Judy Lewis Dishes on Your To-Do's Before the 'I Do's'

Aug 6, 2009

04:55 PM

A Little Insurance Goes a Long Way

Although more and more bridal couples are planning and paying for much of their own weddings, in most instances, the parents of the bride and the parents of the groom make a financial contribution toward the event. It’s tough, especially for financial independent bridal couples, to accept suggestions and include their parents in wedding planning. In my book, whether or not the moms and dads offer financial assistance, they can — and should — be involved in planning the wedding. Their experience and expertise is a valuable resource that bridal couples ought not to ignore.

Robert, father of the bride, asks: "Although we are not really going over the top, my daughter’s wedding will be an expensive proposition. I know that unforeseen circumstances can sometimes occur. Is there any way to 'protect' our investment?"

Dear Robert: I understand your concern and don’t think it’s unfounded. From your question, I assume that you are footing the bill for your daughter’s wedding? It absolutely makes sense to anticipate the worst case scenario. Fortunately, there is a solution — wedding insurance.

Insurance companies have jumped on board and many now offer such coverage; the details of individual policies vary from company to company, but can include such things as bad weather, wedding professional no-shows, or a member of the bridal couple getting sick. Some policies extend to covering damaged property, or the “disappearance” of gifts. Prices also vary, but most run in the vicinity of 1% of the total cost for the wedding. This is a good example of “better safe than sorry.” For more information, check out “More About Wedding Insurance” from HudsonValleyWeddings.com’s Wedding Guide.
 

To submit a question to "The Wedding Guru," e-mail it to judy@hvmag.com, or add a comment in the box below.