Insurance claims soar for couples who can't say 'I do'

I've been in the insurance business for many years now and I have to say that, whilst I'm aware that you can purchase wedding insurance, I think I could probably count the number of policies I've sold on one hand!

So, I was interested to read that claims for this unusual class of business have soared over the last twelve months..

Being forced to postpone or call off the big day is now the most common reason people claim on wedding insurance, accounting for 47.5 per cent of all claims - up from 22 per cent during the previous 12 months.

People were more than twice as likely to claim for their nuptuals being called off as they were for damage to the bride or groom's outfits, which, at 20 per cent, was the second most common reason for a claim, according to Debenhams Wedding Insurance.

Around 15 per cent of people who claimed on their wedding insurance during the past year did so because suppliers went bankrupt or failed to deliver on time, while 7 per cent sought pay-outs over lost, damaged or stolen rings, cakes, flowers and gifts, and 5 per cent claimed over problems with cars.

Apparently though the policy excludes happy couples suffering a change of heart.

Which is just as well - otherwise we could see a raft of retrospective claims!