Pets and wedding insurance  

You’ve probably had your fur baby for years.

Possibly, your fur baby made the early call on your soon-to-be partner for life. An even more critical decision is if your fur baby is a cat or one of those dogs that always sheds impossibly tiny white hairs.

Your fur baby has been there from the outset of this wedding.

One of the first to hear that he popped the big question, and you said yes!

One of the first to hear your vision for the big day: a sprawling winery, the boys in pink ties, the girls in pink dresses.

A chiselled, barefoot Spanish guitarist strumming ballads as you walk down the aisle.

A night of dancing under the stars, the drinks flowing, the finest food the winery can serve.

Your fur baby has outfits. Has his or her weekly bath and groom.

Your fur baby joins in on everything. Picnics, weekends at the Mornington Peninsula, birthdays, bridal showers, and possibly even at the office on bring-your-pet-to-work Fridays.

If your fur baby can choose where on the couch or bed he or she sleeps, there is no way your wedding is out of bounds.

So, let’s answer a few commonly asked questions about pets and weddings to make it the best day for you and Daisy (or Bella or Luna, or Lucy or Lily or Lola or…).

Are pets common at weddings?

Absolutely, and why not?

According to Pawshake, 50% of brides and grooms-to-be plan to include their pets in their wedding!

Our introduction was a bit flippant, though pets mean the world to us: they’re part of your soon-to-be family. Leaving them out might seem cruel, especially if your fur baby can be included on the big day.

What role do pets play at weddings?

Look, this comes down to your wedding and vision, though commonly, as you tie the knot and toast the beginning of your new life together, this is where pets make the most sense.

Pets often appear at the ceremony and even play a part.

It’s cute and fun and reminds you and your pet of their importance to your new family and future.

Typically, it’s time for pets to head home after that.

Find a friend or family member who knows your pet who can take them home or wherever they can be looked after that night.

Are there insurances I should consider for pets at my wedding?

There are two insurances you should consider when it comes to pets at a wedding:

1. Pet insurance
2. Wedding insurance

Pet insurance and weddings

We must be general in our advice here, though pet insurance is a good idea regardless of whether you are getting married.

If you have ever been stung by veterinary costs, you’ll know they can be a real financial hit and often appear out of the blue.

Pet insurances vary widely, and your policy will determine your coverage.

Pet insurance will cover you if your pet is injured at your wedding – or while you’re there or getting home.

Wedding insurance and pets

Wedding insurance is more than pets, of course, and we recommend it to anyone planning a wedding in Australia.

Weddings are expensive functions to pull together, and wedding insurance covers you for most eventualities, including wedding supplier failure, wedding cancellation, rescheduling or postponement, and even lost, stolen or damaged wedding bands.

But pets?

If your pet causes damage at the wedding – to the venue, to your dress, to the equipment of your suppliers – as part of the official ceremony, wedding insurance will cover these costs to the extent of the policy.

Look, we probably wouldn’t take out wedding insurance for just this eventuality, though, of course, if your mutt is called Brutus for a reason, maybe think about it!

When should I take out wedding insurance to cover pet eventualities?

Funnily enough, we always recommend taking out wedding insurance as far out from the big day as possible because it means you are covered for the contracts and down payments you will make during the planning and build-up to the wedding.

And we still think that is important, especially for wedding venue and wedding supplier failure where your down payments happen up-front, and things going awry typically happen much closer to the date.

However, if your fur baby at your wedding is the primary driver for taking out wedding insurance, you can get wedding insurance only 30 days from the big day.

Ready for Brutus, Lola, or whatever fur baby walks you down the aisle?

Please make sure you send us photos. We can’t wait to see that outfit!