At Entertainment Nation, we specialise in finding excited couples their dream wedding entertainment, so we know how much goes into planning your big day; on an emotional and financial level.
Wedding insurance is a topic that raises a lot of questions for many couples, and we’re here to help as much as we can by answering a few of our couples’ most common questions and concerns.
What is wedding insurance?
Like any insurance policy, wedding insurance covers you financially in the event something were to go wrong. The average wedding will set you back somewhere around the £25,000 mark, so taking steps to protect that spending is obviously wise.
Think of wedding insurance as much like the insurance you take out on your car, it’s a bit of a pain, but that one time you accidentally got a little bit heavy with your right foot, you were glad it was there.
How much is wedding insurance?
Again, much like car insurance or home insurance for that matter, cover for your wedding will vary in price depending on how much your wedding costs. If you’re planning a small wedding, then the cost will be small, if you’re planning a big wedding, the cost will be… a little less small.
That being said, the more you plan to spend, the more important wedding insurance becomes.
Wedding insurance policies are available from as little as £19 for a £2,500 wedding, and can reach above £300 for those planning on dropping something like £100,000 on their big day.
In both of these cases, however, the cost of the insurance is a fraction of the money you’re paying for the wedding anyway, so it’s hard to argue the price at that point.
Why do I need wedding insurance?
The honest answer to that question is ‘because stuff happens’. I’m sure you’re aware of what they say about best laid plans, and while the overwhelming majority of wedding days go off without a hitch, you wouldn’t want to be the one in a million that didn’t and not have insurance.
Wedding insurance, therefore, provides you with peace of mind above all else.
Most insurance companies will cover things such as:
- If you have to cancel or rearrange
- Wedding clothing for the couple, including wedding dresses
- Wedding flowers, rings, and cakes
- Wedding cars and other transport
- Failure of suppliers
In the above circumstances, your insurance policy will cover you for any money lost in the cancellation or the process of having to find alternative arrangements.
Just in case you’ve got a bit of a wildcard uncle or a crayon-happy niece, many insurance policies will also cover public liability, as a safety net in the event that your unruly family damages the venue, or that someone injures themselves.
It’s at this point that we should perhaps point out that the one thing that no insurer will cover is a change of heart. If you should find yourself in the unfortunate situation where your relationship breaks down, your wedding will not be covered by your insurer.
When to buy wedding insurance
Wedding insurance can be bought up to two years in advance of your wedding. This is perhaps the smartest way to do things; realistically, you should be insured as soon as you start putting money towards your wedding, or at least as soon as possible.
This way, none of your wedding money is at risk at any point, besides the amount set as an excess by your provider. However, even if you’re months into your planning, don’t panic, as soon as you take out cover for your wedding, any of the payments you’ve already made will also be covered.
Where to get wedding insurance
Like most insurance, wedding insurance policies can be found easily online, often through price comparison sites, which can sometimes help you find the best deal. Money Saving Expert has a series of helpful tips on the best way to bring the cost of your insurance down.
As well as doing the usual ‘just Google it’, it’s always worth speaking to your current home or car insurance provider, as they may offer you a discount for taking out another policy with them as an existing customer, or even extend your existing insurance provision to cover your wedding.
Because we’re aware of the importance of wedding insurance (in case you haven’t gathered yet), we’ve partnered with Wedinsure to provide our couples with some of the best wedding insurance going. Make sure to check them out for insurance as easy as booking an act with us.
As part of our partnership with Wedinsure, if you click on the link above and purchase your wedding insurance though Wedinsure we receive a small commission.
How to choose wedding insurance
Choosing the right insurance company and policy for your wedding is important, as if you overestimate it, you can easily pay over the odds for cover you never needed, and underestimating could leave you short in the unlikely and unfortunate event that you do need it.
The first step to take is to plan out and round up your wedding costing, as this will be the primary factor in your choice of policy. After that, it’s worth considering any possible extras, such as ceremonial swords and wedding rings, and making sure they’re covered by your policy.
If you’re looking to insure an overseas wedding you will often need to consider specialist wedding insurance covers, though these are not especially difficult to find and can often be divined using the same methods as more local policies.
Do I have any protection without a policy?
While wedding insurance is the best protection for your wedding, there are forms of protection for those without it.
If you’ve paid for aspects of your wedding using a credit card, then you will be covered by Section 75. This clause of credit agreements allows those who’ve made single payments of between £100 and £30,000 to claim their money back if they’ve not received the goods they paid for or they weren’t in the condition described, and, crucially, they can’t obtain a refund from the company they made the purchase with.
Additionally, any rings, presents, or dresses kept at your home will be covered if you have home and contents insurance.
Can I pay for wedding insurance monthly?
The simple answer is ‘no’. Weddings are one-time events, and as such, insurers do not allow for the monthly division of costs.
What is public liability insurance?
People can be wonderful, and also a little odd sometimes. In order to protect against this, all of our acts carry their own public liability insurance. This insurance covers both them and you in the event that the worst were to happen with regards to injury or equipment damage.
As far as the act is concerned, public liability insurance protects them and their equipment in the case of accident or damage at the event. What this means for you, however, is that, were you or your guests to be injured as a result of the band’s performance or equipment, or to damage their equipment, their insurance will protect you as well.
Get in touch
While insurance may seem like just one more thing to consider on a list that is often already a bit daunting, making sure your wedding day is covered at the start of the process will provide you with peace of mind for the duration of your planning.
To find out more about booking a wedding band, to hire a wedding DJ or to discuss your ideas, you can speak to one of our dedicated entertainment advisers by calling 0800 53 000 35 or by filling out a contact form.
