Of all the decisions a woman makes about her wedding, her choice of bridal gown is arguably the one on which she is most judged. Whether it’s karaoke or a full-blown jazz band, daffodils or daisies, pork or quorn, the impressions these wedding planning choices make on guests are as nothing when compared to the selection of the bride’s wedding gown. Perhaps it’s because there’s something so personal and intimate about a wedding dress, or perhaps it’s because it reveals a glimpse of a woman’s inner-most nature? But whatever the reason, wedding dresses matter – that’s why there are so many superstitions based around them. So imagine, then, what it might be like to walk up the aisle with a huge red wine stain covering the front of your bodice? Doesn’t bear thinking about, does it.

But for Dave Simms, head of wedding insurance for specialist insurer Ecclesiastical, stained and damaged wedding dresses are something he has to contemplate every day. Dave’s been insuring weddings across the UK for over 10 years and knows only too well that, when it comes to wedding nightmares, bridal gowns are right at the front of the pack.

"If there’s anything that can reduce a bride to tears, it’s a problem with her wedding dress," Dave observes. "It may not be the most common claim we deal with, but it’s often the most emotionally devastating."

According to Dave, food and drink are a wedding dress’s worst enemies. When the reception starts to get a little rowdy and the alcohol flows, it’s not uncommon for chocolate or wine or black coffee to end up disfiguring the bride’s dress. Cigarettes are also a risk: burn marks and ash are common culprits.

But does it matter if you damage your wedding dress after the ceremony? "Yes," says Dave emphatically. "Many of our brides want to save their wedding dresses and keep them as a reminder of their big day for the rest of their lives. To have them stained or torn is a real blow to them."

Wedding insurance of the type offered by Dave’s company Ecclesiastical can be the key to peace of mind when it comes to wedding attire.

Ecclesiastical’s wedding insurance, starting from just £19, protects wedding outfits worn by the bride and groom and their wedding party, which includes their parents, the best man, bridesmaids and ushers. However, for the insurance to take effect, the clothing must be special wedding outfits either bought or rented for the day, as opposed to their best suits and dresses which are worn on other occasions.

A good wedding insurance policy will protect a wedding dress from the point the bride receives her dress, right up to the end of the reception. The same is true for the rest of the wedding party. Having that cover while the dress is at home before the wedding is also important: Dave has dealt with more than one case in which a bride has spilled nail varnish on her gown while trying it on in her bedroom.

Not only does the policy insure the dress in case of damage, it will also pay out if the dressmaker goes out of business before the dress is ready. "We get a lot of problems with suppliers going bust," notes Dave. "Now that economic conditions have become a lot tougher, it’s common to see smaller businesses like dressmakers being hit hard by the recession. And the problem is that once they go into liquidation, they tend to take your deposit with them.

"When a couple is already having to fork out hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds for the wedding, losing a deposit will be a major blow."

Along with the wedding outfits themselves, there is often wedding jewellery and other accessories to think about. These can also be insured against damage and loss. "Sikh weddings will often involve ceremonial swords, which can be pretty expensive," says Dave. "And at a traditional Scottish wedding, the men will often carry dirks – small daggers which are part Highland costume."

So when it comes to making those decisions about your wedding dress, aside from the colour, cut and style, there’s one other decision you can make that will always be judged favourably by your guests: to protect it with a good wedding insurance policy – because we’d much rather the bride arrived all dressed in white, not coffee and cigarette ash.