Recently, I came across on Facebook a few high-profile gay weddings/engagements celebration held in Singapore. It is heartening to see these happy couples from the queer community are getting acceptance from their family, holding these ceremonies to affirm their love for each other – even though gay marriages are not recognized in Singapore. I, for one, would love a wedding ceremony with my future partner (Single AF right now) and hopefully by then it will be recognized in Singapore.
Enough of me fantasizing, if you are not aware by now from the countless weddings you have attended, and number of times which Auntie Kam asking you “when is your turn to get married?” (as if they don’t know that you are waiting to burst out of the closet), that wedding is a very expensive affair.
For queer folks like us, we may be able to escape organizing a customary wedding dinner, but mind you, a scaled down version of a wedding ceremony is not cheap either. The last thing you want is to incur more expenses for this once in a lifetime affair.
To ensure a smooth sailing event and minimize any surprises (at least for the pocket), there are certain insurance coverages available in the market to cover your wedding ceremony?
In this article, I am going to share with you some tips and ideas to safeguard your wedding event, should you be planning one after this Covid-19 drama and we get back to ‘normal’ life.
Why do I need to buy an insurance for my wedding?
You might be asking, “I already pay so much for the wedding ceremony, why do I still have to buy insurance to cover it? Too much money is it?!”
When you rent a location, be it a function room of a hotel or a posh restaurant, they will want the space to be returned more or less the same state as before renting to you to able ensure their business continuity. So, they will definitely seek compensation from you, IF you destroy half of the venue when you and your guests are enjoying the moment (okay I am exaggerating but you get what I mean…).
Getting an insurance coverage will be good for your event since it will cost way lesser than you have to pay if something goes wrong (red packet money which you have collected on your wedding day, it should be used for a better purpose NOT to be used to pay fines/compensation)
What is covered in the insurance?
The more commonly seen coverage that is available in Singapore market is a liability coverage, some insurance companies provide an insurance program call the “Events Liability Insurance”. In essence a wedding is a private event, there are no issues to cover weddings or ceremonies – be it straight or gay.
This liability insurance will provide you coverage on property damages and personal injury of third party if it arises during the wedding event. Like the earlier scenario, if the venue owner seeks compensation from you then you can lodge a claim to be assessed with the insurance company.
Chances are, you will be serving food at your wedding. In the event any of your guests report food poisoning, you will be assured that the liability coverage is able to cover this too with the food and beverage extension, just discuss with the cater/restaurant or hotel to confirm if they have one in place. Else for a peace of mind just include it in.
While most insurance companies only offer coverage if your wedding is held in Singapore, there are also a few insurance companies that provide coverage for weddings held overseas. Do check with your insurance advisor!
I want more cover! Is there more?!
Sure, of course! Here are some other types of coverage you can seek. Note that they are offered only by select group of insurance providers.
Material Damage/ Property under care custody and control
If the venue you have rented does not have everything that you need for your fantasy wedding theme and you have to rent it from external vendors, you will also be expected to return the items in good condition. If you damage the items rented, you will be expected to pay for it (see what I mean? Wedding is all about money money and more money).
So, some insurance companies will extend the cover it either from the events liability cover or provide a material damage cover, these 2 options will come with additional cost.
Cancellation/Abandonment
We do not experience 4 seasons in Singapore, and we do not experience extreme weather. You do not need to worry about hailstorm, blizzard, hurricane or etc. However, if there is “ponding”, unpredictable serious weather situation at your overseas wedding where an advisory is issued on your wedding venue, you will have no choice but to postpone or cancel the wedding.
An abandonment/cancellation coverage can help you recoup part of the unrecoverable losses from the policy,
Depending on how extensive you want to cover your wedding, the additional premium can be quite substantial because the insurance company will get an official meteorological report and forecast the rainfall on your wedding day. So if you are planning for a grand and lavish wedding where you are flying in friends from around the world to attend to make it ‘the’ gay wedding of the decade, then make sure you that it is well covered. PS: Runaway bride/groom is not going to be covered.
Non-Appearance
In our queer community, we often say we get to choose our family members. If our family by birth does not acknowledge us at the wedding, and you choose your fairy gay-mother to walk your down the aisle, there is a fair consideration too.
If on the actual wedding day, your fairy gay-mother gets severely sick, you can receive some compensation from the coverage if you can show proofs that your fairy gay-mother’s (or VIP) absent is of life threatening reasons.
If, it is only a common cold or mild fever, tell your fairy gay-mother to pop 2 paracetamols, or down a few glasses of cosmopolitan, and get on with it!!!
Conclusion
To some, a gay wedding in Singapore may not have much meaning. The understanding that because same sex wedding is not recognized is true, but to others it symbolizes a start of a new chapter of their life with the person they love , and they want to celebrate this with their family and friends.
The last thing on any couple’s mind is to have to pay for the additional expenses when something unfortunate happens during the wedding. Talk to a LGBTQ+ friendly insurance advisor to help you with this so you can devote your time enjoying every single moment on your special day.
Disclaimer: Please note that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to the author’s employer, organization, committee or other group or individual. Should there be any facts inaccurately presented, we will kindly appreciate if you could inform us at info@prident.co
