Weddings can range in scope and size, from simple affairs at the county courthouse to galas at lavish country clubs. If you’re planning to tie the knot (or are footing the bill for someone who is), you might consider saying “I do” to wedding insurance.

Wedding insurance typically provides two types of coverage:

• Liability coverage that pays if you’re held responsible for an injury or property damage related to the wedding.
• Cancellation coverage that pays if unforeseen circumstances—such as a vendor going out of business or bad weather—causes the wedding to be postponed or canceled.

The best wedding insurance

If you’re new to wedding insurance, know that there are numerous providers. Here are our reviews of a few of the leaders.

Our recommendations

Best for no deductibles: eWed

eWed offers both cancellation and liability coverage. Available cancellation limits range from $5,000 to $100,000, while liability is available with limits up to $3 million. Policies can be customized to include coverage for events such as a rehearsal dinner, after party, and farewell brunch.

Cancellation coverage kicks in if unforeseen events cause a wedding to be canceled or postponed, including extreme weather, accidents or illnesses affecting a close family member, unexpected military deployment, or a venue or vendor going out of business. eWed’s liability coverage comes with no deductible and includes host liquor liability at no additional cost.

Quotes are available on eWed’s website.

Best for destination weddings: Travelers

Travelers’ Wedding Protector Plan insures weddings in all 50 states, plus destinations such as Puerto Rico, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, the Caribbean islands, and aboard cruise ships.

The company offers both cancellation and liability coverage. The former is available with limits up to $175,000, while the latter provides up to $1 million in coverage. The policy has no deductible. Policies include coverage for photography and video, gifts, special attire, special jewelry, and lost deposits.

Quotes are available at Travelers’ Wedding Protector website, by phone, or through a local agent.

Best for high liability limits: Wedsure

Wedsure covers events in all 50 states. If you need (or want) high liability limits, Wedsure is a company worth considering. It offers up to $5 million through its online quotes and hints that even higher liability limits may be available over the phone. Cancellation coverage is available, but limits are not referenced on the company’s website. Policy options include coverage for wedding rings and jewelry, special attire, and photography/video.

Wedsure is also one of the few companies that offers change-of-heart coverage, which applies if a bride or groom gets cold feet. One hitch: The event must be canceled at least 365 days from the first covered event.

Quotes are available online at the Wedsure site and over the phone.

Methodology

We reviewed three of the leading wedding insurance providers. Our research included comparing coverage availability, limits, and other options, along with any standout features. We based our “picks” on these features.

Tips for getting wedding insurance

It’s a good idea to start shopping for insurance as soon as wedding planning gets underway. You’ll want to have coverage in place when you start booking venues and vendors, and paying deposits. Here are a few additional tips to keep in mind.

Find out if the venue requires you to carry insurance

Many wedding venues require customers to have liability insurance. This protects the venue financially if the event results in property damage. When choosing a venue, be sure to ask about its insurance requirements. The venue may ask for a copy of a certificate of insurance, which you’ll receive from the insurance company once you purchase the policy.

Check your homeowners or renters policy

Your homeowners or renters policy may provide liability coverage for the wedding. If you’re unsure, ask the agent who sold you the policy.

Determine what coverages you need

Your coverage needs will be based on the details of your wedding. Some policies provide options such as coverage for lost deposits, special attire, photography/video, and gifts. If you plan to serve alcohol, you should consider liquor liability. Check to see whether you, as the host, are liable—or whether the venue is—if, for example, someone is served more alcohol than they can handle and then damages property, injures themselves or someone else, or gets in an accident on the way home.

Shop around

As we’ve seen in our reviews of three wedding insurance providers, coverage specifics can vary by company. Shop around until you find one that meets your needs.

Check the policy exclusions

If you can, review the policy contract to see what the policy excludes. An exclusion is an event for which the policy will not provide coverage. We’ll look closely at exclusions a little later on.

Consult with an agent

Insurance agents are licensed professionals who can assess your risks, review your coverage needs, and get you a policy that works for your budget.

Do you need wedding insurance?

Wedding insurance is not required by law (like car insurance). But wedding liability coverage may be required by your event venue—be sure to check before you book.

Beyond that, the question comes down to risk tolerance. The average cost of a wedding in 2023 was $35,000, according to The Knot. Even if you’re spending half of that, is it money you’d want to risk if severe weather, an illness, or an issue with a vendor causes cancellation or postponement? Wedding insurance can remove a bit of burden at a time when you have plenty to think about and do.

More about wedding insurance

Unlike car, home, or renters insurance, wedding insurance is not likely something you’ll purchase regularly. So you may not know much about it. But understand that, at its core, wedding insurance does the same thing as any other property and casualty insurance product: It protects the policyholder against certain types of financial risk. Let’s dive a little deeper into what wedding insurance is and how it works.

What is wedding insurance?

Wedding insurance provides financial protection to the individual paying for a wedding. While specifics vary by company, policies typically provide two types of coverage:

• Cancellation coverage, which applies if the event is canceled due to severe weather, illness, vendor issue, or similar event.
• Liability coverage, which applies if the wedding host is held responsible for property damage or someone’s injury.

What does wedding insurance cover?

Wedding insurance can kick into effect in case any of the following occur at a wedding:

• Severe weather, fire damage, or another catastrophe makes the wedding venue inaccessible.
• Severe weather, earthquake, or another unavoidable event prevents the wedding couple, immediate family, or members of the wedding party from being able to reach the wedding venue, causing postponement.
• An illness or injury prevents the wedding couple, immediate family, or members of the wedding party from being able to reach the wedding venue, causing postponement.
• A key vendor, such as the caterer, fails to show up, causing postponement or cancellation.
• The wedding causes property damage, injury, or death, and the individual paying for the wedding is held responsible.

What does wedding insurance not cover?

Virtually every wedding policy has exclusions—things that it will not provide coverage for. These can vary from policy to policy, so it’s a good idea to check the policy contract before you purchase to understand just what is and isn’t covered.

As an example, wedding insurance provider eWed lists numerous exclusions, such as:

• Exotic animals.
• Golf carts and motorized vehicles.
• Water activities.
• Overnight camping.
• Bonfires and open flames.
• Overnight stays.
• First party property damage (that is, damage to the policyholder’s property).
• Vendor equipment.
• Injuries or damage caused by vendors.
• Intentional or criminal acts.
• Fireworks.
• Drones and aircraft.
• Amusement devices (such as bounce houses).
• Guns and target shooting.
• Cannabis.
• Losses related to COVID-19.

Wedding insurance also typically doesn’t provide coverage for cancellation due to a change of heart. We did review one company (Wedsure) that does, but the cancellation must take place at least 365 days in advance. So, for example, if the bride-to-be decides her fiancé is not “the one” after all, cancellation would need to happen at least a year out for there to be a claim payout.

How much does wedding insurance cost?

What you pay for wedding insurance varies based on the amount of coverage purchased, limits, and deductibles.

According to Travelers, a policy starts at $160 for $7,500 of cancellation coverage. That can be increased up to $1,025 for $175,000 of cancellation coverage. For $165 , $1 million of liability coverage can be added.

When should you buy wedding insurance?

It’s a good idea to research wedding insurance providers as you start wedding planning, and have coverage in place when you start paying deposits to vendors.

TIME’s Take: Consider saying ‘I do’ to wedding insurance

Weddings can often involve a significant financial outlay—an outlay you’d want to protect against loss. Wedding insurance can provide that protection. It provides coverage in case a wedding is canceled or postponed due to weather, illness, or another uncontrollable event. It also provides liability coverage that can come into play if something that happens at the wedding causes property damage or injury.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

What are typical wedding liabilities and risks?

With weddings costing an average of $35,000 in the U.S., hosting an event can require a significant financial outlay. That money can be put at risk if any of the following happen:

• Severe weather, fire, or other catastrophe causes the venue to be unavailable.
• Severe weather, illness, or other uncontrollable event causes the bride, groom, close family member, or a member of the wedding party to be unavailable for the event.
• A vendor such as a caterer, photographer, or the officiant fails to show up for the event.

The wedding (more specifically, the person paying for the wedding) could also be held financially responsible for any property damage or injuries that occur during the event.

How much should you expect to pay for wedding insurance?

The cost of a wedding insurance policy may depend on the coverages chosen, and coverage amounts.

For example, Travelers offers cancellation coverage starting at $160 for $7,500 worth of coverage, and liability starting at $165 for $1 million worth of coverage.

How do you file a wedding insurance claim?

If you need to file a wedding insurance claim, check with your insurance provider. Each company has its own process. eWed, for example, has you fill out an online form on its website to start the process. You provide your name, contact information, and policy information, and describe the loss.