Marquees have now become as familiar at weddings as big white dresses! Having a marquee means that even if the sun doesn't put his hat on for your special day, your guests won't be left out in the cold. Yet special structures like marquees require special wedding insurance in case of damage - so ensure you have an adequate policy to cover it.

A marquee literally provides a blank canvas for your wedding day. Many couples choose a marquee as an alternative venue for the wedding dinner, or even choose to conduct the whole ceremony there. Depending on your needs, you can usually opt for basic trimmings when you hire a marquee, but the plain white walls and sculpted ceilings mean that you can decorate a marquee as you please. You are not limited by pre-existing wallpaper or colour schemes as you might be indoors, so you can let your imagination go wild with interiors. Why not give your guests a surprise when they first enter the marquee; turn the space into an alternative tropical world, a snow scene, or decorate it in striking colours.

If you're getting married in the UK, unfortunately grey skies and ominous clouds are often a reality you'll have to contend with. Although you might have planned your wedding around blue skies, the average summer temperature was 14.7 C in 2009, with forty two days of rain over the UK in June, July and August. Hiring a marquee means that even if the sky clouds over, you won't have to worry about protecting your outfits - however you will still need to protect your marquee.

Quality wedding insurance should cover the loss or damage to a marquee for weddings taking place in the United Kingdom. Some wedding insurance policies will cover your marquee up to the amount detailed in your schedule of cover, some include marquee cover as an optional extra. Normally the policy will provide cover assuming the period of hire will not exceed four days, unless otherwise agreed in writing. You may have hired a marquee from a professional company or be providing your own, however the sum required to replace or repair a damaged marquee will usually be provided at current prices.

It's important to be careful when erecting the marquee if you're doing it yourselves, as wedding insurance will not tend to cover damage caused during the construction or dismantling of the structure. Also remember with most policies the music system will not be covered in the marquee, unless otherwise specified, and damage to the floor caused by footwear also isn't usually covered - so watch out for spiky stilettos dancing until dawn!

If you're planning the perfect wedding, you will need to plan for every eventuality. A marquee won't let you down if the heavens open and wedding insurance will help to protect you financially in case of loss or damage in the process.