Oct 2, 2005 4 min read

The recent tragic events in the Gulf Coast remind us all how the fury of nature can destroy lives and plans. Due to Hurricane Katrina, many people lost loved ones, homes, businesses, and places of employment. Sadly, their lives will never be the same. The people of the Gulf Coast, and the local, state and federal government weren’t prepared for such destruction, and the newscasts are eager to point out their lack of organization and planning. But even the best preparation, couldn’t prevent the devastation from the wind and water.

My friend is quite organized and usually plans for every contingency. However, Hurricane Katrina ignored her organizational skills. She planned a large surprise 75th birthday party for her mother-in-law on Aug. 27. She and her husband, and two children, flew to New Orleans a few days before to finalize plans. Relatives flew in from a number of different states to attend the celebration. Sadly, they were forced to evacuate from the area on her mother-in-law’s birthday, and the party was canceled. Along with the party, her mother-in-law’s home, her mother’s home, and the homes of many other relatives, were completely destroyed by the floodwaters.

I’m sure there are countless stories like this one, and they are helpful reminders to families who are in the midst of event planning that there is only so much you can do to insulate your celebration from misfortune. Aerial views of the devastation frequently show submerged or wind damaged places of worship. Restaurants or hotels with banquet facilities have been destroyed. As a result, celebrations have to be put on hold until lives and livelihood can be restored.

In addition to homes and livelihood, many couples may have lost a significant amount of money when their celebration plans were destroyed by the hurricane. Fortunately, some may have had the foresight to rely on wedding insurance.

A wedding insurance policy or an event cancellation policy is designed to create peace of mind during a very hectic and emotional time, and though these policies are not designed to prevent problems, they can help soften a financial blow during a time of crisis.

Event cancellation insurance provides limited coverage for financial losses that may be incurred as a result of an unplanned cancellation of a wedding ceremony and reception. A wedding insurance policy provides more comprehensive coverage than an event cancellation policy.

I visited a number of different Web sites that offer wedding insurance coverage.

As each policy and company has different specifications, one needs to be a good consumer and review the choices. A local property and casualty insurance agent can provide recommendations. The following specifies what I discovered in one particular policy.

A wedding insurance policy provides more expansive coverage than an event cancellation policy. A typical wedding insurance policy provides coverage for the potential loss of wedding attire, photographs, video, presents, wedding rings (not an engagement ring) and deposits, in addition to a total cancellation or postponement. A voluntary decision to cancel the wedding due to a change-of-heart is not covered.

Honeymoon expenses, such as non-recoverable travel and accommodation expenses, can also be claimed if the wedding is postponed due to illness, accident, weather or crisis situations.

Most policies will provide coverage if extreme weather conditions force a relocation or postponement of the wedding.

In the policy that I reviewed, a one-time only payment premium ranges from approximately $150 -$400. The policy has four levels of coverage and the amount is dependent on the total wedding budget, honeymoon and financial obligations. There is a nominal deductible for each covered section. The policies should not be purchased earlier than 24 months prior to the event and cannot be purchased later than 14 days before the big day.

As we have witnessed, even with the advance warning of an approaching weather disaster, we are frequently helpless. However with a little foresight, we can try to equip ourselves and protect our investments.

K. Joy Schaeffer is a bridal consultant. You can e-mail her your bridal questions at bridejoy@yahoo.com.