Don’t let wedding woes ruin your big day: check your insurance now

• We urge couples planning their big day to thoroughly review their insurance policies.
• We investigated cases where couples have been left unprotected and facing significant financial losses.
• Common pitfalls include extreme weather, cancelled travel arrangements, missing supplies, and venues going out of business.

Carefully check your wedding insurance policies or risk being left thousands of pounds out of pocket. 

Over the past five years, we investigated more than 600 cases where people planning their weddings have been left out of pocket.

Whilst the pandemic led to a proportion of those complaints, we also saw cases about:

• Cancelled flights preventing the bridal party and guests from travelling
• Serious damage to the venue including fire and flood
• Suppliers failing to show up or faulty goods
• Venues or suppliers going into liquidation
• The bride, groom or guests falling unwell before the wedding

With the average cost of UK weddings rising by 12.5%, costing couples on average £20,700 for their dream day, it is likely more people are turning to protecting this cost and so it is crucial couples understand what is covered in their policies.

Rachel Lam, Ombudsman Director at the Financial Ombudsman Service, said:

Weddings are often the most important and expensive day in a couple’s life, so when things go wrong it can be devastating to all those affected.

After months, maybe even years of planning, the last thing a couple expects is for their dream wedding day to be ruined by events often outside of their control, sometimes leading to them losing thousands of pounds.

We urge couples planning weddings to check their insurance policies carefully to really understand their cover and of course if they are unsure then to check with their insurer.

If people don’t feel they have been treated fairly by their insurer, they can come to our service, and we will investigate their complaint. Getting a fair answer is free and easy.

To help couples avoid the pitfalls of wedding insurance, the Ombudsman Service is sharing some tips to ensure people are better prepared for their big day.”

Wedding insurance tips

1. Understand what’s covered

Ensure your policy covers key elements such as cancellation, supplier failure and public liability. For instance, inability to travel to the wedding venue for reasons other than weather are often not covered.

2. Check exclusions carefully

Be aware of what is not covered. For instance, some polices may not cover outdoor weddings, destination nuptials, or pre-existing health conditions.

3. Understand the relationship with your suppliers

Most policies only cover losses where the supplier has a direct contract with the policyholder. If the supplier is paid by a wedding planner, those costs might not be covered.

4. Ensure adequate cover

Ensure the total amount of cover matches the overall cost of the wedding, from venue hire and catering to attire and photography.

5. Take out your policy early

Many couples mistakenly think they can wait until closer to the date to take out insurance, which leaves them vulnerable to unforeseen issues such as the venue going into liquidation.

6. Be proactive

Insurers expect people to mitigate their losses where possible. Often consumers need to demonstrate they have tried and failed to recover costs before the insurer will step in.

Rachel Lam added:

As an independent resolution service, our mission is to investigate each case on its own merit and provide the consumer with a fair answer.

Sometimes our decisions will be difficult for consumers, that’s why it is so important we share our insights and raise awareness in the hope that couples preparing for their special day take the time to really get to grips with their policies.

It is also crucial the sector takes the time to explain terms, is clear in their policies and treats consumers fairly and quickly when dealing with a claim.”