What’s your plan B?

Your wedding is one of the most important days in your life.  You save, you plan and your day is finally here.  Everything always goes smoothly in life so why wouldn’t your wedding.  Facisious?  Of course.  There are always little things that happen or minor problems to solve and these are handled swiftly and without your knowledge if you have a planner and if not, someone, maybe you, steps in to fix them.

 But what happens with the big problems?  The weather forces cancellation of your day because the venue is not usable or you cannot make it to your wedding destination. A vendor does not show, or the venue cancels your event at the last minute and you are scrambling to find a new one.  What if none of these happen, your wedding day is going as planned and then something is damaged like your bridal gown?    You’ve invested a lot of money into your wedding and all of these are things that you cannot control…what can you do?

For me as a wedding planner, if I am scheduled to be at your wedding unless I am in the hospital or totally unable to physically be there, I will be there.  If I can’t, I have a team I can call on.  Did you see the ‘Wedding Planner’?  She had a team.  I have a team.  I don’t have my headset yet and  I’m still dying to say ‘The FOB is MIA’, but I have a team!

More than likely before you got engaged you did not know any of your vendors - the photographer, DJ, florist, or caterer.  You (or your planner) did your research, checked references, read the fine print in the contract, but what if they don’t show? In our current economy, what if one goes bankrupt and stops doing business?  What happens to your deposit?  If you’ve made full payment, now what?

If your planner is helping with vendor recommendations, more than likely it is based on a professional business relationship.  I have my preferred vendors who I know I can count on.  I don’t worry that my DJ or photographer won’t show or the pastry chef will have the wrong date on her calendar (partially because I verify, but mainly based on their professionalism).    That said I do however have ‘go to people’ I can call if something like that happens and if they are available, I have the wedding covered.  If the vendor is someone you found on your own whether you are working with a planner or not, more than likely they are credible, but you want to get referrals and check references. 

Although issues of this magnitude (no show, bankruptcy, weather so bad your ceremony is cancelled) are relatively rare, they do happen.

 As a planner, I will do everything I can to rectify the situation to have your wedding day be perfect.  After your wedding, I will try to  help you get your money back, but legally there is nothing I can do.  You don’t want to lose your money so what can you do?  Wedding insurance is a way to safe guard your investment. 

When I go on an expensive vacation after months of planning and saving, I would not dream of spending money without trip insurance.   We have home owners insurance, renters, car insurance and medical insurance.  Why not purchase wedding insurance to protect yourself?

Wedding insurance won’t cover everything and varies by company, but it can give you peace of mind.   There is even protection in case your Uncle Ed (no reference to a real person) falls and decides to sue.   And finally (and I hope you never experience this), but one company will even offer protection for ‘Cold Feet’.  When you are setting your budget, be sure to put wedding insurance on your ‘must have’ list.

Your planner has a plan B, you want to have one too.