Many people purchase cancellation insurance for a flight or a vacation, but what about a wedding? A Burnaby couple who was planning their big day was devastated by the death of a family member and then shocked to discover just how much cancelling their wedding was going to cost them.

Berina Muminovic was 72 hours away from saying “I do” when she learned her fiancé’s aunt Rita had passed away.

"Due to our religion, we are not allowed to celebrate. I mean,who wants to celebrate after someone that close to you dies?" she said.  

After two years of meticulous planning, her wedding was off. Muminovic realized she would be out a lot of money and called Riverside Banquet Hall to let them know she would have to reschedule the event.

There was no way the banquet hall could re-book another event with such short notice.

She had already paid her $12,000 deposit in full, but was shocked to learn the hall was only prepared to offer her a $4,700 credit toward a future ceremony.

"The number didn't make sense to me. Show me where you come up with the other $8,000, you know. What are you charging me for?" she said.

Muminovic and her fiancé paid for decorations, lights and linens that were never set up or used and food that was never bought or prepared.

"If you're going to be charging me for something, give it to me, and I will decide what to do with it. We talked about it, let’s make use of the food and donate it to a homeless shelter," said Muminovic.

But that didn't happen. So Muminovic tried to negotiate a $5,700 credit instead, even though she did admit to signing a contract that states deposits are non-refundable. 

Consumer Reporter Lynda Steele went to Riverside Banquet Hall to see if she could help broker a deal.

Banquet staff say they bent over backwards to accommodate the unhappy bride to be and tried to explain the math.

“We lost the event. We lost a whole booking. We could've booked it for 400to 500 people," said Sue Halabi, Event Planning Manager at Riverside Banquet Hall. 

And even though the banquet hall didn't have to do more for Muminovic, the staff says they pride themselves on their customer service and reputation and decided to meet her demands, giving her a $5,700 credit.  

Muminovic says she was hoping for a refund instead of a credit, but she’s now prepared to put the dispute behind her and start planning her wedding again.

Wedding insurance is available for brides-to-be and is generally reasonably priced. The insurance would normally cover things like general liability, cancellations, photo and videos, bridal attire, wedding presents and honeymoon cancellation.