Can you insure your wedding against cancellation in Germany?
In short
Yes, you can insure your wedding against cancellation in Germany with wedding insurance (Hochzeitsversicherung), a private event cancellation cover. It costs about 1.5 to 2 percent of the wedding costs, around EUR 370 for a EUR 20,000 celebration. It pays for named reasons such as serious illness, accident or death, never if you split up or change your mind.
Published premiums for wedding insurance in Germany, for celebrations in Germany.
Example
Typical range
Wedding up to EUR 2,500, flat rate tariff, EUR 250 excess
from EUR 55
Wedding costing EUR 10,000, one month waiting period
EUR 153.83 net, about EUR 183 with tax
Wedding costing EUR 20,000, one month waiting period
EUR 307.66 net, about EUR 366 with tax
Wedding costing EUR 30,000, three months waiting period
EUR 632.17 net, about EUR 752 with tax
Values from published tariff tables as of October 2026; tax calculated at 19 percent.
Reasons, exclusions and excess differ by tariff; we obtain the exact quote for you.
Worked example
Wedding with 80 guests, total cost EUR 20,000
How the cover works out if all costs of the celebration are insured.
Sum insured (venue, food, music, photographer, dress, rings)
EUR 20,000
Net premium with one month waiting period
EUR 307.66
Insurance tax 19 percent
EUR 58.46
Cancellation fees two weeks before, assumed
EUR 14,000
A one off EUR 366 or so; if the wedding is called off because of serious illness, the EUR 14,000 in fees are covered, after a break up they are not.
What wedding insurance pays after a cancellation
Wedding insurance covers the cancellation fees you owe your suppliers under contract: venue, catering, photographer, music, flowers or cake. Some tariffs also pay the extra costs if the wedding is held within 12 months on the same scale.
Usually the couple, close relatives and the witnesses are insured. If one of them is unable to attend because of serious illness, an accident or death, the wedding insurance treats that as a claim.
Reason for cancelling
Covered?
Serious illness or accident of the couple
yes
Death of a close relative or witness
yes, checked case by case
Fire or storm damage to your own home
yes, in many tariffs
Caterer or venue goes bankrupt
depends on the tariff
Break up or cold feet
no
Rain on the wedding day
no
Where wedding insurance does not help
If the couple splits up before the wedding, no wedding insurance pays. Bad weather is generally not a reason for cancellation either. If you celebrate outdoors, plan a marquee or an indoor fallback.
After a death in the family, the insurer may check whether holding the celebration after a period of mourning would have been reasonable. Whether it pays then depends on the individual case.
What wedding insurance costs in Germany
The premium depends on the sum insured, meaning the total cost of the wedding, and on the waiting period between taking out the policy and the wedding. One tariff with a one month waiting period charges EUR 153.83 net for EUR 10,000 and EUR 526.81 for EUR 30,000, plus insurance tax.
For small weddings there are flat rate tariffs: one provider starts at EUR 55 for celebrations up to EUR 2,500, with a EUR 250 excess per claim and a maximum sum insured of EUR 40,000.
When wedding insurance is not worth it
For a small wedding with low deposits and free cancellation periods, wedding insurance is often unnecessary. Read your contracts with the venue and caterer first: if you can cancel free of charge until shortly before, you carry little risk.
The more expensive the celebration and the more is already booked and paid, the more the cover makes sense. According to a German consumer advice centre, couples in Germany spend about EUR 15,000 to 16,000 on average.
How a broker helps with wedding insurance
Norman Nammert acts as an insurance broker (Versicherungsmakler) and compares wedding insurance by insured reasons, waiting period and excess. The commission is paid by the insurer, so the service is free for the couple.
Step by step
Add up all costs of the wedding; that is your sum insured.
Check the cancellation terms in your contracts with the venue and suppliers.
Choose a tariff with the reasons that matter to you, such as supplier insolvency.
Mind the waiting period and buy early, ideally with the first bookings.
Keep receipts, contracts and deposit payments together.
Checklist
Sum insured covers the full cost of the celebration
Witnesses and close relatives are included
Extra costs of postponing are covered
Territorial scope matches where you celebrate
Excess and waiting period are known
Common mistakes
Buying too late and not meeting the waiting period
Insuring only the venue and forgetting catering, dress and rings
Assuming the policy pays for bad weather or a break up
Insuring a wedding abroad with a tariff valid only in Germany
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Does wedding insurance pay if we split up?
No.
A break up or change of mind is not covered by any wedding insurance.
Can I insure my wedding against rain?
Not with standard wedding insurance.
Bad weather is generally not accepted as a reason to cancel.
When do I have to buy wedding insurance?
Each tariff sets its own rule.
One provider requires the policy no later than 30 days before the wedding,
another at least one month between purchase and wedding.
Is the civil ceremony at the registry office included?
Many tariffs include the eve of wedding party,
the civil ceremony (Standesamt) and the church ceremony.
Check which dates the policy names.
What if the caterer goes bankrupt?
Some tariffs pay extra costs and lost deposits if a supplier becomes insolvent.
