Majority of claims tied to wedding cancellations, bankrupt venues, no-show vendors; Travelers urges couples and parents to review insurance options

More than 40 percent of all Travelers’ wedding insurance claims filed during the past two years involved unforeseen problems with vendors and venues, some of which went bankrupt in the worsening economy, according to data released by The Travelers Companies (NYSE: TRV).

Travelers’ data revealed that 43 percent of the claims it fielded stemmed from problems with caterers, photographers, wedding planners and other vendors. In some cases, vendors failed to show up on day of the wedding.  In other instances, venues went out of business or experienced some other financial setback.

“What this indicates is that some wedding vendors and venues are facing many of the same financial challenges as other businesses,” said Alan Tuvin, vice president of product management for Travelers.
“The reality is that no one entity is immune to the issues with today’s economy.”

Travelers encourages couples and their parents to ensure that they have proper coverage should something go awry in the weeks leading up to the wedding. Wedding insurance, such as the no-deductible Wedding Protector PlanSM offered by Travelers, helps couples adhere to their wedding budget by covering some of the costs should something unexpected happen like a bankrupt banquet hall, a torn wedding dress or a no-show vendor.

A growing number of couples are choosing wedding insurance to guard against issues such as lost deposits, host liability coverage, gift breakage, lost or damaged photographs and unavoidable cancellation or postponement due to military leave.

According to the Travelers data, 22 percent of claims were the result of a key family members (parent or grandparent) not being able to attend at the last minute for reasons like sickness, untimely death, travel delays, etc.; 19 percent resulted from broken or lost items such as dresses or rings; and 15 percent stemmed from weather events such as hurricanes and tropical storms as well as water-damaged property.

“Average wedding costs are topping more than $20,000*,” said Tuvin.  “Wedding insurance makes good financial sense to protect the investment.”

For more information on protecting your wedding, visit www.protectmywedding.com.

*Conde Nast Bridal Media – American Wedding Study, 2006.

All Lakes Insurance is an independent insurance agency offering a full range of insurance products.  For information and quotes on insurance coverage, please visit    233 SW Greenwich Drive, Suite 151 in Lee’s Summit or call 816-863-6327.