Elegant extravagance was the theme of Chelsea and Frank’s lavish New York wedding scheduled for Friday evening at 7. The diamond-adorned wedding gown was custom-made by an A-list fashion designer, the elaborate decor included 300,000 roses and the 26-tier wedding cake was rumored to cost $24,000.
The staff at the posh hotel venue bustled in preparation to serve the expected 250 guests… that is until 2 p.m. when everything turned black. Food preparation, table dressing and decorating came to a grinding halt. The power company was unable to estimate when service would be restored and there was no backup generator available. Only one thing was for certain: If the lights weren’t on within the next 90 minutes, there was no way the wedding would continue according to plan.
Chelsea contacted Wedsure to explore her options. Her wedding was budgeted to cost $250,000.
Wedsure authorized her to incur up to $62,500 in Additional Expense to move the wedding and avoid a complete cancellation. Another suitable and equally luxurious hotel with a backup generator and enough fuel for 7 days was available just five blocks away and the chef confirmed he could accommodate the menu, but only if he started preparations immediately. Chelsea and Frank were not thrilled with the idea of moving the wedding, but they decided it was better than canceling. The move was authorized.
At 4 p.m., just before the move was initiated, the power was restored at their original hotel. Now it was up to the couple whether or not to move the event. Again, Chelsea contacted Wedsure. She was told if she wanted to keep the wedding at the original location, she could do so. If the power went out again, the couple could cancel the wedding and the Cancellation coverage they had so wisely purchased would cover their total loss.
The power stayed on and the wedding was perfect. Last week, Chelsea and Frank celebrated their first anniversary.
They’ll never forget the lesson they learned on their “almost” canceled wedding day. Always have a little insurance and a Plan B – even for black tie event.
