Wedding Insurance Calculator
What wedding insurance costs in 2026 — and how much cover you actually need
Last updated: July 2026
How much does wedding insurance cost in the UK?
Wedding insurance in the UK typically costs £25 to £60 for a small wedding with £5,000–£10,000 of cover, £80 to £160 for an average £20,000–£25,000 wedding, and £200 to £400 for a large or overseas wedding with a marquee and £10 million of public liability. Against an average UK wedding cost of roughly £22,000, the premium is usually well under 1% of the budget – and the calculator above shows exactly what that percentage is for your day.
What wedding insurance actually pays for
- Cancellation and rearrangement. The heart of the policy. It pays the cost of rebooking the whole day if you have to cancel or postpone for a covered reason – serious illness or injury to you or a close relative, a death in the family, or the venue becoming unusable.
- Supplier failure. Your photographer, caterer, florist or venue goes bust after you have paid the deposit. This is the most commonly claimed section, and it is why buying the policy early matters – cover starts from the date you buy it, so a supplier that has already collapsed cannot be claimed for.
- Rings, attire, cake, flowers and gifts. Loss, theft or damage before and during the day.
- Public liability. Nearly every venue now requires it. £5 million is the usual demand, and hotels and stately homes often specify £10 million. If a guest is injured, this is the cover that responds.
- Photography and video. If the photographer fails to turn up or the images are lost, the policy funds a re-shoot with the wedding party.
- Marquee cover for storm damage, and overseas cover if you marry abroad – both are add-ons, not standard.
What it will never cover
Wedding insurance does not cover a change of heart. If either of you calls it off, there is no claim – every UK policy excludes it, without exception. It also will not cover a supplier that had already failed or was already in financial difficulty when you bought the policy, anything you knew about before you bought it, or (in most policies) cancellation because guests cannot travel due to ordinary bad weather. Read the cancellation section before you buy; it is the only part of the wording that really matters, and the difference between a good and a poor policy lies entirely there.
Worked example
A couple are planning a £22,000 wedding. They have paid £6,000 of non-refundable deposits, own £4,000 of rings and attire, and the venue requires £5 million of public liability. Their cover level should be the full £22,000 – the cost of rearranging the entire day – not the £10,000 they have spent so far, which is the most common and most expensive mistake couples make. Core cover on £22,000 comes to about £92, plus £25 for the higher liability limit, giving roughly £117, or £131 with Insurance Premium Tax. That is 0.53% of their budget, protecting £10,000 that is already at risk today.
When to buy it
The single most valuable thing you can do is buy the policy on the day you pay your first deposit, not a month before the wedding. Supplier failure – the section most likely to be claimed – only responds to a supplier that fails after your cover starts. Every week you wait is a week of deposits sitting unprotected. Most insurers will cover a wedding up to two years ahead, and the premium is the same whether you buy it eighteen months out or eighteen days out, so there is no financial reason to delay.
How to choose between policies
Ignore the headline price and compare three numbers: the cancellation limit (does it cover the full cost of rearranging, or a capped figure?), the supplier failure limit per supplier (some cap it at £1,500, which will not replace a £5,000 caterer), and the public liability limit (match it to what your venue's contract demands). Then check whether a marquee, tipi or overseas ceremony needs to be declared – almost all do, and an undeclared marquee is the classic reason a storm claim is refused. Finally, if you paid deposits on a credit card, remember that Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act already gives you protection on individual payments over £100, which sits alongside the insurance rather than replacing it.
Frequently asked questions
How much does wedding insurance cost?
A small wedding with £5,000 to £10,000 of cover typically costs £25 to £60. An average £20,000 to £25,000 UK wedding costs about £80 to £160. A large or overseas wedding with a marquee and £10 million of public liability is usually £200 to £400. That is normally well under 1% of the wedding budget.
Does wedding insurance cover cold feet?
No. Every UK wedding insurance policy excludes a change of heart, without exception. If either of you calls the wedding off, there is no claim. Cancellation cover responds to serious illness, injury, bereavement or the venue becoming unusable.
When should I buy wedding insurance?
On the day you pay your first deposit. Supplier failure — the most commonly claimed section — only covers a supplier that fails after your policy starts, so every week you wait leaves deposits unprotected. Most insurers cover weddings up to two years ahead at the same price.
How much cover do I need?
Enough to rearrange the entire day, which means the full wedding budget — not just the deposits you have paid so far. Under-insuring to the deposit figure is the most common and most expensive mistake couples make when buying wedding insurance.
Do I need public liability for my wedding?
Almost certainly. Most UK venues now require it in the hire contract, usually £5 million, and hotels and stately homes often specify £10 million. It covers injury to a guest or damage to the venue. Check your venue contract before choosing a limit.
Source: Insurance Premium Tax standard rate (12%) from GOV.UK – Insurance Premium Tax. Credit card purchase protection under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 from the Financial Conduct Authority. Premium and cover ranges reflect 2026 UK wedding insurance market rates.