How Much Does Vendor Insurance Cost for Wedding and Event Professionals?

Event vendor insurance starts at $50 for a single event of up to three days, or $250 per year for for annual coverage for qualifying businesses. That covers general liability, the coverage nearly every venue, wedding planner, and festival organizer requires before they'll let you work. Vendors can get a quote, buy a policy, and download a certificate of insurance the same day...and in most instances can bind coverage in under 5 minutes.

What is event vendor insurance?

Event vendor insurance is a general liability policy for businesses that work at events like weddings, festivals, trade shows, craft fairs, corporate parties, etc. It covers claims that you (the contracted vendor) caused bodily injury or property damage while working.

Here are a few examples of when an event policy would kick in:

• A guest trips over your speaker cable and breaks a wrist.
• Your light stand tips into the venue's antique mirror.
• Someone gets sick after eating from your booth.

In each case, general liability responds to the claim against your business for medical bills, repair costs, and your legal defense if it turns into a lawsuit.

Typical limits are $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, which is also what most venue contracts specify and require.

Why does the venue need a certificate of insurance?

A certificate of insurance (a COI) is a one-page document proving your policy is real and active. Venues require one because their own insurance doesn't cover your work. If you damage the building or injure a guest, the venue wants the claim to land on your policy, not theirs.

Most venues also want to be named as an additional insured on your policy. That extends your coverage to protect the venue for claims arising from your work. It's a standard request; it's free to add, and it's the single most common reason a vendor gets held up at the door.

Per-event or annual coverage: which do you need?

The math is pretty simple.   If you're working more than 5 events a year, the annual policy probably makes more sense.

What vendor insurance does not cover

Worth knowing before you buy, because this trips people up:

• Your own equipment. If your camera is stolen from your car or your PA system gets rained on, general liability doesn't pay. You need inland marine or business property coverage for that.
• Mistakes in your professional work. A photographer who loses the wedding photos is facing a professional liability claim, not a general liability one.
• Your employees' injuries. That's workers' compensation.
• Liquor liability. Bartenders and caterers serving alcohol need to add retail liquor coverage to their vendor policy.

Which event vendors need liability insurance?

Most reputable venues require a COI for anybody who steps foot on their property and performs services.  Event Helper offers vendor coverage specifically to wedding and event professionals like:

• Wedding planners and coordinators
• DJs, musicians, and entertainers
• Photographers and videographers
• Florists and decorators
• Caterers and bartenders
• Trade show exhibitors
• Craft fair and festival vendors
• Photo booth operators
• Food vendors and food trucks
• Hair and makeup artists
• Rental and equipment suppliers

If your class of business isn't listed, that doesn't mean you are not eligible.  We recently expanded our program to include a number of new vendor types.

What's new in the Event Helper vendor program

If you priced vendor insurance with us before and it didn't work out, the program has changed materially:

• Lower pricing across the board, with event coverage now starting at $50
• More eligible class codes, so businesses previously declined may now qualify
• A seamless online experience: quote, purchase, and download your COI without a phone call
• Self-service certificate updates, so a last-minute venue request doesn't require waiting on anyone

Frequently asked questions

How much does vendor insurance cost? Event coverage starts at $50 for up to three days. Annual coverage starts at $250 for qualifying businesses. Final price depends on your class of business, coverage limits, and risk exposure.

How fast can I get a certificate of insurance? Quotes and policy issuance are available online immediately, and your COI is available to download as soon as the policy is issued.

Do I need insurance to sell at a craft fair? Usually yes. Most organizers require vendors to carry general liability and to provide a COI naming the event or venue as additional insured. Check your vendor agreement for the required limits.

Can I add the venue as an additional insured? Yes. You can add additional insureds and update certificates online at any time during your policy period.

What if I only work one event a year? Event-based coverage exists for exactly that. Buy a policy for the dates you need, starting at $50.

What if I have my own annual policy that doesn't meet the venue requirements? You can buy an event-based policy to meet that venue's requirement for as little as $50.

Does this cover my equipment? No. General liability covers claims others make against you. Damage to or theft of your own gear requires separate property coverage.

Get a quote

If you need general liability coverage or a COI for a client, venue, or event, you can get a quote and buy online in less than 5 minutes.

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