Wedding Insurance... Can it really help you?

With an estimated 1.2 million people tying the knot this year, the average couple will spend between $16,000 to $20,000 on their wedding. With this price tag, few can afford to absorb the cost of a major nuptial disaster, like a caterer who doesn't show or a cancelled ceremony due to bad weather.

David Blunt, CEO and company president of InsuranceCompany.com encourages you to protect your wedding from potential disaster with wedding insurance. Wedding insurance policies can provide coverage for non-refundable deposits, wedding photographs, attire, gifts and jewelry, damage to rented property or serious disasters that may delay a wedding, such as a death or illness of a family member or member of the bridal party and all types of natural disasters.

These policies typically can cover up to $2,00,000 in personal liability if the couple becomes legally responsible for bodily injury or property damage during the wedding or reception. Wedding insurance is generally offered in pre-set packages or can be designed by couples on their own. A standard package policy should cost less than $200. By definition, the wedding insurance cancellation or postponement coverage will pay up to the coverage limit that you select and is subject to a $250 deductible, the nonrefundable expenses incurred when the rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, wedding or private event, reception or honeymoon, which must be cancelled or postponed for certain reasons beyond your control (excluding Change of heart).

This also includes sickness or injury to the bride, groom or anyone essential to the wedding, damage or inaccessibility to the premises where the wedding is to be held, loss or damage to the bridal gown, corporate or military foreign posting and job loss. This coverage also includes adverse weather conditions which prevent the bride, groom or any relative whose presence at the wedding is essential or, the majority of the guests from reaching the premises where the wedding is to take place.

The weather coverage is available only if the policy is purchased 14 or more days from the date of the event. "Failure to show" of the minister, or the person engaged to perform the ceremony is covered for Cancellation or postponement. Closure of the ceremony site or reception site due to "financial failure" is also covered for Cancellation or postponement. Additional expense coverage will pay up to 25% of the cancellation limit you select for any additional expenses necessary to arrange alternative services to avoid a covered cancellation or postponement of the wedding.

Here's some extra wedding tips...

* Protect your wedding presents. When presents begin to arrive, consider raising your homeowners or renters insurance coverage. A wedding present "floater" can be written the day gifts arrive and remain in effect up to 90 days past the wedding date.
* Take an inventory of all gifts with supporting photos or videotape. Keep the gift list and the persons name giving the gift. You never know when you'll need to ask them the cost of the gift.
* Insure your rings. Most homeowners and renters policies require additional documentation to insure valuable jewelry. Some type of disasters may already be covered under homeowners insurance policies or by the vendors themselves. Ask you vendor if they have some type of disaster insurance. Above all get a wedding insurance policy... you can then bypass the hassle with endorsements to your home or renters policy.