The short answer
A certificate of insurance (COI) for a wedding vendor is a short document, issued through the vendor's insurer or insurance agent, that summarizes the vendor's policies, limits and policy dates. A venue may require one from each outside vendor before the event. Check your venue contract for the requirement, the due date and any additional insured wording, then collect and track each certificate.
What should be on a wedding vendor certificate of insurance?
A certificate lists the insured business, the insurance companies, the types of policy, policy numbers, effective and expiration dates, and limits. It also has a certificate holder box, for the party the certificate is issued to, and a description area where an event date or venue may be noted.
A certificate is a summary, not the policy itself, and it may state that it is issued for information only. Check that the insured name matches the business on your vendor contract and that the policy dates cover your setup day, event day and breakdown. What a certificate does or does not show about coverage is a question for a licensed insurance professional.
Do wedding venues require vendor insurance?
A wedding venue requires vendor insurance only if its contract or vendor rules say so. Look in the venue contract, and in any rules, vendor policy or exhibit it incorporates, for a section on outside vendors. It may name the policy types required, minimum limits, the certificate holder name and address, additional insured wording, which vendors it applies to and a due date before the event.
Also check whether the contract makes you responsible for your vendors meeting these requirements, and what it says happens if one does not, such as a vendor being refused entry. That is a planning risk worth resolving weeks ahead rather than on the morning of the wedding.
- Policy types and minimum limits listed
- Certificate holder name and address
- Additional insured wording, copied exactly
- Which vendors the rule applies to
- Due date and where to send certificates
What does additional insured mean on a wedding COI?
A venue may ask to be named as an additional insured on a vendor's policy, sometimes with its owner or management company listed too. This is a separate request from being named as certificate holder, and the venue may specify the exact legal names and wording to use.
Send the wording to each vendor exactly as the venue wrote it, and ask the vendor to pass it to its insurance agent. Whether a particular policy can add the venue, and what that would cover, depends on the policy; ask the vendor or a licensed insurance professional rather than assuming.
How do I request a certificate of insurance from a vendor?
List each business that will work on site: caterer, bar service, rentals, florist, photographer, videographer, DJ or band, lighting, transport, and any others the venue rule covers. Send each one the venue requirements in full, the due date and the venue contact, and ask them to send the certificate to the venue and copy you.
For example, if a hypothetical venue requires certificates 14 days before an October 16 wedding, they are due October 2. Setting your own deadline a week earlier, September 25, leaves time to correct a certificate. Record in the worksheet when you sent the request, when the certificate arrived and when the venue approved it.
Do I need liquor liability or event insurance?
Check the venue contract for any alcohol section. It may require a bartending service to carry liquor liability coverage, or require you to buy a special event policy, particularly if you supply the alcohol. Record exactly what is required and from whom, including any limits, additional insured wording and due date, because these may differ from the rules for other vendors.
Whether a policy covers a particular situation depends on its terms and on your state. Ask the venue to state its requirement in writing, and take the checklist below to a licensed insurance professional before buying anything. Keep a copy of any policy you buy with the venue contract, and add its certificate to your tracker.
- Does the venue require liquor liability, and from whom?
- Does the venue require the couple to buy an event policy?
- What limits and wording does it specify?
- Does it apply to alcohol you supply yourself?
- Which questions go to a licensed insurance professional?
How do I verify a vendor's certificate of insurance?
To verify a vendor's certificate of insurance, compare it with the venue's list: expired or wrong dates, a business name that differs from the contract, limits below the minimum, a missing policy type or missing additional insured wording. Ask the vendor for a corrected certificate from its agent. Do not edit a certificate yourself.
If a vendor cannot meet a requirement, ask the venue in writing whether it will accept an alternative, and keep the reply. If it will not, you may need to decide whether to replace that vendor, so raise the issue early. Once the venue approves a certificate, note the date in your tracker and keep a copy with the vendor contract.
Certificate of insurance tracker
Use one row for a decision or deliverable. Keep unanswered items visible. Download the blank worksheet to open in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets.
On a small screen, swipe the worksheet sideways to see the remaining columns.
| Vendor | Requirements sent (date) | Certificate received (date) | Matches venue requirements? | Venue approved (date) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caterer | — | — | — | — |
| Bar service | — | — | — | — |
| Rentals | — | — | — | — |
| Florist | — | — | — | — |
| Photographer | — | — | — | — |
| Videographer | — | — | — | — |
| DJ or band | — | — | — | — |
| Lighting or transport | — | — | — | — |
A message you can make your own
Add your document reference and the questions that apply. You decide what to send and send it yourself.
Our venue requires a certificate of insurance from each outside vendor. Their requirements are copied below, including the policy types and limits, the certificate holder name and address, and the additional insured wording. Could you ask your insurance agent for a certificate that matches these requirements and send it to [venue contact] by [date], copying us? If any item is not something you carry, please let us know by [date] so we can check with the venue.
Common questions
Who should a certificate of insurance be made out to?
A wedding vendor's certificate of insurance is made out to the certificate holder your venue names in its requirements, which may be the venue's legal name, its owner or its management company. Copy the name and address exactly as the venue wrote them into your request, and ask the venue whether you should also be listed.
Do certificates of insurance expire?
A certificate of insurance lists each policy's effective and expiration dates, so check that those dates cover your setup day, event day and breakdown. If a vendor's policy ends before your wedding, ask for a new certificate once the policy renews, and set a reminder in your tracker so the venue has a current copy before its deadline.
Is a certificate of insurance the same as proof of insurance?
A certificate of insurance is one kind of document a venue may accept as proof of a vendor's insurance, and your venue decides which documents it accepts. If a vendor offers a policy page or another document instead, ask the venue in writing whether it will accept it. For what any document shows about coverage, ask a licensed insurance professional.
How much is a certificate of insurance for an event?
A certificate of insurance for a wedding vendor has no single price you can rely on, and whether the vendor passes on any cost is between you and the vendor. The larger cost is the coverage itself. If the venue asks you to buy a special event policy, request written quotes from insurers for the limits and wording the venue lists, and compare those.
Does my photographer need a certificate of insurance?
A wedding photographer, DJ or other vendor needs a certificate of insurance only if your venue's rule covers them. Check whether the requirement applies to all outside vendors or to named categories, and ask the venue to confirm in writing which of your vendors need one. Then send each of them the requirements and due date.
Can a friend or relative help without a certificate of insurance?
A friend or relative helping at a wedding may or may not need a certificate of insurance, depending on the venue's rule. It may apply to businesses only, or to anyone providing a service such as bartending, music or setup. Ask the venue, and get the venue's answer in writing before relying on it.
Does the venue's own insurance cover my vendors?
Whether a venue's own insurance covers your vendors depends on the venue's policy terms, which you may not have seen, so do not assume it does. Ask the venue what it requires from each vendor, and put questions about what any policy covers to a licensed insurance professional in your state.