A rained-out reception. A no-show photographer. A damaged dress. Not all weddings go off without a hitch. To guarantee a wedding without worries, the altar-bound are vowing that wedding insurance is the way to go.

Various policies pay for all sorts of nuptial disasters - sans a change of heart.

''We call that the cold-feet exclusion,'' said California-based Robert Nuccio, the sole administrator assigned to the Fireman's Fund wedding insurance program. The company, one of a handful to offer wedding insurance in the United States, had 300 to 400 requests for coverage in Florida during the last hurricane season.

''In Florida it's hurricanes, in Buffalo it's snow and in Iowa it's tornadoes,'' Nuccio said. ''You're putting a lot of money on the line. All sorts of things can go wrong: The facility burns down. The dress is destroyed. These are all things that have happened. It's wild what goes on.''

For richer, for poorer . . . exchanging nuptials is expensive business. The average wedding in the United States costs $20,000, Nuccio said. ''If something happens, what are you going to do, give the bride and groom $500 to go to Vegas?''

Weddingsurance policies start at $195, and depending on the premium, compensate holders up to the coverage limit for cancellation due to sickness of the bride, groom or immediate family, weather conditions and a host of other ''reasons beyond your control.''

It's not a huge moneymaker for the insurance company. ''We have to pay out fairly often,'' Nuccio said.

Among the newlyweds saying ''I do'' to wedding insurance: North Miami Beach bride-to-be Charyn Behrens.

The 30-year-old MCI World Com support consultant is planning a small 30-person outdoor wedding on the beach in Islamorada. The couple has several family members flying in from all over the country.

''My biggest concern is weather. I mean it's Florida in hurricane season, '' Behrens said. An events coordinator advised Behrens to look into wedding insurance.

''I had never heard of it. But when I looked at it, it seemed like a pretty reasonable deal.''

For $128, Behrens purchased a policy that will give her up to $7,500 in coverage.

''It takes the worrying out of a wedding,'' she said.

Tales of a missing photographer, a disappearing caterer, a torn gown and even a lost ring are just the icing on the cake, said newlywed Tom Capo Bianco.

This summer, he was left without a facility to hold his wedding.

Now for better or for worse, Capo Bianco says wedding insurance is a decent proposal.

His big day was just weeks away. An elaborate $45,000 ceremony and reception with 150 guests was to take place at a bed and breakfast on the water in Onset, Mass. The groom and his bride, Tia, had spent more than a year planning all the details. As the day drew closer, they were having trouble getting in touch with the manager of the facility where the event was to be held.

The manager had skipped town - with their $5,000 deposit. Four other couples, who had planned to wed there, also lost their money.

''He disappeared. We had 150 people coming, and no place to hold the wedding,'' Capo Bianco said. ''We panicked. My wife was livid. ''

But, Capo Bianco said, ''I was patting myself on the back.''

The investment manager had bought a $339 wedding insurance policy and was refunded his lost deposit. He used the insurance reimbursement to throw the wedding at a country club a few miles away.

''What a relief,'' he recalled.

None of the other couples carried insurance.

The concept originated in England and made its way to the United States in the early 1990s. The Florida Department of Insurance approved the sale of wedding insurance in the fall of 1997.

Last year, newlyweds Roger and Karen Sandau launched WedSafe, after dealing with potential disasters in their own wedding.

The insurance company, based in Monterey, Calif., and brokered by Robertson Taylor, offers tailored policies in two packages.

The first is a wedding policy - costing from $128 to $339 and covering $7,500 to $50,000 - which protects against cancellation or mishaps that might happen to the bride and groom's property, such as rings and attire.

The other is a $150 policy that pays out $1 million in liability and $75,000 in damage to the owners of the properties where the weddings and receptions are held.

Questions the Sandaus are often asked:

Am I covered if . . .

* My fiancé violates his parole and has to go back to jail?

* The groom's divorce doesn't come through in time?

* I get left at the altar?

Nope. Wedding bills will still be ringing.

But WedSafe will pay for ''professional counseling'' if the wedding is canceled for any reason and the couple suffers ''emotional stress.''

''Smart people are using it,'' said Deborah McCoy, a South Florida-based wedding planner and author of four bridal reference books, one of which has a chapter dedicated to wedding insurance. ''You're safeguarding your investment for about a hundred bucks. I always advise my clients to go with it. Things do happen.''

Still not sold on the idea?

Roger Sandau offers this:

''If you bought a $30,000 BMW, you would never think of driving it down the street without insurance. You insure your car, your home, your life. Why not your wedding?''

WHAT'S COVERED

Here's what else is covered - or not:

* Hurricane blows in? Nonrefundable deposits and costs will be reimbursed because of weather postponement.

* Wedding photog a no-show? All expenses to recreate the original scene will be covered.

* Wedding gifts gone? Presents that are lost, stolen or damaged at the reception will be paid for.

* Lose the ring? Lost or damaged wedding bands are covered.

* Cold feet? Cancellation of the ceremony by choice is not covered.

* War or civil war? You will not be covered in the case of invasion, revolution or rebellion.