Wedding insurance
We’ve paused comparing wedding insurance, but we’ll be offering it again soon
Wedding insurance and coronavirus
Many insurers won't cover cancelling your wedding because of a notifiable disease. That includes Covid-19.
You won't be covered for your honeymoon either, but you might be able to claim on your travel insurance, instead.
Find more information about your finances, insurance and Coronavirus >
What’s wedding insurance?
Wedding insurance provides cover for damages, losses, injuries and cancellations that occur in the build up to a wedding or during a wedding.
This may include incidents such as a venue cancelling, caterers failing to deliver, or wedding rings being lost or stolen.
In the event of a claim, wedding insurance will cover the costs of re-arranging the wedding, or reparing/replacing items that are damaged or lost.
What does wedding insurance cover?
Your wedding insurance policy will cover loss or damage due to unforeseen circumstances, like fire damage to the wedding dress or lost rings.
A wedding insurance policy should also cover you for:
- The venue cancelling
- A supplier letting you down
- Cancellation due to ‘key people’ (immediate family, bridesmaids, best man) not being able to make it for serious reasons like a death, illness or jury service
- Lost, stolen or damaged cake, rings or gifts
- Not receiving your wedding photos or videos
- Public liability cover and legal expenses
- Weather disruption
- Miscellaneous other expenses - marquees and even ceremonial swords protection
Policies won’t cover you if you cancel due to cold feet, financial difficulty, a pre-existing medical condition for you, the groom or anyone else in the wedding party, or something minor going wrong.
According to the Hitched, the average cost of a wedding in 2019 was £31,974[1]
How much is wedding insurance?
The cost of your wedding insurance depends on factors like:
- The cost of your wedding
- Whether you need any extra cover
- How likely it is that something might go wrong. For example, a winter wedding is more likely to be cancelled due to flooding.
How to buy wedding insurance
If you’re using a wedding planner, they might offer you wedding insurance alongside their services, but it’s worth shopping around online to make sure you get the right cover for the best price.
There are some simple steps to follow when choosing and buying wedding insurance:
- Work out how much your wedding is going to cost
- Choose what level of cover you want - you might not need all the options available
- Shop around the find the best cover for the right price
Try some of our wedding insurance specialists to find cover that suits you.
Some department stores also offer wedding cover, or you might be able to get it through your house insurance policy.
Levels of wedding insurance
Wedding budgets come in all sizes, so it’s important to make sure you get the right level of cover.
Wedding insurers will usually have policies for several tiers of cover, so you can pick the right amount for what you’re spending.
Wedding costs can easily spiral, so make sure you’re not underinsured and contact your insurer to increase your level of cover if costs do go up higher than expected.
Alternative cover
If you don’t take out wedding insurance, you might still have some financial protection if things go wrong.
Your home insurance might cover some aspects of your wedding, like your rings and gifts, so check your policy.
So long as you can afford the repayments, buying anything costing between £100 and £30,000 directly from the supplier with a credit card means you’re protected by the Consumer Credit Act.
If it’s not already covered under your wedding insurance, don’t forget to arrange your travel insurance for peace of mind over your honeymoon.
When to buy wedding insurance
Most wedding insurance policies allow you to take out cover up to two years before you’re planning on getting married.
It’s a good idea to get cover as early as possible, so you’ll be covered from the early planning stages right through to your big day.
You can also buy wedding insurance days before the ceremony, even if you’ve already paid out for the venue and other expenses – but you can’t then claim for something that’s already gone wrong or that you knew was going to happen.
Wedding insurance abroad
Oversees wedding insurance policies offer the same cover as domestic ones. Things like venue cancellation or supplier failure.
But they often include more specific cover for weddings abroad too. Such as delayed travel cover or essential document indemnity for replacement of documents needed to get married abroad.
Overseas wedding policies may include exclusions for some countries, so always check the policy details before you buy.
Helping you find the right cover for your wedding day
You rely on numerous people to make your wedding day special, so there’s lots of opportunity for something to go wrong.Ryan Fulthorpe - Home insurance expert
Wedding insurance is the easiest way to protect yourself in the run-up to your big day, but make sure that the level of cover you decide on is right for you
Tips for cheaper wedding insurance
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Lower the total cost of your wedding
Reduce the size of your guest list, make your invitations and stock the bar yourself
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Lower the amount of cover
Decreasing the amount of financial compensation you’d require for cancellation and failure of suppliers may result in a lower premium
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Don’t add optional extras
Unless required, don’t add extras like increased public liability cover, marquee cover or ceremonial swords cover
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Have your wedding in the UK
Overseas wedding and reception cover will often incur extra charges
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Shop around for quotes
Compare insurance from a number of providers to find the right deal at the right price
References
[1] The National Wedding Survey 2019. Hitched. Retrieved July 2020.
Page last reviewed: 15 September 2021
Next review due: 15 December 2021