eddings are happy occasions.

It would be a shame if after all the hard work put in, the wedding is suddenly cancelled.

Not only is time and effort wasted but money too would have gone down the drain.

Whether you are spending a lakh or one crore - the bottomline is that the money spent on the arrangements is irrecoverably gone.

With a little bit of foresight one can avoid the heartache that this kind of an unfortunate event gives rise to.

Thanks to wedding insurance.

The players

Wedding insurance is still to take off in a big way in India but does exist.

At present, all four public sector insurance companies - New India Assurance, United India Insurance, Oriental Insurance and National Insurance - offer cover against wedding cancellations.

Among the private sector insurers, Bajaj Allianz has recently introduced it.

All of them have more or less a similar policy with slight variations.

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What's covered

The policy will cover all expenses made towards a wedding that got postponed, cancelled or stopped.

This will include the main ceremony and reception as well as ancillary functions too like the mehendi ceremony and the cocktail party. 

Wedding is cancelled or postponed

In such a situation a host of payments would already have been made.

The payment for the wedding cards, a down payment to the decorators and caterers, expenditure incurred for the sound and music, the booking of the hall or grounds to name a few prominent ones.

These expenses will all be reimbursed.

This could be either due to the bride or groom or a family member falling sick, meeting with an accident or even a death in the family.

Or, it could also be that there is a transport problem or an airline strike and the bride or groom cannot make it to the ceremony. Sounds highly unlikely but insurance is all about unlikely events happening.

Check to see if terrorist attacks or riots qualify for a cover. More importantly, look to see if natural disasters like earthquakes or cyclones (maybe even tsunamis) qualify.

Expenses incurred owing to police action which leads to the cancellation of the marriage are also covered. Say, the police impose a curfew due to which the wedding is cancelled.
Or they cordon off that area for some purpose and do not allow the festivities to go on due to some law and order problem.

These expenses will be reimbursed.

Damages during the wedding

Imagine a fire breaking out and damaging the hall or the entire set-up. This will be covered.

If an accident occurs during the reception and your guests are injured, the hospitalisation expenses will be picked up by the company. Ditto for food poisoning.

Reimbursement will also be given to damage done to the hall, the car, the sound system or whatever else you have hired.

Theft and burglary of valuables and gifts - and this is a clear and present danger - is also insured under the policy. Do note that in the case of a theft, you will have to file a police complaint.

The policy also covers any loss or damage caused by legal liabilities. Let's say you are getting married and you buy insurance. Now, someone gets injured at the venue and he files a suit against you. Then the court expenses will be paid by the insurance company.

Wedding attire is also insurable. So, if just before the wedding, the outfit got ruined, you can get it covered.

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What's not covered

Take a careful look at these situations to avoid disappointment later.

- The bride and the groom (or their families) have got into a dispute and are calling off the wedding? No money is going to be refunded.

- The bride or groom got cold feet? No sympathy from the insurance company. 

- Child marriage (which anyway is illegal) or even a forced one (though how one can prove that is anyone's guess) will not be eligible for cover.

- If the insurance company suspects a deliberate intent to wreck the ceremony, then too no claims will be paid.

- Damage is incurred during the wedding because of someone being under the influence of alcohol or drugs? Forget about your claim.

- A sudden tax levied by the government which hikes up all your expenses? The insurance company is not going to pick up the bill.

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The premium

You don't pay much. Broadly speaking, a cover of Rs 2,00,000 will attract a premium of around Rs 3,000.

Bajaj Allianz, for instance, offers a minimum cover of Rs 2,00,000 for a premium of Rs 3,660 while for a maximum cover of Rs 8,00,000, the premium is Rs 14,221.

The time frame

Generally, the cover starts from about a week before the wedding and expires after the ceremony is over.

But the theft and burglary cover will extend for one more day to protect the money and gifts received at the wedding.

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Should you?

Granted. Wedding policies are not very popular.

Insurance companies say that since marriages are looked upon a sacred occasions, people do not want unwelcome thoughts to intrude. The mere preparation for a misfortune seems to be an ill omen.

However, just because you insure your motor vehicle (or even your home or life for that matter), does not mean that you are going to have an accident or anything bad is going to happen to you.

Look upon this as a hedge against anything going awry.

In fact, it should actually take a great load off your mind knowing that in case anything goes wrong, the insurance company will at least cover you financially.

Illustration: Dominic Xavier