Aibu to think this insurance policy should cover my wedding

[Monkeysmotherx3]

We are due to get married Saturday and due to the current situation and lots of guests (mainly family members) no longer being able to attend because of coronovirus (age/health conditions that make them vulnerable) we have made the difficult decision to postpone the wedding. We had taken out wedding insurance and the policy stated that it covered cancellations due to the outbreak of an infectious disease. They are now saying that this does not cover coronovirus unless a family member has been diagnosed with it. AIBU to think that their policy should cover this? Thank you in advance for replies!

It's normal for a policy not to cover unless the person insured is affected. I cancelled a holiday once because my dad was in hospital but my insurance only covered those booked to travel. It's awful news for you and your wedding, but ultimately it isn't realistic if them to take that stance.

I would get legal advice from a solicitor who specialises in insurance but I would have thought the policy would need some kind of verbiage excluding Coronavirus to get away with that. I'm not sure though I'm not an expert but I would get legal advice on this.

How can anyone get diagnosed unless they test which they are not doing? If you/groom had to self isolate due to suspected symptoms would they cover?

Also rather than cancel everything can you not agree to defer with your suppliers.

Do either you or the groom have an infectious disease?

Unless it’s immediate family affected or weddings have been banned the insurance won’t pay out

Thank you for replies, most people have agreed to defer without having to pay again, but the venue are refusing to do this, as well as the florist/hairdresser. I can completely understand why they are unable to offer us a different date without further payment as this must be affecting their businesses massively!

No neither of us do, a couple of guests are self isolating with symptoms but as a previous poster said, hardly anybody is being tested so it's difficult to say whether a family member has actually got it or just similar symptoms

Ask the insurance how you prove you have it?

We are with wedinsure - I got this from them when I queried whether ours would be covered (I have asked them what constitutes a government act or regulation, as at the moment everything is advisory). Of course the insurers all have slightly different loopholes which seem to be catching people 🤬

The booked venue for the wedding or wedding reception being unable to hold your wedding and/or wedding reception due to an outbreak of infectious disease (e.g. Coronavirus) or its closure by a relevant authority *(except where the closure or their inability to hold your wedding is due to any form of government act or regulation - see below for further details).

The policy does not cover any claims or losses arising directly or indirectly from a government act or regulation. This would include any government enforced ban on public or social gatherings, travel bans and restrictions, lockdowns, mass self-isolation or quarantine orders etc. In addition the policy does not cover any claims arising from flight cancellations or the inability of you or your guests to attend the wedding due to flight bans or foreign travel bans etc.*

i think the problem is you are cancelling because you are being cautious, not because you have it.

I know its horrible, the whole world is at the moment, but sadly i dont think you can cancel and get your money back.

Is there no way you can move the dates?

I would be tempted to have an online wedding if you could and stream the wedding - doesnt help with the food situation, but the rest would work?

Sorry, not the most relevant bit.

We also cover the unavoidable cancellation of the wedding due to the death or illness of the wedding participants or their close relative, which would make having or continuing with the wedding and/or wedding reception impossible. For example, if one of the wedding participants or a close relative contracted the Coronavirus shortly before the wedding and were unable to attend due to ill health, death then that would also be covered.

But they don't cover self isolation and require a doctors certificate - they won't answer my question on how they expect people to provide that when they can't go to the GP though....

If you wait another day I suspect that the venue will be told to shut anyway

Or should you just go ahead. Who knows when all this will be over so you might be waiting a year or more to get married.

Provided you, the groom and, registar/vicar two witnesses can make it then go ahead.

It won’t be the event that you planned but we are in utterly unprecedented times

If the policy says "due to the outbreak of infections disease" then that's a lot more widely written than "the policyholder catching an infectious disease" so I wouldn't give up hope yet.

I'm sure there will be thousands of court cases that will test when a policy like this is triggered. The important thing is to not concede anything and to keep the claim open for as long as possible.

I think you could ask the venue how, in the light of government policy this week, they could justify allowing your wedding event to go ahead rather than cancel it themselves. Even the churches are going online now.

No quick and easy solution for this.

I think we will go ahead with a small ceremony as that's the main part for us and just cut our losses with the venue...thank you all, just needed some grounding as starting to go insane!

🎈I hope you have a lovely day on Saturday and wish you every happiness for the future.

I would keep trying with your insurance company, even if you only get some of your money refunded so you can have a celebration later.

Have a wonderful day. And then maybe a massive first anniversary party

Feel so sorry for people who are having to do this. I know weddings can take years of planning, and to get this close and see all your plans dissolve must be pretty heartbreaking. 💐

@Monkeysmotherx3 I'm so sorry this is impacting your day.
@Filka has some good advice. Good luck.

I do hope you go ahead with the actual wedding as in the long run you want to be married. Enjoy your party once all this madness has calmed down.

A private GP appointment over Skype and a lot of coughing? Got to be worth the money?

Just an update for anybody in the same boat, because the venue had to shut we were able to claim the cost of that back from the insurance so may be the same for other people too

Thanks for the update.

Who was your insurer? When did your venue close?

Mine closed Friday morning before the announcement and I’m with dream saver. I’m waiting til tomorrow to phone them to start a claim but I’m not holding my breath.

Dramalamaindeed how did you get on with your wedding insurance?

There is a wedding, and then there is a marriage - the marriage is the more important part. Times are difficult, but if you have the right partner everything can be achieved.Take care, I hope your marriage will be as happy and fulfilling as mine is-