Wedding Insurance

Wedding Insurance Guide

Many people spend a significant amount of money on their wedding, but don't necessarily think to purchase wedding insurance—even if they spend thousands of pounds on their big day. For any couple planning a wedding that is likely to cost an amount of money that's significant to them, it's probably very worthwhile thinking about taking out a wedding insurance policy.

What does wedding insurance cover?

The main coverage that wedding insurance provides is for cancellation of the wedding. If the wedding has to be cancelled due to circumstances that can’t be avoided, then the policy could pay any out-of-pocket expenses relating to the wedding. Examples of covered circumstances may include injury to either partner who is getting married, or the death of a close relative involved in the wedding, such as a parent of either partner. Policies could vary as to what situations are covered in the event of a cancellation, so it’s usually important to check coverage before committing to a policy.

Wedding insurance also typically covers public liability. This means that if someone is injured at the wedding, or their possessions are damaged or otherwise lost, the insurance might pay out if the couple are found to be liable. For instance, if a wedding guest is injured at the reception, or their property is stolen or destroyed the insurance may cover the cost. There might be some exclusions here too. For instance, if someone is injured while engaging in a dangerous activity as defined by the insurance policy, the insurance may not pay out. In addition, damage to the wedding or reception venue may not be covered, depending on how and where the damage occurred.

Also usually covered by most insurance policies are the goods and services provided by various vendors for the wedding and reception. For example, the wedding cake, wedding attire, and wedding photography services all fall into this category. Insurance protection for these items often applies for a defined period of time before and after the wedding, and this period of time might vary for each of the different items the policy covers.

Do the couple already have protection?

Depending on how a couple choose to pay for their wedding, they may already have coverage for certain purchases.

Consumer protection act

For instance, expenses paid for via credit card might be protected under Section 75 of the Consumer Protection Act. This act covers purchases valued between £100 and £30,000 if a service provider's breach of contract prevents a person from receiving the goods or services they paid for. For instance, if a reception venue is double-booked the couple might be able to claim back the money they paid for it. This might be done via the credit card provider.

Credit card chargeback

Some credit card providers allow someone to claim back the cost of purchases under £100, if the provider fails to deliver the goods or services purchased. Note that this is typically done by and at the discretion of the credit card provider. If someone asks for a chargeback, they are not usually legally obliged to try and recover the money.

Home insurance

If a couple have home insurance, it might cover certain items associated with the wedding. For instance, some policies allow policyholders to increase cover for a certain amount of time before and after the wedding, to account for the value of wedding gifts and other wedding items. This is not typically a standard inclusion for home insurance, however, so it’s important to check rather than assume the cover is in place.

What kinds of extras are available for wedding insurance?

Depending on the insurance provider they might have a number of additional options for insurance cover for a wedding. For instance, while some policies only cover the wedding and reception when they are held on the same day, some also cover both events when they are held on different days.

Another possible addition might be personal liability. While most wedding policies include public liability—which covers guests and certain other people—personal liability is typically not a standard inclusion.

Some policies could extend the period of coverage for wedding-related items such as gifts, attire, and services.

If a couple are having their wedding overseas, then they could opt to purchase insurance that covers the wedding abroad. Insurance for overseas weddings could provide similar levels of coverage as a standard policy. Some policies may cover only a particular designated country, while others may cover multiple countries, so this is important to check when purchasing a policy.

How to compare wedding insurance policies

Comparing wedding insurance policies is usually simple, since it is looking at a very specific set of circumstances—a wedding and reception. Start by performing a search for online wedding insurance in NI or wherever the couple live to find a range of different policies. Once the couple have gathered several wedding insurance quotes, it could be useful to check and compare for the following kinds of things:

• The total coverage limit, and the coverage limit per item;
• The personal liability coverage limit;
• The length of time that wedding-related items such as gifts and attire are covered for;
• Whether personal accident liability is included, if the couple want this coverage;
• Whether the policy includes an excess that has to be paid on any item before the insurance kicks in;
• The stated exclusions for each type of coverage;
• Whether any optional extras might be needed, such as overseas insurance, are included.

If a couple live in the UK and live outside of England, it might be a good idea to check specifically for wedding insurance in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Couples may find that local insurance companies cover slightly different things depending on where in the UK they live.