Nobody likes thinking about all the ways that something could go wrong on your honeymoon, but protecting yourselves against the unthinkable is a must in order to ensure that your relaxation time takes place with your complete peace of mind.

What could possibly go wrong on our honeymoon besides a cocktail that’s lukewarm instead of ice-cold?

Way too many things. We’re expert worriers, so let’s present some nightmare scenarios. For example, the week before your wedding, a hurricane wipes out your honeymoon destination, making it unvisitable. Or, on the way to meet your cruise, your flight is delayed and you miss your connection. Or, you’re seriously injured while trying out an extreme sport for the first time and need urgent medical care. Or, you get urgent bad news from home and you have to cancel the trip to be with your family. Or, you break up.

OK, OK, we get the point. When should we buy our honeymoon insurance policy?

Your policy should be bought just after making your first trip payment. In some situations, this timing is important because some benefits are only applicable if the policy is purchased within two weeks from making your initial trip deposit. You’ll also benefit from the longest period of cancellation coverage.

What should we look out for?

The most important policy point to look for is coverage of financial default, a major reason why you should buy an independent policy and not from the agency itself – if they go bankrupt, they won’t be in a position to reimburse you! Another point many travellers are looking into a terrorism clause, which would allow you to cancel your trip without penalty should an incident occur in any city on your itinerary.

What’s the best kind of insurance policy we should aim for?

Overall, you are probably better off finding a cancel-for-any-reason policy. These will usually get you back most, if not all, of your money in the event that something terrible happens. Make sure that the policy covers cancellation or trip interruption due to medical issues, including any pre-existing conditions you may have.

Anything else?

No matter what policy you choose, read the fine print! Some policies require you to have insured your trip a certain number of days in advance of departure, others may have specific dates of expiry; but you should be safe so long as you know what you're signing. Bon voyage!