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We could lose our £20,000 dream wedding
OTIS DOYLE and Inara Khan fear they could lose £20,000 if their wedding is cancelled due to coronavirus. The couple are among thousands who risk being left out of pocket if they are forced to ditch their wedding plans.
Growing fears over whether weddings will be able to go ahead this spring have led to specialist wedding insurers, including John Lewis and Debenhams, suspending sales of new policies after couples rushed to buy the cover.
Even those who have already bought insurance are not guaranteed a payout if they have to cancel their wedding, because of policy small-print that can exclude claims arising from an ‘act of government’.
This means that, in the unlikely event that the Government bans weddings in this country — as Italy has done — couples could lose large sums of money.
Customers with no cover could be left out of pocket if the venue has to cancel because staff fall ill.
Inara, 31, and Otis, 32, who live in London, got engaged in New Orleans last April and are due to marry on March 28.
About 100 guests are set to attend their wedding at One Whitehall Place, a glamorous venue overlooking the Thames.
One guest has already said she doesn’t feel happy attending with her four-week-old baby.
And with guests flying in from Australia, Canada and New Zealand, the couple fear flight cancellations could also hit their big day.
They had sensibly bought a Dreamsaver Wedding Insurance policy soon after booking the venue last year. But so far their insurer has only promised to pay out if the venue has to close because of an outbreak of Covid19, or if a close family member falls ill and so can’t attend.
The insurer says the couple will be covered only if most of their guests cannot attend ‘due to adverse weather’ — not illness.
Inara and Otis have spent £15,000 on the venue and £5,000 on a photographer, band and other items.
Inara, who works for the NHS, says: ‘There’s less than three weeks to go now and we are worried about what will happen.’
It is predicted that the spread of coronavirus will peak at the end of April, which is traditionally the start of the wedding season.
Industry experts estimate 80pc of weddings take place between April and October. The average cost is thought to be £31,974.
With the arrival of coronavirus, some insurers have stopped selling wedding insurance. Others, such as Emerald Life, will not insure weddings taking place in March, April and May, while Wedding Insurance Solutions is refusing to accept new customers who are due to marry in the next six months.
So if you haven’t already bought cover, time may be running out. You may also find your policy won’t cover you for problems caused by coronavirus, as it is now a ‘known risk’. Customers who bought a policy before the clampdown will still be covered. But while you will have some protection against coronavirus ruining your big day, you are not always guaranteed a payout.
Many insurers say they will pay out if the bride, groom or a ‘close family member’ falls ill. Close family would typically include siblings but not cousins.
The key phrase is that their lack of attendance would make the wedding ‘inappropriate’.
If a large proportion of guests can’t attend, insurers will typically pay out only if this is a result of adverse weather conditions rather than illness — but check the wording. If a venue has to close on the day of a wedding because staff are ill, you should get a payout.
But if ministers introduce a blanket ban on weddings, insurers could point to a common exclusion that allows them to reject claims if the reason for cancellation is a change in government policy.
This will also affect couples marrying abroad. Italy — a top overseas wedding destination for UK couples, according to Hitched.
com — has already banned all weddings. The Foreign Office is advising against ‘all but essential travel’ to Italy.
This means couples may not be guaranteed a payout and should call their insurer to find out where they stand. Your travel insurer should also be able to help cover the cost of lost flights and accommodation if the Foreign Office is advising against travel.
Steve Wardlaw, the chairman of Emerald Life, says couples should also check the contract they signed with the venue, as they may be entitled to some money back. Usually this depends on how far in advance you are cancelling.
If a couple decide they just don’t want to go ahead, this would probably be classed as ‘disinclination’ so they would not receive a payout from either their wedding insurer or travel insurer.
If guests choose not to attend because they are concerned about getting ill, couples may find they have to pay extra if their venue requires a minimum spend.
Experts have also warned that restrictions could cause a shortage of wedding dresses, as many are imported. Some stores are already adding a few extra weeks to delivery times, to make sure brides have long enough to get fitted if the dress arrives late.
A good wedding insurance policy should cover damage or nonarrival of ‘ceremonial attire’ — and coronavirus should not alter this.
Suppliers say they are calm at the moment but recognise the situation is getting more serious.
A spokesman for the Association of British Insurers says: ‘Given the evolving nature of coronavirus and regular changes to public health guidance insurers are constantly reviewing the situation.’