Imagine attending a joyous wedding reception at a picturesque Rhode Island location – where a radiant bride, a dashing groom and their families gather in celebration. The drinks flow, guests dance and the newlyweds are boisterously honored.
But one misstep – say, a guest slipping and breaking a bone – can quickly turn celebration into legal risk, with couples potentially on the hook for medical expenses or a lawsuit.
It’s why Charlene DeLuca, a luxury wedding planner and founder of Just a Girl Events LLC in Providence – which handles events across the Northeast, recommends that bridal parties go the extra mile and pay for insurance coverage for their wedding day. Policies can run between $125 and $300.
“They call Rhode Island the ‘slip-and-fall’ state. Folks here are infatuated with personal injury claims and lawsuits,” DeLuca said.
Nationwide, the wedding and special event insurance market continues to grow.
In 2023, the special event insurance market was valued at around $1.5 billion, with continued growth projected through the decade, according to Verified Market Reports. It’s projected to grow to $3.2 billion by 2030.
It’s no wonder such insurance is becoming more common. Illness and injury claims have increased significantly over the last 10 years, rising from 8% of wedding insurance claims in 2014 to 24% in 2024, often involving guests slipping or falling during the event, according to Travelers Insurance.
Christopher Brook, principal of Warwick-based Brook Insurance Associates LLC, says he strongly recommends special event insurance for his clients who are soon-to-be newlyweds, although he acknowledges it’s still not a big part of his business.
“Rhode Islanders, by and large, have a blue color mentality; they might not pay for something they see as unnecessary or only possibly needed,” he said. “Most of the time, nothing bad happens. But what if it does? What if you end up with an ‘Animal House’ situation? This is a litigious state where judgements can be sizeable.”
He also notes that the state does not cap non-economic damages such as pain and suffering, which can contribute to larger awards compared to states with tort reform.
Meanwhile, property damage from guest activities accounted for 15% of claims last year, while vendor-related issues, like service failures, were the leading cause at 27%.
Standard event liability coverage usually provides $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate limits, though high-risk events may need $2 million per occurrence or an umbrella policy. These days, most venues require being added to the coverage, even though the business has its own policy.
According to Eventsured, an online event insurance provider, premiums may increase if the event includes risk factors such as bounce houses, fireworks or certain performing artists from certain musical genres, such as heavy metal, hip hop or electronic dance.
“There’s a million things that could go wrong,” said Kate DeCosta, director of sales and marketing at The Newport Experience, a hospitality company specializing in oceanfront weddings, social events and corporate retreats in Newport. “That few-hundred-dollar policy could save you tens of thousands of dollars, if not more, should something go awry.”
As it stands now, most event liability policies in the state are issued through third-party platforms such as Wedsure and Front Row Insurance, which are often backed by major carriers such as Allianz.
While exact statewide figures aren’t available, a 2024 BriteCo research report found that 65% of wedding venues across the country require at least $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate in liability insurance and name the venue as an additional insured.
“I am adamant about my clients getting event liability coverage whether the venue requires it or not,” DeLuca said. “It’s a no-brainer. When you have folks drinking all day and night, accidents will happen.”
DeLuca says event liability coverage is just as – if not more – essential for backyard weddings, where homeowners’ policies often fall short, noting that homeowner coverage rarely extends to event liability, and couples can’t rely on venue or vendor policies to protect them personally.
And couples getting married in Rhode Island are spending more money on their nuptials than most, figures show.
The state’s average wedding cost – $35,000 – is about 44% higher than the national average, according to The Knot’s 2023 Real Weddings Study. In 2024, the state hosted 6,743 weddings, according to The Wedding Report trade publication.
For couples spending big bucks on their big day, a liability insurance policy may be the smartest decision of all, DeLuca says.
“That’s an investment worth protecting,” she said.
