Is it worth having summer wedding insurance?
Planning a summer wedding comes with excitement, sunshine, and a long checklist. One tickbox many couples overlook is summer wedding insurance.
Insurance is designed to protect event organisers from financial losses as a result of cancellations or injuries. Weddings are perhaps the largest, most complex and most important event of a lifetime, so having insurance in place is vital. While no one wants to think about things going wrong on their big day, having insurance provides an essential peace of mind. If your florist goes out of business tomorrow, you’ll lose your deposit and that service – but with insurance you’ll remain protected.
When should I buy Summer Wedding Insurance?
In the UK, it’s advisable to buy summer wedding insurance as soon as you start making bookings or paying deposits. That could mean anything from 6 months to 2 years in advance, depending on how quickly you expect to get married.
As soon as you have your venue selected and paid for deposits, it’s advisable to arrange wedding insurance. You never know when a venue or caterer could cancel. With Insure Our Event, you can always increase your insurance limits through our flexible quote form.
Insure Our Event’s instant quote is ideal for last minute wedding insurance, so even if your wedding is in the next 2 weeks, use our quote form to get insured.
TIP: Popular summer dates and bank holiday weekends fill up quickly, so it’s advisable to get dates sorted for your chosen venue and suppliers and entertainers. Plus early insurance coverage ensures you’re protected as soon as you make the deposit.
What Will Summer Wedding Insurance Cover?
A typical summer wedding insurance policy in the UK covers two core areas: cancellation and public liability.
1. Cancellation:
If your venue becomes unavailable, the caterer cancels last-minute, or the wedding band skips town, your wedding insurance will cover lost deposits and subsequent costs. Summer weddings very often feature and outdoor component. This puts the wedding at risk of poor weather conditions and extreme storms. This makes adequate cancellation insurance all the more important.
2. Public Liability:
Many UK wedding venues require couples to have public liability insurance in place to fulfil the booking. This is a legal requirement to protect guests in case of injured as well as property damage. Liability coverage limits can vary, but at Insure Our Event we offer the lowest possible limit of £1million, helping to keep down our premiums. Choose a tailored liability limit through our flexible quote form.
However, because of the complexity of wedding event and their requirements, Insure Our Event is also able to cover:
- Supplier Failure – specific cover for last minute supplier cancellations
- Lost deposits – Unrecoverable deposits will be financially protected with this specific wedding insurance.
- Weather-related issues – unexpected weather conditions will require an add-on called adverse weather cover. Storms floods snow and sleet which cause cancellation or postponement will require this cover type.
- Event equipment hire – Insure any equipment you’ve hired, protecting against theft and damages. This is ideal for music equipment or hired wedding items, and the policy cost will vary depending on the value of the equipment.
- Postponement of the event – losses incurred due to the event being pushed back because of unforeseen and unexpected circumstances.
- Terrorism disruption – urban weddings may want to consider terrorism cover to insure against any unexpected social or political disturbances which may impact your wedding going ahead.
- Legal fees and compensation – any claims made will be covered, including the cost of legal services and court fees.
What should be included in a wedding risk assessment?
When planning a summer wedding in the UK, it’s often a requirement to carry out a basic risk assessment to identify potential issues and to prove you as the event organiser have done your due diligence. Common risks associated with summer weddings include:
- Weather Disruption: Sudden rain, thunderstorms, or even heatwaves can affect outdoor ceremonies and transport. If you are booking last minute, then check the weather before the event. Adverse weather cove will only cover you if the storm is unforeseen. In any case for the sake of the wedding always have a Plan B, such as an indoor area available to take shelter.
- Supplier Issues: High summer demand can mean overbooked or unreliable vendors. Read reviews and assess suppliers carefully before committing and paying deposits. Ensure you possess a written contract, especially for expensive costs such as the catering, cake or entertainment.
- Venue Issues: Do a quick sweep of the venue beforehand to assess health and safety risks. Assess bottlenecks and trip hazards on the premises. Fires, flooding, or closures due to local regulations can mean last-minute changes. Choose venues with a good track record and experience in hosting wedding bookings.
- Travel Disruptions: Train strikes, airport delays, or traffic congestion—especially during summer holidays—can delay guests or key participants. Look out for any expected strikes or major sporting events.
- Activities and Entertainment: High risk activities or entertainment could pose and issue for policyholders. Fire breathing, acrobatics, juggling, ensure performers have their own third-party public liability insurance in place. Dance floors and drinking stations should each be assessed for their individual risks.
These consideration are as much for your own safety and wellbeing, as it is for your insurance broker. Include these details to possibly reduce the risk and therefore cost of your insurance.
How Much Does Summer Wedding Insurance Cost?
In the UK, summer wedding insurance is often determined by the price of the wedding. The average cost of a wedding in the UK now exceeds £20,000. Many comparison sites will pitch insurance packages – changing the price according to the level of cover required. However with Insure Our Event, you can tailor your quote to your specifications. Alterable cover limits include:
- Cancellation cover: available from around £50.
- Public liability cover: from as little as £25. Available from £1million to £10million depending on your wedding guest list numbers.
- Add on policies: add on adverse weather, employers liability, money cover, property cover or terrorism cover to stay protected. This may slightly increase the cost of the premium
We guarantee that Insure Our Event provides the most affordable solutions for couples and wedding organisers.
A summer wedding in the UK is a dream for many couples – but even dreams need a backup plan. Purchasing summer wedding insurance with Insure Our Event ensures you’re covered for life’s unexpected twists. Contact your venue, buy insurance early, assess your risks, and protect your perfect day.
