wedding photos/videos 
• Stolen gifts 

https://www.wedsure.com

https://www.theeventhelper.com

https://www.wedsafe.com/Pages/home.aspx