One-day event insurance, explained

"Event insurance" is a label for a few different things. Here's what the common terms mean, and what to ask your venue and a licensed agent.

See the questions to work through

One-day event insurance is a general name for short-term insurance tied to a single event. The two kinds you'll hear about most are event liability (with host liquor liability as the alcohol-related term) and event cancellation, and they're often sold separately. Venues that ask for insurance usually ask about liability. What any one policy includes is set by its own wording.

Not insurance or legal advice. As a bartender, not a licensed insurance agent, I don't sell insurance. What a policy covers, what your venue requires and what your state's laws say all vary by state, venue and policy. Read the policy itself, and if you're unsure, ask a licensed agent or your state insurance department.

The common terms side by side

Term	What it generally refers to	Who tends to ask about it
Event general liability	Insurance related to claims that someone was hurt, or property was damaged, in connection with an event	Venues, often with a minimum limit and the venue named as additional insured
Host liquor liability	The alcohol-related side of liability when the host serves drinks for free	Venues that allow outside alcohol or bartenders
Cancellation or postponement	Insurance related to lost deposits and rescheduling costs	Usually not the venue. Whether it's worth looking into is a conversation to have with a licensed agent

The NAIC calls liability and cancellation the two most common types of event insurance, and says liability is the most common of the two.

Policies are packaged differently from one insurer to the next, so ask the insurer or a licensed agent what a given quote includes.

Questions to work through before you call anyone

Does your venue require insurance? Get the requirements by email: the limits, who must be named as additional insured, and the dates. The venue checklist lists what to ask.
Will alcohol be served for free? Ask the venue whether they want host liquor liability, and bring that to a licensed agent. Read host liquor liability, explained.
Will alcohol be sold through a cash bar, drink tickets or a ticket that includes drinks? Whoever sells needs the right license or permit for your state, and it's worth telling the venue and any agent, because it changes the conversation.
Is the party at your home? Start with the insurer that writes your homeowners or renters policy and ask what it says about a party at home.
How much money is in deposits? Write down what's nonrefundable and by when. That's useful for any conversation about cancellation insurance.
Are you hiring vendors? Ask the bartender, caterer and DJ for a certificate of insurance. Here's what to ask a bartender for.
Is the insurer licensed in your state? Check with your state insurance department.

Words you'll see on a quote

Per occurrence / aggregate: in general, the limit for one incident, and the limit in total for the policy.
Additional insured: someone else, usually the venue, who's named on your policy. Venues often require it.
Certificate of insurance (COI): a one-page document that shows a policy exists. It's what venues ask you to send.
Certificate holder: the person or business the certificate is made out to, often the venue.
Coverage dates: the dates and hours a policy applies to. Venues often want setup and breakdown included, not just the party hours.

The exact meaning of each term in a specific policy comes from that policy's wording. If anything on a quote is unclear, ask the insurer or a licensed agent before you sign.

Timing

The NAIC suggests looking into event insurance as soon as you sign contracts or pay deposits, and notes that it can take several days for event coverage to start. Your venue contract may also set a deadline for the certificate, so put that date in your planning calendar next to the final headcount.

A bartender's note on budget

The bar budget has more lines than bottles. Price out the drinks first with the wedding bar calculator, then add anything the venue requires, bartender fees and rentals, so there are no surprises a week out.