One of the most complicated jobs a wedding planner has is to assist a client in the cancellation or postponement of their wedding. Before COVID, this was a rare occurrence. Some planners never dealt with a cancellation or postponement throughout their entire careers.

Unfortunately, the pandemic made it a more regular reality for all of us. As we hopefully move toward the post-pandemic years, we should take the lessons learned from COVID to better help our clients with the most unexpected situations leading up to their wedding.

Related post: How to Manage a Cancelled or Postponed Wedding

When to Cancel or Postpone a Wedding

Natural Disasters & Unexpected Weather

All planners know the stress of watching the weather leading up to the event. Will it rain? Will it be too hot? Too cold? Is it time to implement the inclement weather plan? In most cases, a simple plan b is all you need to move forward with the planned event. 

The first thing you can do is help guide your clients when choosing their wedding date and location. Many places in the world have somewhat predictable weather patterns. For example, if you plan a destination wedding in the Caribbean, then June-October should be avoided as it is hurricane season. Or, if you’re planning a wedding in the late summer in the Western United States, it’s important to take into consideration the potential for wildfires. When working with a new client, take steps to educate them on potential weather hazards that could be extreme enough to impact their wedding day. 

One of the best ways to avoid major headaches when canceling an event contract is to suggest to your clients that they consult with a private attorney before they sign their vendor agreements to make sure that they understand what they agree to when they sign.

Illness or Death

Life-threatening illness and death are not predictable and can bring a wedding to a complete stop when they happen. Again, encourage your clients to consult with a private attorney to review all contracts before signing, so they know what happens in that unthinkable situation including whether they have a right to a refund. Sometimes these events occur in the months leading up to the wedding. If that happens, help your clients take an honest look at recovery or grieving time. It is always better to assume more time is needed and to postpone accordingly rather than to rush the process. 

The best way to help manage these circumstances for you and your clients is to be as proactive as possible. This means helping them to have open communication with their vendors and encouraging them to consider purchasing event insurance. No one thinks their wedding will need to be postponed or canceled, but you don’t want your clients to be left with nothing should the unthinkable happen. Event insurance can help provide insurance protection for your clients from the unexpected (such as extreme weather, death in the immediate family, or military deployment).

Event liability coverage can help provide insurance protection for your clients if they are held legally responsible for property damage to the venue or bodily injury to someone injured at the event. 

Markel event insurance can be a great solution for your clients with policies starting as low as $75, and a free event insurance quote from Markel takes only a few minutes online or on the phone. Get more information now on the Markel Insurance website.

*this post is sponsored by Markel Service, Incorporated

This blog is intended for general information purposes only, and should not be construed as advice or opinions on any specific facts or circumstances. The content of this document is made available on an “as is” basis, without warranty of any kind. This publication is not intended to be legal, underwriting, or any other type of professional advice.  Persons requiring advice should consult an independent adviser.  Markel does not guarantee any particular outcome and makes no commitment to update any information herein, or remove any items that are no longer accurate or complete. Coverage is provided by one or more of the insurance companies within Markel and policyholder services are provided by the underwriting manager, Markel Service, Incorporated, national producer license # 27585, in California d/b/a Markel Insurance Services, license # 0645481.  Certain products and services are provided through various non-admitted insurance company subsidiaries of Markel and are offered through licensed surplus lines brokers or through Markel West Insurance Services California license # 0D95581. 

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