What did you plan on doing if something unforeseen happened with the weather, or the venue, or even the wedding party. Have you considered a wedding insurance to cover, or in the best case scenario, recoup your losses?

The most important day of your life is just a few weeks away. Your dress has been chosen, and the final touches and alterations have been made. The invitations, flowers, the cake, the food, the entertainment, the bridal party's attire, it seems everything has already been taken care of and it's finally time to relax and enjoy these last few days of planning and anticipation.

Considering that the average wedding in the United States is expected to cost over $25,000, it only makes perfect sense to insure such a grand and costly event. That same amount of money has been used to purchase vehicles, homes, buildings, and parcels of land, all of which would need to be amply insured. A wedding is certainly no different, especially in light of all the many horror stories we've heard recently about bridal salons and shops going out of business, taking all of their dresses with them, or catering companies going belly-up without refunding any money, or offering alternative solutions to people.

While this is just a general guideline as different companies offer varying policies and levels of coverage, wedding insurance typically covers:

- Deposit Losses: If any of your vendors would happen to go bankrupt just before the wedding or close their business without warning, this type of coverage will reimburse you for the deposits you've made thus far.

- The Dress and Tuxedo: Replacements or repairs are covered if the bridal gown or groom's tuxedo is damaged or lost in transit.

- The Gifts: Costs to repair or replace gifts that have been damaged may be covered by wedding insurance.

- Military Matters: If the groom or the bride are suddenly called to duty as a member of the armed services, or if their leave was unexpectedly revoked, the costs for non-recoverable expenses will be reimbursed.

- The Photos: If tragedy strikes in regards to the wedding photos in the form of defective or damaged film, or if the negatives are lost or damaged in some way, the costs to "reenact" the wedding for the purpose of taking new photos would be covered.

- The Rings: If either or both of the bride or groom's wedding rings are lost or damaged, repairs or replacements are covered by insurance.

- The Transportation: If a problem arises with the transportation and the members of the wedding party, or the parents of the couple, are unable to attend, related expenses are reimbursed.

- Severe Weather: Most wedding insurance policies have a stipulation that the policy must be purchased a certain amount of time before the actual wedding day in order to provide coverage, usually about two weeks to a month. If severe weather would prevent the event from taking place, the cost of rescheduling the day would be covered.

- Sudden Illnesses: If key people in the wedding party aren't able to attend due to a sudden or severe illness, the cost of rescheduling would also be reimbursed.

For a wedding that covers up to $50,000 in cancellation or postponement reimbursement expenses, expect to pay a one-time premium of roughly $400, while the lower end of the spectrum, covering expenses up to $10,000 will usually be around the $150 to $200 price range.

The specific costs of a wedding insurance plan will depend upon how much you want to insure so it is probably best to compare the offers of a few companies. Deductibles, or the amount you have to pay out-of-pocket, are generally under $50 with most being around the $25 mark.