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Wedding Insurance Be safe rather than sorry on your wedding day with wedding insurance…

It's the best day of your life and also the most expensive so do you really want it to be ruined by some unforeseeable event such as your caterers cancelling, your cars breaking down or your wedding gifts being damaged?

With the average wedding in Ireland costing over £18,000 per celebration it makes sense to protect your wedding funds properly. In comparison to the spiralling costs of the ceremony, insurance can be fairly cheap, so it could be worth spending that little bit extra for peace of mind.

Do I really need it?
Should the worst case scenario happen and you book a service or goods from a supplier that goes bust, did you know that you will join the list of unsecured creditors at the back of the queue when it comes to claiming back costs?

And insuring the big day is of even more concern if you opt to have a wedding in a marquee or in premises not usually hired out for functions, as you'll need public liability cover to protect yourself against claims for injury or damage.

For some things however you may not need separate wedding insurance. For example wedding presents, dresses and rings are usually covered by your home contents insurance so check your exisiting policy and if you pay with your credit card, you're entitled to compensation from the credit card provider on anything you've bought between £100 and £30,000. So if your venue goes bust for instance, you could claim back any money you had paid from your credit card provider.

Generally through, whether you are planning a wedding at home or abroad, wedding insurance can provide complete peace of mind, all for the price of a bottle of champagne.

Who sells it & how much is it?
There are lots of companies offering wedding insurance from specialist insurance firms such as E&L Insurance to household names like Debenhams. Prices start from as little as £30 but before committing to one make sure you do your homework and always read the small print.

Terms and conditions for every insurance policy will vary, with some providers offering more generous packages than others. Always read carefully the list of exclusions and exemptions- i.e. those events that aren't covered by the insurance policy and pay attention to the excess charges.

Most wedding insurance policies come in a range of ‘packages' for example bronze, silver and gold - bronze being the lowest premium with minimal cover and gold being the most expensive but most comprehensive option. There's no point paying for a top end premium if yours is a small-scale wedding, but if your big day is a huge event in a marquee with hundreds of guests, then paying a few pounds extra for maximum cover will be money well spent.

A key detail of a policy is the amount that it will pay in the event that the wedding has to be cancelled. This ranges from a few thousand pounds for the cheapest levels of cover, to as much as £50,000.

All levels of cover tend to protect the same things i.e. cancellation and rearrangement fees, wedding attire, cake, gifts, photography/video, flowers and
suppliers deposits, but the amount insured will increase with the premium paid. It's a good idea to sit down and work out exactly what you would like your insurance to cover then shop around to see what suits your needs. wj