Wedding Insurance and/or travel insurance for guests

qingwang114

Hi Ladies,

My fiance is in the Navy.  I have been planning to have my wedding on Sunday, 9/4/2011 in Virginia.  Our friends and family are scattered across the country and most will have to fly.  I know that guests are supposed to cover their own travel costs, but if my fiance is deployed or at sea on the week of our wedding (there is always a chance soldiers' schedules and/or leave approvals will change), is there a way for me to cover my guests' plane tickets through a wedding insurance reimbursement?  What are my other options?  I simply do not want my guests to lose hundreds or thousands of dollars for something that no one can control. Please advise. I'm becoming increasingly stressed about this.

Thank you in advance!
JovialSpice

calindi

Unfortunately, I don't think that's covered at all by wedding insurance OR travel insurance since it isn't something happening to the person traveling.  What I would recommend is letting everyone know that this is a tentative date due to the unreliability of military scheduling, and suggesting to your guests that it might be best for them to book with Southwest - they can cancel at any point up to 24 hours before the day and keep their money.  You don't get cash back, but you can transfer the full value of the ticket to another flight.

Beachy730

I think they would need to book their own travel insurance.  I'm guessing you will have at least a week's notice if you had to cancel the wedding, and most hotels will cancel no problem, and airlines would give travel vouchers.  

I know there is always a chance of deployment, but usually you can have a pretty good idea of whether or not they "might" be gone based on their schedule.  Also, the ship usually releases tentative schedules.  We have a tentative schedule for H through next Spring.

SamiJoeB

That is exactly why DH and I decided to get married around the holidays. We knew that barring anything truly serious happening (ie terrorist attack, or another full fledged war), we would be fine.

Like the others, I'm pretty sure your guests tickets wouldn't be covered by any military clause or wedding insurance. I know that refundable tickets are more expensive, but maybe your guests could look in to that.

Like Beach said, If your FI is attached to a ship, you should have a tenative schedule already. I was Aviation side of the Navy and even most squadrons know when they are going on det or deployment.

I wouldn't stress out too much

sherilou_99

Do some research into wedding insurance.  When I was looking around, deployment was covered by some of the companies, but not all of them.  I do not remember which company I saw it through, so it may take some research on your part, but I think you will be able to find something. 

Our wedding insurance does cover our guests travel epenses if our wedding is cancled for any reason included in our policy (if one of us gets sick, if there is a huge crazy natural disaster, whatever else it included).