Wedding bride Gone are the days when the bride's family was expected to pay for everything. Many couples opt to pay themselves or, increasingly, other relatives such as parents and grandparents contribute, depending on each family set-up.
But whoever pays for the wedding, family members should urge the happy couple to make sure they are protected, in case anything gets damaged before or during the big day, or worse, a reception venue being cancelled, or presents being stolen.
The cost of wedding insurance is a fraction of the cost of the actual day.
A handful of companies offer cover starting at about £50, and although not everyone is lucky enough to have the cash for a lavish wedding like Posh and Becks, it's important to remind couples to consider insurance as part of their plans.
If you or your loved ones have spent the earth on making sure everything goes smoothly, the last thing any couple will want to do is pay out for the biggest day of their lives which did not happen.
Damage to wedding dresses is one of the most common reasons why couples claim on their wedding insurance, mostly where careless guests spill wine that cannot be removed with professional cleaning.
Other top wedding insurance claims are retaking the photographs, cancellation of the wedding due to an illness or bereavement of the immediate family, non-appearance of the caterers at the reception and loss of wedding rings.
Check exactly what you are getting for your money though, as policies vary widely in terms of cover depending on the company.
And remember, there will be exclusions. The things policies never cover are a change of heart by the bride or groom, or cancellation due to stress.
However, some policies come with stress counselling for the bride, groom and family members, and look out for legal expenses cover you might need for any contractual disputes after the wedding.
The internet is full of places where you can find cover. And it's a relatively short application process for most as it's cover for a one-off event.
Although this type of insurance cannot prevent any of these disasters from striking, it does provide a safeguard to prevent the soon-to-be weds from losing out financially if things should go wrong.
For weddings abroad it is still possible to take out a wedding insurance to cover at extra cost. But again, read exclusions carefully.
* Holly Thomas is the deputy personal finance editor of the Daily Express and Sunday Express. Holly's opinions are her own and for general information only. Always seek independent financial advice.