(Photo courtesy of BrideBox.com)
South Texas can be known for its capricious weather, but this past Memorial Day weekend became forever written in history. Hays County (San Marcos and Wimberly, Texas) are popular towns for weddings, as well as Dripping Springs (called the “wedding capital of Texas”). Unfortunately these towns were subjected to unprecedented flooding and tornado warnings during a very popular weekend for weddings. South Texas received more rainfall in the month of May than in the previous entire year. Most events that weekend were cancelled or forced to shut down and evacuate because of the threat of personal safety.
So what’s a bride to do when her wedding is cancelled because a tornado is possibly on its way?
There is an answer: wedding insurance. Your vendors have it; your venue has it. But those don’t help YOU recoup your financial losses if the event you’ve been planning for a year suddenly gets called off because of Mother Nature, major illness, or a sudden call to military service. If your event planner hasn’t recommended it (or you haven’t booked your planner yet, nudge nudge), here is a great resource.
WedSafe is a company underwritten by Nationwide Insurance. They offer liability and cancellation/postponement insurance for couples. The fee is based on your total wedding budget. They offer varying levels of coverage based on budgets from $7,500 to $175,000. For example, a $25,000 wedding could be insured for only $235. Two hundred bucks to be sure you’re reimbursed if your wedding can’t happen! Liability insurance covers you when, for example, there’s an unexpected downpour and now your DJ is sending you a bill for the equipment he lost, or rental company wants reimbursement for the 200 ruined wooden folding chairs you rented.
Your Big Day should be one of the happiest days of your life! Don’t risk peace of mind and the JOY you deserve by overlooking this very small, but very valuable part of your wedding planning.
**On a separate note: as your wedding photographer, I will never put your life or mine at risk just for a photo. No professional should ever suggest or be willing to do such. If your event does experience the less-than-1%-chance of being cancelled or just not being optimal, there’s always the option of rescheduling photos for another, nicer day. Listen to the professionals you paid and take their advice!