Insurance

Wedding Insurance Guide UK — Protect Your Big Day

Do you need wedding insurance? What it covers, how much it costs, when to buy it, and how it protects you from cancellations, supplier failures, and other disasters.

· 3 min read

The average UK wedding costs £20,000–£30,000, with many couples spending significantly more. Wedding insurance is a small investment (from £30) that protects against the financial consequences of things going wrong — from cancellations to supplier insolvency.

What Wedding Insurance Covers

Core Cover

Cover What It Protects Typical Limit
Cancellation/rearrangement Costs if the wedding must be cancelled or postponed £10,000–£100,000
Supplier failure A supplier goes bust and cannot provide their service £10,000–£50,000
Photography/videography Re-staging key photos if photographer fails or images are lost £1,000–£5,000
Attire Wedding dress, suits, bridesmaids’ outfits — damage, loss, theft £2,000–£10,000
Gifts Damage, loss, or theft of wedding gifts £1,000–£5,000
Transport Wedding transport fails to arrive £500–£2,000
Personal liability Someone is injured at your wedding £1–£2 million

Reasons for Valid Cancellation Claims

Reason Covered?
Serious illness of bride/groom/close family Yes
Bereavement Yes
Serious injury Yes
Venue becomes unavailable (fire, flood, closure) Yes
Supplier insolvency Yes
Severe adverse weather Usually yes
Military deployment Usually yes
Jury service (unavoidable) Usually yes
Redundancy (some policies) Sometimes
Change of heart / cold feet No
Pre-existing illness (known when policy bought) No
Government restrictions (check policy) Varies

How Much Does It Cost?

Cover Level Approximate Cost Best For
Basic (£10,000 cancellation) £30–£60 Smaller, budget weddings
Standard (£20,000–£30,000 cancellation) £60–£120 Average weddings
Comprehensive (£50,000+ cancellation) £100–£200+ Large or expensive weddings
Premium (£100,000+ cancellation) £200–£400+ Luxury or destination weddings

Cost as Percentage of Wedding Budget

Wedding Budget Insurance Cost % of Budget
£10,000 £40 0.4%
£20,000 £80 0.4%
£30,000 £120 0.4%
£50,000 £180 0.36%

Wedding insurance typically costs less than 0.5% of your total wedding budget.

When to Buy

When Why
As soon as you start paying deposits Cover starts from purchase date
Before booking venue Protect your deposit
After engagement, before spending Maximum protection period
Not the week before May not cover imminent known issues

What Is NOT Covered

Exclusion Detail
Change of heart Deciding not to get married
Pre-existing conditions Illness known when policy was purchased
Disinclination to travel Unrelated to insured perils
War and terrorism Check policy (some include limited cover)
Financial circumstances General inability to afford the wedding
Illegal activities —
Cosmetic issues Food not being to taste, decorations not matching vision

Choosing Your Cover Level

Your Budget Recommended Cancellation Cover
Under £10,000 £10,000–£15,000
£10,000–£20,000 £20,000–£25,000
£20,000–£30,000 £30,000–£40,000
£30,000–£50,000 £50,000+
Over £50,000 £75,000–£100,000

Tip: Your cover should match your total financial exposure — the total amount of deposits and payments you could lose.

Making a Claim

Step Action
1 Contact your insurer immediately
2 Gather documentation (contracts, receipts, medical evidence)
3 Complete claim form
4 Provide supporting evidence
5 Insurer assesses claim
6 Payout or appeal

Documentation to Keep

  • All supplier contracts
  • Deposit and payment receipts
  • Correspondence with suppliers
  • Medical certificates (if relevant)
  • Police reports (if theft/damage)
  • Photographs of damage

Top Tips

  1. Buy early — protection from day one of spending
  2. Match cover to budget — ensure cancellation limit covers total exposure
  3. Read the exclusions — understand what is and is not covered
  4. Check supplier contracts — understand their cancellation terms
  5. Pay by credit card — Section 75 gives additional protection for purchases over £100
  6. Keep all receipts — essential for any claim

For budgeting your wedding, see our budget planner guide and financial goals guide.