A guide to wedding insurance
Getting married is an expensive business, so if you’re organising your big day you may want to consider taking out wedding insurance. But is it worth the money? And, for that matter, how much does it cost? Find the answers to these questions and more in our guide to wedding insurance.
Getting married is an expensive business, so if you’re organising your big day you may want to consider taking out wedding insurance. But is it worth the money? And, for that matter, how much does it cost? Find the answers to these questions and more in our guide to wedding insurance.
What is wedding insurance?
Wedding insurance offers cover in case you have to cancel or postpone your wedding day. According to Hitched.co.uk, the average cost of a UK wedding reached £18,400 in 2022 – a lot of money by any standards and certainly a sum you don’t want to lose.
Unfortunately, you can’t currently compare wedding insurance with us, so if you want to take out a policy, you’ll have to shop around for it yourself.
Do I need wedding insurance?
Not necessarily, no. If you’re only planning a small event for close family and friends, you might not need wedding event insurance.
But if you’re planning the party to end all parties and would be left footing huge bills if the caterers cancelled or the venue went out of business, it may be worth getting cover.
Before taking out wedding insurance, check your supplier contracts as you may already be covered.
If you pay by credit card, you could have some protection under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, although this isn’t guaranteed. And this won’t cover you if someone falls ill before the big day, so it’s not a straightforward alternative to wedding insurance.
What does wedding insurance cover?
Wedding insurance could cover:
- The venue cancelling or going out of business
- Your florist, caterer, photographer or another supplier cancelling or not following through on the contract
- Having to cancel due to illness, accident or death
- Having to cancel because of extreme weather or a natural disaster
- Losing something crucial, such as the wedding dress or rings.
But all policies are different, so read yours carefully.
If you’re having two ceremonies, such as a civil ceremony followed by a church blessing, check your policy covers cancelling both dates. Some insurance providers only cover both ceremonies if they’re less than 21 days apart.
It’s worth noting that if you make a claim, your insurance provider may cover the cost of rearranging the wedding or replacing the item, rather than giving you a pay-out.
What add-ons are available?
You may be able to add extra cover to your policy for an additional cost:
- Marquee cover – for any damage to the marquee during your event.
- Ceremonial sword cover – ceremonial swords can be very valuable. Having cover could protect you if they’re damaged or lost.
- Public liability cover – this could cover your legal costs (and any compensation) if someone is injured or killed at your wedding and a claim is made against you.
If you’re looking into separate public liability insurance, not all policies cover weddings, so check with the insurance provider.
What isn’t covered by wedding insurance?
Your wedding insurance is unlikely to cover:
- One of you changing your mind
- Cancelling due to illness caused by a pre-existing condition
- Cancelling because something minor has gone wrong
- Bad weather ruining your big day (although you may be covered if conditions are so severe your guests can’t make it)
- Cancelling because you’re having financial problems.
What insurance do I need for a wedding abroad?
If you’re having a destination wedding, travel insurance could cover theft and baggage loss. You’ll need to check your policy’s single-item limit to make sure it covers expensive items like your wedding dress, the rings and wedding gifts.
Travel insurance could also cover you if you get taken ill while abroad and need medical treatment.
Travel insurance won’t cover mishaps such as your wedding venue, caterer or florist going bust after you’ve paid them. But you can buy wedding insurance in the UK with overseas wedding cover as an add-on.
Will my home insurance cover my wedding?
Home insurance won’t cover the wedding itself. But it may be possible to extend your home contents insurance to cover a temporary increase in the value of your belongings because of a wedding.
If you’ve bought expensive engagement rings or wedding rings worth more than your home insurance policy’s single-item limit, you’ll need to add these as named items to make sure they’re covered. Get in touch with your insurance provider and ask them to amend your policy.
The same might apply if you’ve bought an expensive wedding dress.
How much is wedding insurance?
The cost of wedding insurance will vary depending on a number of factors, not least the size of your wedding, where it’s happening and the level of cover you want. Typical costs start at around £40, going up to £450 for a large, expensive wedding.
Insuring a wedding abroad may cost more than insuring a UK wedding as there’s a higher chance of something going wrong.
How to choose the best wedding insurance
When choosing the right wedding insurance policy for your needs, first calculate exactly how much cover you need.
After that, it pays to compare. Read the small print to see exactly what cover you’re being offered.
What do I need to get a wedding insurance quote?
To get a quote for wedding insurance, you’ll need to have a few things nailed down:
- Where you’re getting married
- How much it’s going to cost
- The level of cover you want.
Please note, you can’t compare wedding insurance with Compare the Market.
Frequently asked question
When should I buy wedding insurance?
It’s a good idea to buy your wedding insurance sooner rather than later. After all, the sooner you get cover, the sooner you’ll be protected. You can buy insurance up to two years ahead of the big day.
Will my honeymoon also be covered?
Wedding insurance policies don’t tend to cover honeymoons – it’s expected that this will be covered by your travel insurance.
What will happen if I need to make a claim on my wedding insurance?
If you want to claim on wedding insurance, you’ll need to provide as much evidence as possible. This could include:
- Any supplier agreements you have in writing
- Confirmation that a supplier has let you down
- Photographs of damage or news stories covering bad weather
- Medical reports
- Crime numbers.
How can I lower the risk of needing to claim on my wedding insurance?
The main thing you can do to reduce the risk of something going wrong is to use experienced suppliers, who are used to handling every eventuality.
Get everything in writing, and keep copies of agreements and receipts in case you do need to make a claim.
I’ve already arranged services or paid deposits. Will they be covered?
Deposits you’ve already paid should be covered by wedding insurance – as long as you don’t know of any reason you might need to claim when you took out the policy.
Will wedding insurance cover me for COVID-19?
You may be able to add cover for COVID-19 to your policy for an extra cost. This could cover you if you have to cancel your wedding because of serious illness or death due to coronavirus. Check the policy wording carefully to see exactly what it covers.
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Anna McEntee - Insurance expert
Anna’s all about delivering fantastic insurance products at a great price. Value is the most important thing for Anna, as she cuts through the jargon and finds what’s most important and worth your hard-earned money.
Rachel Lacey - Insurance and money expert
Rachel’s a self-confessed money nerd who’s been writing about personal finance for more than 20 years. She spent 17 years writing for Moneywise, including a few years as Editor, and likes making complicated subjects like insurance, pensions, investing and tax, easy for people to understand.