Now, couples can insure against everything from jewellery burglary and food poisoning, to their honeymoon Has your wedding caterer botched up the menu? Or, has the photographer cancelled his appearance last-minute? Well, gone are the days when you had to worry about shelling out a huge amount to find a stand-in. Now, you can simply insure against the loss. A recent trend in the city is seeing many families opting for a safety 'wedding insurance'. One can get insurance cover on anything — from the loss of jewellery to the couple's car breaking down and even a honeymoon being cancelled!

Big money at stake
Considering the fact that the Big Indian Wedding is a mega-expensive affair, it helps to be practical. Says an insurance agent, "Earlier, this might not be spoken of, as mindsets were different. But today, the trend of insuring weddings is becoming very popular. Couples realise that insurance is crucial as a huge amount of money is spent on the wedding, gifts, ceremonies, jewellery and trousseau. There's always the risk of cancellations, postponement and the consequent monetary loss. Wedding expenditure is mostly paid in advance and the amount is usually not refunded. Therefore, when the idea of buying a cover for the special day started, many people were relieved. This helps the couples and their families enjoy the moment without worries of financial losses, if any." Insurance even covers cases of food poisoning.

It's no more a taboo
A wedding planner from South Mumbai believes the genesis of the new trend lies in a changed and more open mindset. "Unexpected mishaps — artistes not being able to make it for a wedding programme, the DJ cancelling last minute and gifts getting stolen — have happened. But people did not do much about it, as there was no document to help them. Also, the couple's families didn't want to discuss the 'what-ifs', as they found it embarrassing. While wedding insurance is common in the West, it's now catching on as a trend here and it's sure to help people out," he says.

Price no bar
In Mumbai, the wedding market is pegged roughly at `2 lakh crore and it's growing at 100% per annum.
Cost of a themed wedding
1. Mughal-e-Azam: `60 lakh
2. Fairytale castle (outdoor): `50 lakh
3. Bolly-Oscar Awards wedding: `1 crore