Remember to check your insurance cover ahead of wedding season

As wedding season approaches, we are reminding owners to check their insurance before using their vehicle as part of a wedding.

Classic cars remain a popular wedding transport choice, often selected to complement a couple’s carefully curated theme. However, owners who are asked to use their car to transport the couple or their guests may not realise that their standard insurance policy may not provide the right cover.

Many classic car insurance policies exclude commercial or “hire and reward” use. This means that owners who charge a fee, even informally, for using their vehicle at a wedding could unknowingly be operating without valid insurance.

According to experts at Lancaster Insurance, a standard classic car policy will usually cover scenarios where:

• The vehicle is transporting family or friends
• The car is driven only by individuals named on the policy
• The owner is not advertising or running a wedding car business
• No payment or reward is received for the vehicle’s use

However, if a classic car owner is hiring their vehicle out or receiving any form of payment, this must be declared to their insurer to ensure appropriate cover is in place, even if the car is driven by someone already named on the policy.

Yvonne Gosney, at Lancaster Insurance, comments “There’s something about a classic car that no modern car can replicate. It turns the journey into part of the occasion, which is why they remain so popular as wedding cars.

“Our message is simple: if you own a classic car and a family member or friend asks to use it as part of their wedding, a five minute call to your insurance provider can give you complete peace of mind.”

Classic wedding favourites

Traditional wedding cars continue to include vintage marques such as Bentley, Rolls Royce, Daimler and Bramwith, long associated with elegance and occasion.

More recently, couples have opted for a wider variety of eye catching classics, including Ford Mustangs, VW Beetles and campervans, Morris Minors, Minis and classic Land Rovers, reflecting more personalised and informal wedding styles.

Lancaster Insurance has also seen requests involving more unusual wedding cars, from retro sports cars to characterful classics that reflect the couple’s personality rather than tradition further underlining the importance of checking insurance cover in advance.

To read more about classic cars wedding cars visit our blog Why classic cars never go out of style at weddings.