22 April 2010 / by Rachael Stiles
Couples whose wedding was due to take place abroad but was disrupted by the volcano will be thanking their luck stars if they took out wedding insurance, says Ecclesiastical.
Along with thousands of other travellers whose plans have been disrupted over the last week since a cloud of volcanic ash grounded all UK flights, bride-and-grooms-to-be could also have been affected and had to cancel or delay their wedding, potentially incurring even more costs than other travellers.
Those who have taken out wedding insurance before news of the volcanic cloud from Iceland hit should check with their wedding insurance provider if they are covered, because this could save their big day or help them to pay for another one if it gets cancelled, the insurer urges.
With no flights arriving or departing from the UK all week, wedding insurance could help couples who have needed to delay or cancel, covering costs such as the venue, accommodation, catering and other expenses.
Wedding insurance could also help those who are stuck abroad and are unable to get back to the UK in time for their wedding, such as brides and grooms who have been away for a stag do or hen weekend. Insurance companies are almost as eager as the couple for the wedding to go ahead as it will mean a less costly payout, so they will often go to great lengths to repatriate them, such as finding alternative transport home.
Even now that some flights are back in the air, aviation experts predict it could take weeks to clear the backlog of flights.
Commenting on the recent events and how this relates to wedding insurance, Dave Simms, personal lines manager at specialist wedding insurance provider Ecclesiastical, said:
“It is obviously a nerve-racking time for couples due to get married abroad at the moment. If the worst does happen and the wedding can’t take place, but the couple has bought wedding insurance, their insurers can help them recover the losses so that the big day can take place at a later time.
“It’s certainly not ideal, but need not be a financial disaster if insurance has been purchased in the first place,” he said.
© Fair Investment Company Ltd