If your big day is taking place this year, do you have it covered? Read why you should here.

By Lana Clements

Wedding season is fast approaching, but couples happily splashing out on last minute frills are being urged to protect their spending.

Of course, insurance is likely to be the last thing on minds planning weddings, but with the average big day costing in the region of £18,500 it makes sense to protect it.

Among the disastrous situations that can be covered by insurance are: the wedding venue going bust, cancellation, caterers failing to show and the photographer's equipment failing.

However, financial research company Defaqto says there is huge variation in cover limitations on wedding insurance. The limit for wedding cancellation varies from £2,500 to £70,000 across policies, while only 14% of policies pay out if a supplier, such as caterers, fails to provide their service.

Therefore, couples should shop around for the best value policy before buying. Defaqto assesses all wedding policies on the market and awards a Star Rating from one to five depending on how comprehensive the cover is.

Mike Powell, Defaqto's insight analyst for general insurance, says: "Weddings are very expensive and there are often many costs that have to be paid way in advance, such as placing a deposit on a venue.

"Therefore, it is really worthwhile to get appropriate insurance as soon as money is committed."

"Everyone's situations and plans are different so consumers need to ensure that the features, benefits and levels of cover they need are provided by the wedding insurance policy that they choose...The key is for people to look for the right level of product for their particular circumstances."