How To Find + Book Your Wedding Transportation

Ahhh, How Do I Get Everyone To The Venue?!

Here Are Some Tips To Get Your Wedding On Time And In Style With Your Bridal Party And Guests In Tow.

Where Do I Find Wedding Transportation?

Well friends, a quick search on google or yelp is the first place to start.  Then we recommend searching TheKnot and WeddingWire.  And if a do-it-yourself search just doesn’t fit in you, ask your wedding planner!  They have many resources up her sleeves to help you find just what you need.

Who Do I Transport?

The first step is to take a headcount for immediate family and VIPs. This typically means the bride and groom, their wedding party, both sets of parents, siblings not in the wedding party, and grandparents. Some couples may also provide transportation for out-of-towners or all guests if there is extensive transportation from the ceremony to the reception. So, how do I decide who to transport? The decision may come down to budget. Just make sure no VIP guests are stranded.

When Do I Book My Transportation?

Book a car company way in advance. Hire your car company about 6 months out (after you’ve settled on your date, party size, ceremony, and reception site. Be aware of any other special events that may be happening around your day such as prom, graduation season, etc. Formal vehicles will be in high demand during this time and it is best to book your transportation event early if possible. Keep in mind, you don’t have to use the first company you find. Research your options and gets quotes from the top contenders.

www.weddingcarskentmedway.co.uk

If you are hosting out-of-towners, or your ceremony and/or reception site are far, consider providing them a ride from a location (i.e. their hotel) to the wedding and back. A charter bus or shuttle which holds up to 60 passengers, will usually do the trick. Or go the extra mile and choose something with character that matches your wedding, like a double decker.

www.kaylaadamsphoto.com

When booking your wedding transportation keep in mind traffic, pictures running late, time of day, etc.  Pad in some extra time onto each trip you’ll be making for any unexpected delays. Keep in mind, getting everyone into the vehicle on time can be a task in itself. Another thing to keep in mind when booking your transportation is wait time. Most rental companies will charge by the hour, with a minimum booking time. Be sure to calculate the total hours needed from the ceremony pickup to the end of the reception, to determine whether it’s worth it to pay for the wait.

Making It Official With Your Wedding Transportation

Once you choose your transportation, be sure to get all the details in writing with your rental company. These points should be included in the contract:

• Date, time, and location(s) of pickup and drop-off points

• Type and number of vehicles rented

• Exact hours each vehicle is hired for

• Amenities supplied in each vehicle

• Total cost included gas and mileage

• Overtime fees and gratuities

• Deposit amount

• Cancellation and refund policies

And that’s all folks!  If you feel like you need a little further guidance, drop a comment below and we’d be happy to help!

p.s.  Isn’t my friend Emily such a beaming bride?

Should We Have Premarital Counseling?

You may be thinking, “why would I need to go to counseling before I’m even married?”. Although this might sound premature, there are many benefits to attending premarital counseling before tying the knot. The choice to add this in the wedding planning process is completely up to the individual couple, but here are some tips if you’re thinking about signing up and how to get started:

Why Consider Premarital Counseling?

Premarital counseling can begin any time prior to the wedding. If you’d really like to work through topics with your significant other, it might be better to set it up sooner rather than later. Creating a space to directly work on communication can provide you with time to discuss your unique stories and how they fit into each other’s lives. Your time in counseling can help combine visions you each have for the future so that once you are married there is a clear path for where you want your relationship to go. Also, if you and your significant other have had communication issues in the past, premarital counseling is a great place to sort out those feelings and work on effective communication before your marriage even begins!

Benefits Of Premarital Counseling:

Being married will send you over-the-moon with exciting ideas, hope, and vision for the future. Some of these visions can include challenging topics, but counseling can help you sort out the details. Some of these topics include kids, finances or intimacy. With a third party in the room, counseling provides guidance into navigating some of the deep (but exciting) waters that marriage provides. A therapist can guide you through all of the emotions that are associated with life decisions while helping you develop effective communication skills. It can be challenging to convey how you feel in the emotional moments but if you’re able to process your thoughts with a third party then clarity can be brought to the situation. Even if you and your fiance have already discussed hopes for the future, premarital counseling can provide a space for you to openly talk about your relationship.

How Do I Get Started?

There are multiple ways to begin premarital counseling, ranging from expanding current practices or doing a little research to get started with a therapist in your area. If you and your fiance are part of a religious institution then this is a great place to seek additional counseling. A combination of choices may be available including small groups or meeting with a member of your church for individual counseling. If you would rather seek premarital counseling elsewhere, another great option is if you already see a therapist. Consider the possibility of including couple sessions along with your individual meetings. Beginning these sessions with someone who is already part of your trust circle can make premarital counseling easier to start. If you don’t see a therapist or would like to seek counseling elsewhere, a little research can go a long way. Ask friends for recommendations or search for marriage counselors in your area and look at their reviews or sessions that are offered. It’s possible for any couple to find a premarital counseling fit that makes them feel comfortable, safe, and successful.

The benefits of premarital counseling cannot be stated loud enough. This provides a place to have open communication about your relationship and it provides a safe place to discuss some of the more difficult topics that marriage presents. At the end of it, you and your fiance will be able to communicate easier and it may set you up for more success in marriage. Think about your options based on the community you are in – whether a church or therapist can provide the resources you are looking for. If not, there are premarital counselors everywhere who are willing to help you before the wedding day comes!

Finding Dresses For Your Bridesmaid + Flower Girls

Now That You Have Found Your Dream Dress And Your Dream Entourage, It Is Time To Start The Next Shopping Journey; The Bridesmaid Dresses And The Flower Girl Dress.

Research

Strapless ~ lace ~ pink ~ blue ~ purple ~ short, etc. So many different things to consider when searching for your bridal party dresses. The first step, do your research. Begin browsing around for different styles of dresses. If you are looking online or in magazines, tear out pages or bookmark them. Save the image on a Pinterest board so you have a point of reference.  It’s also kind to consider dresses that are complementary to different body types. 

Budget

Keep costs in mind.

If any of your friends have been in a bridal party before, they know they pay for their own dresses. But a gentle reminder never hurts. While your bridal party should understand that it can become a bit expensive when agreeing to stand up at your wedding, you will want to be mindful of how much the dress will cost, including the alterations. When it comes to price, be considerate of how much the dresses cost and your bridal party’s budget. Focus your search on dresses in more affordable range or select colors you like and let them select the style. Another idea may be to rent dresses for the bridal party. Rental sites let you choose high-end designers in wide ranges of style and colors for a fraction of the cost.

Things To Keep In Mind:

When working with your bridesmaid for dresses, keep in mind the following:

1. Style

2. Color

3. Fit

Each bridesmaid will styles, colors, and fits they do not like. Instead of finding out what styles your bridal party likes, try asking them what they don’t like. It will be way easier to narrow down the list based on what they won’t wear.

Some brides will have their bridal party choose their own dresses on their own. Others may want to order the bridal party dresses from the same place. Keep in mind the timeline. Gowns can take two to three months to arrive and four to six weeks for alterations. Be sure to allow enough time for delivery and any alterations that may have to be done.

For Your Flower Girl(S)

Adriana Klas Photography

Now while your bridal party dresses needs to be fit perfectly to the shape of the body and the hem needs to be just right, with the flower girl(s), you can be a little more flexible. There are some many options for flower girl dresses from tutus and puffy to silky slim. They can touch the ground, be ballerina length, or ankle length. Because the flower girls are young, it may be smarter to buy a size up since there will be growth. This will also depend on how long it will be from when you ask her to be your flower girl to the actual wedding day.

Our Favorite Places to Shop

There are so many wonderful places to shop for your bridesmaids and flower girl dresses. Aside from shopping at your local bridal boutiques (ask us for our favorites in your areas), we also love places like:

Show Me Your Mumu

Birdy Grey

Revelry

Everything You Need to Know About Wedding Registries

What You Need To Know About Wedding Registries

Creating a wedding registry will take the guess work out of gift buying for your guests. Gift giving will be a large part of your wedding celebration (and your new home). Sometimes couples are minimalist or they feel like they have everything they need and aren’t quite sure what to put on the registry.

Here Are A Few Ways Wedding Registries Have Changed And How You Can Benefit From It!

Wedding Registries

Wedding registries used to be from brick and mortar stores. Now, couples can register online (amazon.com being a big option for the millenials), making this easier for guests to purchase something and send it directly to the couple. However, there are some guests who may like to keep it traditional, so adding a brick-and-mortar registry as well.

The Honeymoon Registry

Honeymoon registries can be a great alternative to traditional registries. With couples waiting to get married later in life, they probably have everything they need (Blenders ~ Kitchen Aid ~ Plates ~ Bedding ~ etc.). That’s why a honeymoon registry can be a great alternative. Most sites give you the option to break it down by specific gifts: airfare, hotel, activities – or you can ask for a lump sum. Be sure to include the registry URL to your wedding website and spread the word to your guests!

Having Trouble Deciding What To Do For Your Registry? Need Some Help? Below Are Some Tips To Help You Get On Track For Registering For Gifts!

Lifestyle:

Think about you and your fiance’s life style. What do you like to do as a couple? Take inventory. Do you and your fiance need anything (blender, cooking ware, etc.)?

Register Early:

Registering for wedding gifts should be one of the first tasks you tackle when you start planning your wedding. Whichever type of registry you decide, be sure to share the link on your wedding website or on the invitation.

 Be Sure To Register Together:

After all, the gifts are for both of you. To decide what you need, take inventory of what you have and items you may want to have. Talk about the style of your home and how you live then find things you both like. Try to avoid filling your list with things you’re never going to use. For example, if you two aren’t the formal party types, then you probably won’t need a crystal bowl.

Choose More Than One Spot To Register At.

Two to four registries is a good number to give your guests choices and it’s manageable. Your guests will have plenty of items to choose from and you won’t have to keep adding to your registry. With the changing ways to register for a wedding, you could have a mixture of an online registry, brick-and-mortar registry, and a honeymoon registry. 

Need Some Ideas On Where To Register?

Wedding Registries:

1. Amazon.com

2. Bed Bath and Beyond

3. Crate and Barrel

4. Anthropologie

5. Pier 1

6. Pottery Barn

7. Target

8. Zola

9. Williams Sonoma

Honeymoon Funds:

1. Honeyfund

2. Zola

3. Blueprint Registry

4. Honeymoon Wishes

5. Traveler’s Joy

6. Tendr

7. Wanderable

Happy registry!

A Guide to Choosing Your Ceremony Readings

When you are planning the details of your ceremony, it’s common to include personal touches that are unique to you and your fiance! One special-touch that many couples choose to include is a reading. Here’s what you need to know about how to include this into your ceremony! 

Incorporating a reading can add an intimate touch to your wedding ceremony and there are many different ways to approach a reading. If you have an important mentor, friend, or family member attending your wedding and you’d like them to speak during the ceremony, then requesting them to read a passage can be quite an honor. If you choose to ask someone special to prepare a reading, then give them enough time to prepare! Ask at least a month or two in advance of the ceremony. 

If you’d rather choose a quote from a book, bible verse, or other important work, you can also request someone special to read pre-written item. You and your fiance can sit down and think about words that have impacted your lives, relationship or how you hope your marriage will look. Choosing the reading together will make it incredibly sweet to hear those words again on your wedding day. 

      Photography: @custockphotography

Depending on how long your reading is, it can be done towards the beginning of the ceremony, or smaller passages can be read intermittently. If you have other traditions you are including (religious or non-religious) then pairing the reading with these traditions is a good way to continue the flow of the ceremony. Ultimately, it’s up to you and how you want to craft these special moments! Just remember, don’t make the reading incredibly long – this will help your guests follow along without losing interest. 

Readings can be chosen from any number of sources – religious or non-religious; they are typically picked with some sentimental meaning to the couple getting married. You and your fiance can read the passage, or you can ask an important friend or family member to do the honors. If you’d like this important person to create their own words for your ceremony, remember to give them enough of a notice so they have time to think through what they want to say! 

Want some helpful places to look for these readings?

Check out these links!

https://www.brides.com/story/nonreligious-wedding-ceremony-reading-ideas

https://www.theknot.com/content/find-ceremony-readings

Everything You Need To Know About Wedding Rehearsals

The big day is coming and now it’s time to rehearse! You may be feeling opposite emotions of the same coin: excitement and anxiety about this amazing day and huge commitment you’ve been making plans now for probably close to a year.  We’re here to tell you, 1. They’re normal, you’re normal! And, 2. We’ve got you well taken care of, so breathe in and breathe out, do some yoga and drink some wine, we’ll be taking care of you at rehearsal time.

Curious what to expect during your rehearsal?

Here’s a play by play on what to expect when it comes to your wedding rehearsal:

Who Should Be There?

We get asked this all the time and it’s a great question!  Aside from your wedding planner and your officiant, basically, those people that are your VIP’s.  Who are your VIP’s? They mostly include your parents and your wedding party. And anyone else who has a key part or moving part in your actual wedding ceremony.  Do you have someone ready a special poem? They should be there. Do you have a ring bearer and flower girl? They should be there! Are your grandparents being escorted down the aisle?  They should be there (actually, these are VIP’s that we’re okay with missing if it would be too taxing on them).  

When Should We Schedule Our Rehearsal For?

There are several factors at play here. Ideally, your rehearsal will take place at your venue.  This is always the preferred option. It’s preferred because your VIP’s can get familiar with the space before all the excitement and hustle and bustle of the actual wedding day.  Usually, the rehearsals are scheduled for the Thursday or Friday before your wedding. It’s important to note that many venues will be hosting weddings Thursday through Sunday from noon on so it’s typical for them to only be available before noon those days.  But, that’s not always the case. 

The tricky part is coordinating this date between the venue, your wedding planner and officiant, and your wedding VIP’s.  

We suggest finding the date that works with the most persons and going with that.  Do factor in that your vendor professionals may be booked already if you don’t consult with them first! 

Note:  Best practice for your wedding parties is to politely request them be flexible from Thursday on for your wedding weekend. 

What If ____________ Can’t Make It?

We know it’s a bummer when one of your bridesmaids or groomsmen can’t make it for the rehearsal. Many times they can’t that day off work OR they had already booked their flight for the day after.  

Not to fear, when that is the case, we like to rehearse with either a ‘ghost’ bridesmaid or groomsmen, leaving a space for them, or we ask an extra guest to be their stand in.  We do ask for the wedding party standing next to them to keep note for the missing attendant and then help us fill them in day-of. If there’s a large number of VIPS missing, we’ll make note to connect with them day-of and run them through the essentials before guests arrive, if possible. 

What Happens During The Wedding Rehearsal:

We ask for everyone to arrive about 10 minutes early.  That means, please tell your guests to be there 10 minutes early.  While we’ve certainly experienced our handful of late wedding party VIPs to rehearsals, please don’t be.  It’s unkind to everyone else who has carved out time from their loved ones and work. True Story:  We once had a rehearsal set where of the 12 people needed, only three were on time.  Slowly, they all came straggling in. All except the bride. She was 45 minutes late.  Putting on makeup in her car. We gave them a 15 minute rehearsal (maybe a little bit longer so everyone got it).  Please don’t be like them. 

From there, your officiant and wedding planner will likely work together to run the rehearsal as smoothly as possible.  Typically, your rehearsal looks like this:

1. Welcome 

2. Staging Where Standing/Sitting During Ceremony

3. Recessional: Practice walking out

4. Processional: Practice walking in

5. Ceremony Highlights:  Your officiant will review the key elements of the wedding ceremony.  

6. Recessional: Practice walking out 

7. Processional: Practice walking in

8. Review Key Times for Tomorrow: Make sure everyone knows when and where to be on wedding day!

Rehearsals typically only last an hour. It is a chance for family to know their role if they are in the wedding and if not, know where they sit. Here are a few things you should be going over in your rehearsal:

1. The Recessional

2. The Processional

3.  The hand-off (If the bride is being escorted down the aisle, how will the escort hand her off to the groom?)

4. The officiant speaking (This can be just the headings or a summary)

5. Any special ceremonies

After the rehearsal, enjoy your dinner with your closest friends and family! Stay tuned for more on the rehearsal dinner. 

Other Items To Highlight:

Below are a few other areas that we feel are important to touch base on

Music:  We’ve run many rehearsals without music and many with.  When working with professionals, they know how to either loop the music around, or repeat verses or choruses so there is plenty of music for everyone walking in. 

The Giving Away or Giving of Self:  We always like to make sure this part is rehearsed (and usually a few times) so it is done gracefully.

The Rings: Be sure to note who will be hold them and to ‘practice’ putting them on. 

Wedding Party: Be sure to remind the wedding party what to do with their hands and the best practices on where and how to stand. There is a bit of a science to this!  

Ceremony Special Music or Readings:  Do you have a special song or reading?  Have those performing practice walking up and sitting down during the rehearsal. 

Marriage License:  Review at the rehearsal who is going to have it day-of, who will be signing it and when it will be signed

After the Ceremony:  Decide during your rehearsal where everyone will be walking out to.  Day-of, if this is not determined it can make for a very chaotic transition from just being married to taking all your cocktail hour photos. 

Hopefully this isn’t brain overload for you!  But don’t worry, you’ve hired a wedding planner so all you have to do day-of is show up, enjoy family and wedding party,  and she’ll direct you from there!

Adriana Klas Photography

Hiring a Wedding Officiant

Trying to decide on your officiant for the wedding? There are many different types of officiants you can use for a wedding. Below are some helpful ideas to guide you in choosing the wedding officiant that’s right for you. 

The Different Types Of Wedding Officiants

Religious Official: Priests, ministers, rabbis, Muslim qadis, and Hindu priests all perform weddings

Ordained Minister: If you want a friend or family member to do the honors, he or she will have to get ordained.

Justice of the Peace or Notary: Appointed on the state level, these officials are authorized to perform civil marriages.

Civil Officiant: In some states, a person can petition for a one-time pass to perform a marriage. Most require the would-be celebrant to take an oath in a local court and pay a small fee.

Questions To Ask Your Potential Officiant:

Once you have decided what kind of officiant you would like to have, contact them and meet with them. When meeting with your potential officiant, it is important that they connect with you and will give you the ceremony you and your fiance are looking for. Keep in mind, while you are trying to decide if the officiant is a good fit for you, the officiant is trying to decide if they are a good fit for you as well.

Here are some questions to ask:

1. What is your fee?

2. How long have you been performing weddings?

3. Why do you like to do weddings?

4. Are you willing to customize your ceremony or let us do so?

5. Can you incorporate X (any special ceremony, unity candle, sand ceremony, etc)?

Questions Your Officiant May Ask:

The officiant may come back with questions of his or her own to get to know the two of you as a couple. Some of the questions are the following:

1. How did you two meet?

2. What made you fall in love with each other?

3. How did you know that you were The One for each other?

4. What are the values that are important to you in your marriage?

5. Where do you see your life as a couple in ten years?

By sharing some of these details, the officiant can get a better understanding of the two of you as the couple, as well as personalize your ceremony with special details. Once you and your officiant feel like this would be a good fit, you can start to get into the details of the ceremony.

Keep in mind, a good officiant will not insist on specific requirements and will give you every consideration for your special day. It’s your wedding! Shop around and listen to your gut. If there is someone who is making you uncomfortable, remember you have other options. Lastly, it is great to go with someone you are comfortable with and have a great connection with. Feeling like you and your officiant are on the same page will put your mind at ease and give you one less thing to stress over!

Ciprian Photography, West Shore Cafe + Inn

How to Plan Your Engagement Party

Are you recently engaged or do you have someone close to you who is? This is an exciting time, and leading up to the wedding there are many parties to celebrate the happy couple. To start this journey, an engagement party is a fun way to share the news with friends and family!

Here are a few tips on how to plan this one-time event:

Getting Started

You may be wondering how to start the event planning. Here are a few basics: Typically, the engagement party is held within a few months of the engagement, and is usually hosted by the bride’s parents (The Knot). If you would rather host (or have your bridesmaids do it), go for it! This might be good practice for your bridesmaids to take initiative in planning events leading up to your wedding. If you don’t have your bridesmaids picked out yet, don’t worry, that’s often the case! You still have plenty of time to solidify your wedding party. At this point, you can recruit help from family members or a couple solid friends that you trust. Gathering support from family or friends for this first celebration can be an immense help.

Planning Details

Luckily, the planning process for the engagement party will mimic that of the actual wedding. That being said, it is important to create a guest list, make invitations and send them out with enough time for guests to RSVP (about 3 weeks). Another rule of thumb: everyone who is invited to the engagement party should also be invited to the wedding. This will help you avoid any awkward conversations later on. You don’t have to create your guest list this early, but inviting close family and friends to your engagement party is a safe place to begin. So, what next? This event doesn’t have to be a huge spectacle, but creating a menu and drink list is important so your guests are taken care of! Beyond these details, the party can be as grand or as intimate as you would like. If you’d like to match the extravagance of the event to that of your wedding, it can make planning easier.

Setting The Scene

This event can be as formal or informal as you’d like. It can be at your favorite restaurant, a friend’s backyard, or at your home. It can be a suit and tie event, or a shorts and sandals kick back. You get to choose! In addition, decorations don’t have to be over the top. These can include very simple color themes, or you can add as many decor details as you’d like. Although gifts aren’t a requirement, having a small area set aside for them is appropriate, but not necessary. Most importantly, you should relax and enjoy time with your significant other and guests. Don’t stress too much over specific details or if everything is perfect. Remember, your guests are there to celebrate YOU! Eat yummy food, enjoy good company, and keep this as a time to celebrate a new season of life.

Congratulations on your engagement, have fun planning, and don’t stress too much! Recruit the help of family and friends to plan this event and keep it as simple or extravagant as you’d like. Although some planning is necessary, such as invitations, guest list, and food, this is a time for you to be celebrated.

Three Tips For Choosing Your Wedding Party

Once you’re engaged, this next season is filled with so many fun decisions, but you will also have to make some difficult choices – including who will stand next to you on your big day. Don’t let this overwhelm you! Taking the time to craft a solid support team will make your wedding that much sweeter.  Here are some things to consider when determining your bridesmaids and groomsmen:

Adriana Klas Photography

Wedding Size

When deciding your wedding party, it’s important to consider the size and budget of your wedding. If you are planning on having a small ceremony with your closest friends and family, your bridal and groomal party should fit that mold. It is perfectly okay to only have a couple of your best friends in the wedding. With a small ceremony, having a huge bridal party might not serve you well. Instead, if you choose to have a larger ceremony, including more people in your wedding party may fit that situation better. This isn’t to say you have to pick a ton of people if you have a big ceremony, but keeping budget and size in mind can help structure who is included.

Trustworthy Friends

When preparing for your wedding day, it’s important to have friends that have seen you through thick and thin. These people can bring you peace, help accomplish tasks, and put you at ease rather than stress you out further. You deserve to have friends and family that are going to help more than hinder on your big day. Although there are friends that see you through different seasons of life, choosing bridesmaids or groomsmen that have been with you from the beginning can create a more trusting and supportive atmosphere. Typically, the people in your wedding help with events like the engagement party, bridal shower, and rehearsal dinner leading up to the celebration. Ensuring you have dependable people within your party can prevent you from feeling overwhelmed or unsupported. Pick people that know you well. They will be able to host these events without bombarding you with questions. You’re going to want people that are self-sufficient and have your back.

The Pressure To Include

Let me start by saying this: your wedding day is YOURS and you shouldn’t feel pressure to include anyone. The most important advice I could give you is to fill your day with people that bring you joy, and let the rest fall into place. Yes, it can be a battle to find that sweet spot between who you want included versus other people’s expectations. It is often the case that the bride and groom look to avoid conflict and therefore choose their siblings or future spouse’s siblings automatically. It might be wise to consider what is most beneficial for the relationships around you, and picking family members can be a safe choice. At the end of the day, you get the final decision, and you shouldn’t feel obligated to include anyone in particular.  

How About A Little Refresher?

Correlating the budget and size of your wedding to your wedding party can act as a helpful starting point. From here, choose people that know you well so they can take care of you through the planning process. Last and most importantly, you may feel pressure to balance desires, but including people that you think are the best fit will make you that much more comfortable on your big day.

Do I Need Wedding Insurance?

Most of the time, special events go pretty smoothly ( minus a few hiccups here and there). But when something unexpected goes wrong, it can be frightening how quickly costs can add up. Who is responsible when something goes wrong? What are the costs? Below we discuss what liability insurance is and if it is required.

What Is A Certificate Of Insurance?

A majority of venues/event locations require vendors and/or event holders to obtain a certificate of liability insurance (also known as one day insurance or event insurance). This Certificate of Insurance is a document that will list the type of insurance coverage you have on that event date and the coverage limits. Sometimes venues may request to be listed on the insurance as an additional insured.

How Do I Know If I Will Need Insurance On The Venue?

Venues often require proof of insurance from renters to confirm that they have coverage in place. Typically, when you are signing the contract to use a venue space, it will say that vendors (i.e. photographers, caterers, videographers, etc.) will need to provide proof of liability insurance. Some venues may want to be listed as an additional insured on the certificate of insurance. If you are uncertain or it is not clear, always be sure to check with the venue.

Why Is A Certificate Of Insurance Necessary?

When contracting with a vendor for your event, the good(s) provided create an inherent liability risk to the venue. Typically the vendor is providing a service to the host, therefore the venue is not typically involved other than guidelines for setup and proof of insurance. By obtaining a certificate of insurance, you are protecting you, your guests, and your venue from any accidents and unexpected damages that may occur. There are many different types of insurance you can get for your event, depending on your needs and what the venue may want.

What Do I Need It For?

Most venues require that you have event or wedding insurance in case certain risks happen during your event in the form of $2M in general aggregate + $1 M per occurrence coverage.  Those risks could be property damage or bodily injury and your insurance will cover the cost of property repairs, medical expenses and lawsuits.  Host liquor liability is also widely available and is a good consideration to protect the host from being liable in the event of liquor related incidents that would occur from alcohol consumption at your wedding/event.

If you wanted to purchase total comprehensive wedding coverage you can cover aspects of your wedding such as the rehearsal dinner, the the ceremony, and reception set-up, event cancellation/postponement due to weather, wedding gifts, special attire, and jewelry.  You can even insure a vendor no show/cancellation and any counseling services that may be needed in the event of a cancelled wedding. 

What Does Wedding/Event Insurance Cost?

The total cost varies depending on aspects like guest count, liability coverage amounts, wedding date, the state of wedding/event, whether you’re serving alcohol or not, and how many other aspects of your wedding you want covered.

On Average, Most Wedding Insurance Costs Between $100-$500.00 Or More. 

When should I purchase event insurance?

Most special event insurance companies recommend you purchase your policy as early as possible, however, many can be purchased as early as two years prior to your date OR as late as one day prior to your event.

Want to learn more about wedding insurance?  Check out this handy blog post by our friends at Lend Edu here:  https://lendedu.com/blog/is-wedding-insurance-worth-it/