A wedding is steeped in centuries-old tradition, replete with rites and rituals. And the cost of even the most frugal wedding can top Rs 5 lakh today.

A wedding is a significant rite of passage and parents will do their best to ensure that everything goes off well. They do this because the event is something that their sons and daughters will remember with great fondness ? every little twist, turn and faux pas. Truth to tell, when something has to go wrong, it will and never more so than at a wedding.

And guess what? For as little as Rs 1322 you can protect yourself against major bloopers on the big day. Note to runaway brides and grooms: the risk cover doesn?t extend to cold feet!

To safeguard the most beautiful day of her life, Ridhima Sen decided to opt for a wedding insurance. She was prompted to opt for this after hearing horror stories from friends about jewellery being stolen and florists not showing up. Also, her wedding planner advised her to go for it.

Insurance policies do not quite fit into the lore of storybook weddings and only a small percentage of brides and bridegrooms would prefer to purchase wedding insurance.

?But as the cost of weddings skyrockets, engaged couples and their families are becoming more concerned about protecting themselves and their lakhs of rupees in non-refundable deposits,? says Kamesh Goyal, chief executive officer of Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, the first private general insurance company to launch such a product.

All the four public sector insurers ? National Insurance, Oriental Insurance, United India Insurance and New India Assurance ? also offer a ?wedding bells? policy, which insures any expenses incurred when a marriage is postponed or called off.

The package policy from Bajaj Allianz is divided into six sections and covers specific areas like cancellation or postponement of the wedding (due to fire and allied perils), personal accident cover to bride, groom or family members if something happens to them within seven days of the wedding. It includes property damage due to fire and allied perils (including residential decorations and damage to a hired venue), burglary (especially jewellery, but you will need to mention the value, with proof, while taking the cover), and money (like cash in a safe). It also provides public liability cover (protection against damage to property or persons at the venue, such as food poisoning).

One need not go in for all these covers. The company offers a choice and one may opt for any or some of these covers. The premiums would depend on which covers are selected. For instance, for the cancellation cover, for a sum assured of Rs 2 lakh, the premium would work out to Rs 1,322. If one opts for the minimum cover of Rs 20 lakh under all categories, the premium would work out to Rs 3,770. The highest sum assured is Rs 70 lakh for a premium of Rs 14,276.

The company does not market the policy aggressively as they feel customers are superstitious about such occasions. But for those who like to play safe, the policy is available through wedding planners, banquet halls or through the company branches.

All this looks nice and safe, but there are some details to remember before rushing off with your betrothed to the insurer.

Keep in mind that the insurer will never compensate any indemnity arising out of dispute between the marriage parties, criminal acts, child marriage, marriage under duress, wilful negligence and misconduct and breakage of fragile articles. It does not cover theft or damage by public authorities, subterranean fire, damage to electrical apparatus due to self-heating or short-circuit, damage involving the insured or the family members or employees in case of burglary, fines, penalties, levies imposed by the government and war and warlike perils.

Wedding insurance comes with a lot of fine print. So be sure you don't violate any of the clauses under which the cover is available