Should we get Wedding Insurance?
One of the number 1 tips I can give any couple planning a wedding is to take out wedding insurance, but a lot of couples either don’t know what it is, or don’t know how it would benefit them, so I thought I would write a blog post to explain a bit more why I think wedding insurance is worth the (often relatively small) cost.
What is Wedding Insurance?
First of all, I’m going to myth-bust one of the biggest preconceptions about wedding insurance. It is NOT to cover you in case you break up or get cold feet, in fact I don’t know of any policies that cover this. Wedding insurance is there to protect you from financial losses due to unforeseen circumstances that may affect your day. The average UK wedding in 2024 cost over £20,000, this is not a small amount of money and, while most suppliers would be sympathetic and want to help out if you needed to reschedule, it can still be expensive if for some reason the day can’t go ahead as planned. The cost of wedding insurance is usually a very small fraction of the wedding cost, and worth it for peace of mind.
What does Wedding Insurance cover?
As I mentioned above, it isn’t to cover cold feet. So what does it cover? Every policy is different but most will cover the following-
Cancelling/Rearranging due to illness
If either yourselves or one of your important participants (usually parents or wedding party) were to have an accident or become seriously ill and, as a result, you were unable to have your wedding on your intended date, most policies would cover this.
Supplier Failures/Bankruptcy
Unfortunately, sometimes things go wrong, and wedding insurance will cover you if your venue or supplier goes into liquidation, or fails to deliver a service for another reason (serious illness, for example). This could include covering a new wedding dress if your boutique closes down, or venue cancellation due to floods, fire or some other reason. It should also cover you in case one of your suppliers doesn’t show or provides damaged/defective items.
Lost, Stolen or Damaged Items
If the wedding rings get lost, stolen or damaged, insurance could cover replacements. This may also apply to things like cake, gifts, and wedding party outfits.
Personal & Public Liability/Legal Action
If yourself or one of your guests causes any damage to your venue, or an accident/injury occurs – wedding insurance may cover the costs involved. It may also cover you in the event of any resulting legal action.
Optional Cover
Most policies will have specific things you can add on to your policy cover, such as Marquee cover (in case your Marquee is damaged during the day), Honeymoon cover, severe weather events, or even ceremonial swords.
How much does Wedding Insurance cost?
The cost of wedding insurance will depend on the level of cover – ie. how much your wedding would cost to rearrange and how many guests you have going. Things like public liability would be more expensive the more people there are to cover. But for an average £20,000 wedding it is possible to get insurance for less than £100 (at the time of writing).
Read the Small Print
Just as every wedding is different, so is every policy. Read the small print to ensure you are getting the level of cover you require. Some things that may not be insured could include weather, COVID-19, destination weddings, unattended wedding gifts or pre-existing medical conditions.
When should we not bother?
If you are having a very simple wedding with no reception, minimal guests and minimal costs involved, you may find it is unnecessary (although it would be relatively inexpensive in this situation so it is still worth at least getting a quote). If you are already poorly with a condition that may affect your big day, this may not be covered so this would be a potential reason to not bother. But for most couples, I strongly advise at least looking into the available policies and considering whether the cost is worth it for peace of mind.
Where do we buy Wedding Insurance?
You can get quotes from the usual comparison sites such as Money Supermarket, Go Compare or CompareWeddingInsurance.org. Some UK wedding insurance providers include Wedinsure, WedCover, InsureMyDay, Emerald and DreamSaver.
When should we buy Wedding Insurance?
As soon as possible! The sooner you get your insurance, the sooner you will be covered in the event of venue/supplier failure or family illness. Nothing that goes wrong before you buy will be covered, and some policies will exclude things booked before a certain timescale.
I hope you have found this wedding planning post helpful, if you have any questions or would like to begin a conversation – get in touch!
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