Absolutely. Unequivocally, yes. Venues should require couples to purchase wedding cancellation insurance. Not only does cancellation insurance protect the venue, a cancellation policy also will protect the couple in the event the unthinkable happens—your venue closes, a close family member dies, an earthquake shatters your venue, you wake up with a severe illness, or you discover your future spouse is cheating on you. Life happens. While a cancellation insurance policy will not protect you emotionally, it will protect you financially.
Consider this: Katelyn Stalboerger posted a tearful TikTok video Sunday, April 21, 2024, stating she just received an e-mail from the venue she and her fiancé had booked for their May 4, 2024, wedding. The e-mail informed her the venue had closed its doors and had cancelled her wedding. She and at least 20 other couples who had booked their weddings at Circle B Wedding and Event Center in Isanti, MN, are out about $8,000 each:
Locally, NOAH’s of Chesapeake closed its doors October 31, 2019, devastating dozens of brides. It had locations in other states that closed as well; Limitless Events in Greenbrier closed its business January 2023 and left more than 30 couples scrambling to find new venues; and TikTok’s Tamara “stitched” Katelyn’s video and said the same thing happened to her in 2016 in Atlanta.
Venues across the country have stranded couples countless times. It’s doubtful those couples will recoup the money they paid those venues. Unfortunately, venue closures isn’t the only reason weddings are cancelled and couples are out thousands of dollars.
Buzzfeed.com reports brides have called off weddings because they learned the nights before or the mornings of their weddings their future husbands were cheating.
Reddit photographers responsed to the question, “How many cancelled weddings have you had this year?”
pspetrini: I’ve had three. One was because the groom died and that was super sad and upsetting. The second was because the couple cancelled their wedding (I think because they didn't want to pay for it anymore) and the third was because a family member died unexpectedly and they couldn't afford it anymore. Cancellations are definitely up the last few years; masinfinity: Only one due to a death in the family; and upsidedown0130: 2! One breakup (not surprising, they were 19…) and one because they lost their job and couldn’t justify the cost anymore.
Acts of God
Don’t forget “force majeure” events. These events also are known as “Acts of God” events and include hurricanes, tornadoes, and other natural disasters. Don’t rule out pandemics and government-issued mandates to close for reasons such as pandemics.
Premiums are affordable
Wedding cancellation insurance is not expensive; usually it costs less than $100. Considering your total investment may be upward of $10,000, a $100 premium is negligible. Of course, if your wedding budget is $75,000, your premium will cost more.
I am not an insurance agent. Please remember not all insurance companies and wedding cancellation policies are alike. You must ask questions, read the terms carefully, and purchase your policy from reputable companies.
Contact me at carolyn@caretcellars.com or text/call 804.750.4796.
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