Traditionally more couples get married in June than any other month of the year, and with life beginning to return to normal after the Coronavirus pandemic, this June will likely be no different.
We have seen so many wedding plans change since March 2020. Even though there have been cancellations, rescheduling, downsizing, or some holding wedding ceremonies in more non-traditional venues, the wedding business is finally back and booming. With this boom, I thought I would share a few thoughts on wedding and special event insurance.
Determining if you need wedding insurance and what coverages you might need depends on several factors, but primarily centers around the venue you have chosen and what the contracts with the various vendors you are using outline. If you are getting married at a church and having the reception at a facility that is primarily used for weddings and special events, like a hotel ballroom for example, you normally would not need to purchase liability coverage because those venues may include that coverage in your contract. Also, ballroom- type businesses also provide services such as wait staff, bartending, and DJs or bands that they have contracts with. In these cases, most liability exposures are covered by the venues or vendors themselves so you are in good shape there, but you might be interested in some of the optional "peace of mind type coverages" that are available.
If, however, you have decided to get married at a more trendy or non-traditional venue like the popular barn wedding, a public park, or a community hall of some sort, you not only should purchase liability coverage, but you will very likely be required to do so by the facility. When insurance is required by your wedding venue you will be required to purchase a one day event policy. These policies include general liability if you or a guest does damage to the property and also in case one of your guests or vendors gets hurt. If you plan to serve alcohol you will need to add liquor liability to policy. The cost for these policies will be based on how many guests you will have, whether or not alcohol is served and the length of time you plan on having the festivities last. 
In addition to liability coverages, there are several other optional coverages you can purchase for your wedding day even if you are not required to have them. You can buy cancellation or postponement coverage in case something like a major storm such as a hurricane (or another pandemic!) occurs. This can reimburse for lost deposits and the possible difference in costs for rescheduling to another date. You can add no dress coverage which will provide a replacement in the event the brides gown or grooms tuxedo is lost or damaged. Lost ring coverage would replace lost or damaged rings prior to or during the ceremony and reception. You can also add ruined photos coverage. Many standard contracts used by photographers contain hold harmless clauses that limit the damages you can recover if the photographer somehow loses or damages your photos. Lost photo coverage can pay for the cost of taking new photos. Some policies can also pay for and help find new vendors if yours were to cancel on you at the last minute. For example if your band or DJ becomes unavailable all of the sudden, the insurance company can help you find a new one and help cover any difference in cost that you may incur.
With all of the costs involved with a wedding, wedding insurance may seem like an unnecessary added expense, especially when it is not required, but if something goes wrong you could really regret not looking into it. Why not call Morris Insurance Services at 410-857-4550 and at least find out the cost and let us explain all of your options.
Check out the video below for more info!