Wedding Photography Insurance

Are you a wedding photographer, looking for insurance?

Wedding photographers

Perhaps wedding photography is the more common and instantly recognisable form of photography,wedding photography is probably one of the oldest ones as well as one that has benefited dramatically with the digital revolution.

Not only has equipment advances meant more range of shots, but software allows greater creativity and albums are now designed, constructed and printed as opposed to the insertion of photo’s into small sleeve’s.

However, wedding photography is one form that is open to all manner of potential claim due to the arena it takes place in; the public one. So what insurance should a wedding photographer being looking to have?

Obviously wedding photographers will need to have their kit insured as without these they cannot work. But ensure that the kit is covered for being taken out on location and make sure that the total value of kit taken out is adequate to reinstate to its true resinstatement value as new and covered under and insurance policy.

Many a photographer, professional photographer or otherwise updates their kit and forgets to inform their insurance broker/company. There’s nothing worse than suffering a loss only to find out that you didn’t upgrade your sum insured away from the premises and so aren’t going to receive the correct amount. Unless you are happy to cover the shortfall?

Remember to include items such as laptops and dyesub printers when you are working out how much you take out on location, if your vehicle got stolen with all the items in it, you’d be wanting your insurance to replace it all, so make sure they are covered correctly.

Another consideration with kit is taking it abroad. Many wedding photographers are picking up bookings for outside the UK; make sure you have the cover in place to take your equipment overseas and that the sum insured is correct too. You can also include your travel insurance with Cliik too.

Public Liability for wedding photographers

Wedding photographers obviously are in contact with the public more so than other types of phototographers, insurance for public liability is therefore an essential part of your business, as wedding photographer you need to be covered for any incidents that may occur.

Public liability Insurance insures you against injuring anyone other than yourself or an employee i.e. wedding party guests, the bride, the groom, you get the picture (no pun intended) and if you cause any damage to anyone else’s property such as. the church or the reception venues premises or wedding guests cars.

With the ‘Blame & Claim’ culture continuing, and the law courts imposing larger and larger damages, could you meet any costs if you injured someone at a wedding and they sued you?

Or could you afford to meet any repair costs if you did damage the reception venues premises?  A number of wedding/reception venues are now insisting on getting proof that a wedding photographer or videographer has this cover in place before allowing them onto the premises to do their job!

Public liability insurance for wedding photographers is not expensive

Infact, considering the extent of cover provided it is very competitive - Cliik give £5m public liability insurance as standard.

Employers Liability Insurance for wedding photographers

A bit of a grey area, but let us try and simplify it. Some photographers have full time employees and so know they need this cover. Others may use occasional help (local college student studying photography requiring some on the job experience), some may just very rarely use a family member (niece/nephew)* to assist with things such as carrying bags, setting up lights, holding reflectors etc.

The one thing in common, no matter how long they work for and how much they earn (even if it’s nothing), in the eyes of the law they are employees (and this is also in the eyes of the ‘Blame & Claim’ brigade!).

So, if they were to get injured whilst carrying out your instructions, they can claim. Or if you don’t have the cover, SUE! You’ll be surprised how many ‘family bonds’ go out of the window when someone realises they can make some money out of you!

A few exceptions to the requirement for compulsory Employers Liability Insurance

Family businesses, ie if all of your employees are closely related to you (as husband, wife, civil partner, father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, stepfather, stepmother, son, daughter, grandson, granddaughter, stepson, stepdaughter, brother, sister, half-brother or half-sister).

However, this exemption does not apply to family businesses which are incorporated as limited companies. Those business’ incorporated as limited companies must have compulsory Employers Liability insurance unless that company only employs their owner & that employee also owns 50% or more of the share capital in the company.

Professional Indemnity insurance for wedding photographers

In light of the number of incidents now becoming national news of photographers producing unacceptable results, never has the need for this type of insurance been so prominent.

Even the best photographers in the world can be victim to something unexplained. Ever put an SD card into a reader only to see 4 or 5 black squares appear where there should be photographs? Fine if you’re still at the wedding and can re-shoot the shots if you know what they were.

Having professional indemnity as a wedding photographer it also shows the bride & groom how thorough and professional you are. But what if you don’t discover it till they day after, or the day after that because you’ve been busy? And what if those missing shots are key ones or ones that you were contracted to do? i.e. signing of the register, the first dance, or the shot with the oldest remaining relative, the big family shot? Then what do you do?

Professional Indemnity Insurance assists by covering the financial costs of rectifying the matter if there are any. It’s a bit like a jigsaw puzzle; you now have to provide the missing pieces. Sometimes it’s easy to do and the people involved are only too happy to re-create the missing shots. Other times it can be at a cost that you as the photographer are expected to cover. Re-hire the grooms’ suit, the venue, the car again maybe, or bring back someone who lives far away for the missing shots. It could all mount up, could you afford it?

So if you’re a wedding photographer either established or just starting up, these are some of the covers you should be considering (unless you can afford to cover any financial loss yourself?  In which case, you don’t need us!)

For more information about Cliik products or to get a free no obligation quote, please contact us

See also, Insurance for Portrait Photographers