BEST OVERALL WEDDING INSURANCE COVERAGEWedsure

Wedsure
GET A QUOTE
What We Like

  • You can use Wedsure for some weddings outside of the United States

  • Change of Heart coverage is available

What We Don't Like

  • Some consumer complaints about claims denial

Wedsure was founded in 2011 and is backed by Allianz Insurance, a top global insurance carrier with stable ratings for financial stability from Moody's (Aa3) and AM Best (A+).12 Wedsure offers two main types of coverage for weddings—liability coverage and cancellation coverage—but it also offers optional add-on coverages for jewelry and gifts, special attire, loss of deposits, and more.

Pricing for Wedsure coverage varies and depends on the type of plans and any add-on coverages you choose. However, you can apply for a quote in a matter of minutes and buy a policy online. Their wedding cancellation coverage starts at $125 and provides reimbursement for covered wedding expenses if illness, poor weather, and other unlucky events ruin your big day.

Wedding Liability Insurance, which is the most popular plan offered, starts at $125 and covers lawsuits against you for injury during your wedding, medical payments resulting from those injuries, injury, or damage caused by serving liquor at your wedding, and more. 

Note that you can use Wedsure for weddings outside the United States, but that a limited number of countries are included. Interestingly, this provider even offers "Change of Heart" insurance coverage as an add-on, which allows you to cash in on your policy if the bride or groom gets cold feet.

FASTEST UNDERWRITINGeWed Insurance

eWed Insurance
GET A QUOTE
What We Like

  • Fast underwriting

  • Plans start at $119

  • Buy liability coverage up until the day before your event

What We Don't Like

  • Limited options for destination weddings

While eWed Insurance may not be a household name, this company provides insurance through Houston Casualty Company, which holds an A.M. Best rating of A++ for financial strength.3 This company offers two types of wedding insurance plans—wedding cancellation and postponement insurance and liability coverage. It guarantees your coverage will be accepted by your venue, or you get your money back, and it doesn't require a deductible for cancellation and postponement claims.

You can purchase wedding liability insurance any time up to one day before the date of your event, which means the underwriting for these plans is lightning fast. Wedding insurance plans also start at just $119, although you'll pay more for higher limits and additional coverage options. 

You should note that, while this coverage is available for weddings and customers in the United States, coverage options are limited elsewhere. Cancellation coverage is only good in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands, for example. Meanwhile, liability coverage is only applicable to stateside weddings and weddings taking place in U.S. territories. 

BEST INSURANCE FOR DESTINATION WEDDINGSTravelers Wedding Protector Plan

Travelers
GET A QUOTE
What We Like

  • This provider issues policies in a broad range of international destinations

  • Tailor your policy to your needs

  • Get a free quote online

  • No deductible for some types of coverage

What We Don't Like

  • Not available in every state

Travelers is one of the largest providers of property and casualty insurance in the United States, and it is backed by strong ratings from Moody's (Aa2) and AM Best (A++).45 While Travelers offers other types of insurance, it has a unique wedding insurance plan known as the Wedding Protector Plan.

The main coverage has six components. They are cancellation and postponement, wedding video/photo, protection of wedding gifts, special attire and jewelry, lost deposits, additional expenses. Besides the main coverage, you can add general and liquor liability coverages.

The Wedding Protector Plan is not available to residents of Hawaii, Alaska, and Louisiana, although it's still a good option for destination weddings in specific locales. According to the company, you can buy wedding insurance coverage for locations in the U.S. and its territories and possessions along with Puerto Rico, Canada, United Kingdom, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, the Caribbean Islands (excluding Cuba and Haiti). You can also buy wedding insurance for cruise ships departing from the U.S. or one of the destinations above. 

The amount of coverage you can purchase will depend on the coverages you choose, and the total amount you've spent, and pricing for your wedding insurance policy will vary as a result. You should note, however, that its core coverage and liability coverage comes with no deductible, meaning any losses you're reimbursed for will start at the first dollar. 

BEST WEDDING INSURANCE CUSTOMER SERVICEEventHelper

Event Helper
GET A QUOTE
What We Like

  • Apply for a free quote online

  • Solid customer service reputation

  • Tailor your policy to your needs

What We Don't Like

  • Inexpensive plans are for basic weddings, and prices go up from there

  • May not offer enough coverage for very expensive weddings

This company lets you buy wedding and event liability insurance, wedding cancellation insurance, and other specialized coverage for damage or theft. 

Insuring your wedding can cost as little as $66 for minimal coverage, and you can personalize your coverage inclusions to ensure your policy meets your needs. However, you should note that the price of your policy will climb based on the value of the wedding you want to insure and any add-ons you want your policy to cover. You can also get a quote for EventHelper by filling out an online form. 

As a side note, you should be aware that you can purchase insurance directly through EventHelper, which is backed by Evanston Insurance and Lloyd's of London. Either way, coverage limits for your policy will vary, as will the total cost, depending on the types of coverage you choose to purchase. However, EventHelper does not offer more than $4 million in aggregate coverage. 

EventHelper is known for excellent customer service, and on its website, the rating average is 4.8 out of five stars from nearly 700 reviews.6 Purchasing a policy online only takes a few minutes, and the entire process is paperless. In the rare event that your policy doesn't meet your venue requirements, EventHelper also promises to refund your whole policy.

BEST FOR CERTIFICATES OF INSURANCEWedSafe

WedSafe
GET A QUOTE
What We Like

  • Get a 15% discount for buying two main types of coverage at once

  • Buy liability coverage up until the day before your event

  • Company has been around since 1999

What We Don't Like

  • Need to apply for a quote to see pricing online

WedSafe has been around since 1999. The insurance products it offers through WedSafe are backed by Nationwide Insurance, a Fortune 100 company with an A+ rating for financial strength from A.M. Best.7 While you’ll need the full information on your wedding date in order to get a free quote, WedSafe promises its policies can protect you in the event part of your wedding goes awry, resulting in a financial loss.

Like other providers in this space, WedSafe offers two main types of wedding insurance coverage—wedding liability insurance and wedding cancellation and postponement insurance. You can get an instant quote online for the types of insurance you need for your big day, and you can receive a 15% discount if you buy both cancellation coverage and liability coverage for your wedding at the same time.

With the liability coverage, you’ll get coverage for liability for injury as well as property damage and the coverage is primary, meaning it reimburses you before any other type of insurance you have. Meanwhile, wedding cancellation coverage includes provisions for severe weather, sudden illness, vendor bankruptcy, and more. 

With WedSafe, you can purchase liability insurance coverage any time up until the day of your event. Plus, the certificate of insurance for all your coverage can be sent directly to your venue via the mail or email, taking you entirely out of the equation. WedSafe offers dedicated customer service and support, and they even offer sample policies you can peruse online. 

Why Should I Get Wedding Insurance?

While it's easy to think wedding insurance is only for such situations as severe weather or a freak accident or illness, there are plenty of important reasons to purchase this coverage. First off, many venues require liability coverage to be purchased to protect against injury and damage that might take place during an event. If you don't buy liability wedding insurance, you may have a limited number of venues from which to choose.

With the median wedding budget coming in at $20,0008, it's also just plain smart to hope for the best but plan for the worst. Wedding liability coverage can save the day if someone is injured during your event, and they knock on your door for help covering their medical bills.

If you plan to serve alcohol at your event, you'll want to make sure you purchase a policy with liquor liability, which protects you against damages caused by liquor-related accidents or injury. On the other hand, cancellation coverage can protect you against an array of situations you could never plan for—severe and sudden weather, vendor bankruptcies, a water leak that ruins your wedding gown overnight, and more. 

What Are the Typical Wedding Liabilities and Risks?

While we've mentioned some of the perils wedding insurance can protect against, there are plenty more situations where wedding insurance could save the day—and your financial investment. While each policy lists its own included perils and exclusions, here are some typical wedding liabilities and risks you should plan for: 

  • Issues with wedding vendors, including financial insolvency
  • Injury or illness before the event
  • Extreme weather
  • Property damage during the event
  • Lost and stolen gifts
  • Damage to wedding attire
  • Military deployment delays
  • Liquor liability to protect against alcohol-related accidents and injuries
  • Loss of deposits
  • Food poisoning at the event
  • Vendor no-shows
  • Job loss

Some examples of common wedding mishaps include:

  • The wedding venue becomes uninhabitable due to smoke damage from a wildfire a few days before your event.
  • Your mother has a heart attack the night before your wedding.
  • Your wedding DJ makes a scheduling mistake and doesn't show up for your event.
  • An elderly guest trips over wedding decor at the event and sues you for medical expenses.
  • Your ringbearer loses your wedding ring before the ceremony, and you never find it.

Interestingly, WedSafe offers some information on the top claims they paid out in 2019. These include:

  • Cancellation (38%)
  • Property Damage (23%)
  • Injuries and Accidents (18%)
  • Vendor Issues (16%)
  • Theft (5%)

What Are the Typical Wedding Insurance Exclusions?

If you look over a sample wedding insurance cancellation policy, you'll find that a nearly endless number of exclusions can apply. Just like pandemics and other pre-existing situations that may cause you to cancel are excluded, other standard exclusions include lack of funds, the prohibition of the event by a local ordinance, voluntary postponement without a covered reason, weather conditions that aren't severe or out of the ordinary, and more. 

With liability coverage, on the other hand, typical exclusions include non-wedding events, damage from nuclear energy or materials, intended injuries, damage caused by pollution, damage caused by aircraft, watercraft, or automobiles, and bodily injury caused by war. 

At the end of the day, policy inclusions and exclusions can vary dramatically from policy to policy, and the devil is in the details. You should read over any policy you're considering so you know for sure what is and isn't included, as well as any special circumstances that might invalidate your coverage. Also note that many wedding insurance companies let you add on additional coverage for perils and items that aren't included in their traditional policies, which may provide you with an alternative path to get the comprehensive wedding insurance coverage you want. 

How Much Should You Expect to Pay for Wedding Insurance?

While some wedding insurance providers advertise policies for as little as $66, keep in mind that this is for an extremely basic level of coverage. How much you'll pay will depend on a range of factors, including the number of people attending your event, the length of the event, and the types of coverage you buy. Meanwhile, you'll pay a premium for wedding insurance coverage with higher limits that may be required if you spend considerably more than average for the venue, food, and other components of your wedding intended to make it a smashing success. 

As an example, Progressive notes that a large wedding with 5,000 guests might cost as much as $1,500 to insure. That might seem like a lot of money, and it is, but the financial losses that might occur from the cancellation or damages caused by a wedding of that size could easily add up to many multiples of that amount.9 

How to File a Wedding Insurance Claim

Most wedding insurance providers let you start a claim over the phone, or using a form on their website. Since each claim is different, however, they have to be evaluated on an individual basis.

As you prepare to file a claim, you should expect to provide information such as an estimate of the damage or loss you sustained or the reason for cancellation, as well as photos and receipts that help reinforce your claim. Your wedding insurance company will conduct an investigation, and your claim should be paid out promptly after that, and hopefully within 7 to 10 business days. 

To speed up the process, you can make sure you have all the information you need. That means gathering your policy number, the date, time and location of the loss or damage, a written description of the claim, photos that prove your claim, receipts that apply to your application, and other items that might help your case ready when you file.

How We Chose the Wedding Insurance Companies for Our Ranking

Because we only wanted to include the best wedding insurance companies in our ranking, we compared companies based on the most critical factors that affect consumers. The elements we gave the most weight to include customer reviews and rankings for financial strength from third party agencies, included coverage and exclusions, and the ability for each policy to be customized.

We also looked for wedding insurance coverage that is offered nationwide, or almost nationwide, as well as policies that apply to the most significant number of international destinations when possible. Other factors we looked at include transparency on their company website and the company's reputation for customer service excellence.

Prakasit Khuansuwan / EyeEm

Getty Images