Understanding Wedding Cancellation Insurance Exclusions

Updated October 23, 2025

Cancellation insurance can reimburse you for lost deposits due to things like fires, floods, severe weather, accidents, injuries, unemployment, military deployment, vendor no-shows, vendor bankruptcies, etc. There are literally tens of thousands of possible scenarios that could be covered.

What kind of expenses can be covered if your wedding is canceled? Basically, any expense related to your wedding – payments to your venue, caterer, DJ or band, florist, photographer, transportation, décor, wedding dress shop, and even the cost of your invitations.

Examples of situations that could be covered:

  • The groom breaks his ankle riding his bike and the wedding is postponed.
  • The couple is stranded due to a snowstorm and can’t make the wedding.
  • The bride gets deployment orders before the wedding.
  • A parent is hospitalized, and the couple wants the wedding postponed.
  • The venue suffers a fire and can no longer host your wedding.
  • Severe weather, such as hurricane, prevents the wedding from taking place.
  • A vendor (DJ, florist, photographer, caterer, etc.) does not show up or goes out of business.

While cancellation insurance protects you from many unexpected scenarios, there are a few key situations where coverage does not apply.

  • Covid related losses
  • Voluntary decisions a/k/a change of heart
  • Known Circumstances or Pre-existing circumstances

Covid related losses – basically if it’s related to COVID and prevents you from having your wedding. Some examples:

  • Easy one – the bride, groom, or an Immediate Family Member comes down with COVID right before the wedding.
  • A key vendor comes down with COVID and it’s too late to find a replacement vendor.
  • The government orders another lockdown due to COVID

Voluntary decisions – In addition to the most common situation (change of heart), this exclusion also covers other reasons for cancelling which are under your control. Some examples:

  • It’s raining or snowing really hard and even though the wedding could go forward, you decide to cancel because you wanted an outdoor ceremony and now the ceremony needs to be moved inside to a less desirable area at the venue.
  • Your best friend has an emergency with his or her family and they now can’t attend your wedding.
  • You own your own business and just lost a major client and now the finances you thought would be there are not.
  • A wildfire recently burned through the area where your venue is located, the venue is still standing and roads are open, but everything is brown and smells like smoke.

Known Circumstances / Pre-existing circumstances – If at the time you purchased your policy, you already knew about a situation likely give rise to a cancellation or postponement of your wedding, it’s not covered. Some examples:

  • You are having an issue with a vendor who is no longer responding to your calls or emails. (Note - the policy could still cover other vendor issues as long as you were not aware of the issue when you purchased the policy)
  • Your father is not able to attend due to a relapse in a medical condition.
  • Your venue is undergoing renovations and is schedule to be done 2 months prior to your wedding, but there are construction delays, and the work is not done on your wedding day.

Here are the general exclusions typically contained in a wedding cancellation insurance policies. Cancellations due to the below will not be covered.

  • The non-appearance or unavailability of any person. This does not apply to the involuntary non-appearance of an Honoree (bride / groom) or their Immediate Family Members.
    • Immediate Family Members include grandparents under the age of 75, parents, stepparents, siblings and children of the Honoree.
  • Military deployment without the withdrawal of a previously granted leave.
  • Lack of funds or financial failure.
    • Unexpected unemployment of an honoree could be covered.
  • The failure to make adequate plans for your wedding (e.g. having a backup rain plan for an outdoor wedding, renting a venue that ends up being too small for the number of guests who RSVP yes, or having key family members fly in the morning of your wedding and there is a flight cancellation).
  • Weather conditions that don’t actually prevent you from having the wedding (e.g. snowing and there is an ice warning, but the roads are still open).
  • Pregnancy complications if the person who is pregnant purchased the policy after becoming pregnant and the wedding date is less than 2 months after the expected delivery date.
  • Self-inflicted injuries, mental illness, alcohol or drug use, or the violation of a criminal law.
  • Civil commotion or unrest (popular uprising, protests, riots, martial law, etc.), war, military action, terrorism, biological or chemical threats or actions.
  • Criminal, fraudulent or dishonest acts.
  • Failure to secure any necessary arrangements (e.g securing the proper licenses, visas, permits, authorizations, etc.).
  • Contract disputes (e.g. your venue or a vendor is not delivering what they promised in their contact).
  • Governmental or regulatory violations (e.g. imprisonment, deportation).
  • Government shutdown (Federal, State, or local).
  • Construction work at your venue which makes the entire venue or a portion of the venue unavailable.

If you think something might lead to a cancellation or postponement, what should you do?

  • Immediately notify your insurance company.
  • Take whatever action is practicable to avoid the cancellation or minimize the potential for loss.

Something else for to remember – concealment, misrepresentation or fraud will void your policy outright.

The Bottom Line

Cancellation insurance is designed to give you peace of mind by protecting against tens of thousands of unexpected scenarios, from injuries and extreme weather to vendor bankruptcies. But like all insurance, it comes with limitations. The lists above highlight some of the most common situations where coverage does not apply, but they are not exhaustive. Every wedding is unique, and every policy has details that matter.

That’s why it’s important to review your policy documents carefully and ask questions if you’re unsure. Knowing both what’s covered and what’s excluded helps you plan with confidence, avoid surprises, and focus on what truly matters: celebrating your day.

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