Wedding · street party · hired hall
Events insurance for private individuals
For a wedding, an anniversary or a street party you are the organiser, even without a business. Your personal liability insurance (AVP) does not always cover that role.
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Deze pagina in het Nederlands: Evenementenverzekering voor particulieren.
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A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
A short-term events insurance runs from the build to the clear-up and is intended for one-off occasions: a wedding, an anniversary party, a neighbourhood barbecue, a reunion or a club sports day. The main structure is set out on the events insurance hub page; this page is about what changes as soon as you organise it privately.
The misunderstanding lies with the personal liability insurance. That covers you in your capacity as a private individual. As soon as you organise a party for which admission is charged, at which things are sold, or that takes place on behalf of a club or neighbourhood committee, the insurer may take the view that this is no longer private conduct. If someone is injured by a party marquee blowing over or a loose cable, liability arises under Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code, and with a defective temporary structure Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code may also come into play.
The second point is the hired venue. Hall hire contracts place damage to the building, the floor, the walls and the furniture with you. Property that is in your care but not owned by you falls under the care, custody and control exclusion in an ordinary liability policy. Event cover with a tenants' liability section fills that gap. The photographer, the caterer and the DJ are covered by their own insurance; record who answers for what before you sign.
This page deals with one situation. The full overview is on Compare events insurance.
What to look out for
Four points that produce the most surprises at a private event.
What is structurally outside the cover
Excluded are, among others damage caused with a motor vehicle, for which Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM) requires its own insurance, including for a classic car used as the wedding car; cancellation because of bad weather, unless a separate extension has been bought for it; and theft of money, presents, coats and guests' phones. Damage caused intentionally is also excluded, under Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code.
Attractions, bouncy castles and fire baskets
If you hire a bouncy castle, a climbing tower or an assault course, check that the hire company has a valid inspection certificate and its own liability cover, and ask for proof of it. Insurers often set separate conditions for such attractions or exclude them. Fire baskets, barbecues and fireworks likewise call for an express agreement in advance.
Cancellation does not cover every reason
The cancellation section works with named perils: serious illness, an accident or the death of the couple or a close relative, or damage that makes the venue unusable. A break-up, a disappointing number of acceptances or a supplier going bankrupt are not covered causes. For travel linked to the party, look at separate cancellation insurance.
Alcohol and supervision
If you serve drink to minors or to someone who then causes an accident, your own responsibility may be called into question. Arrange supervision at the bar, agree who stays sober and comply with the conditions of the permit or of the hall owner. Where the policy sets requirements for supervision, those are conditions and not suggestions.
What does your premium depend on?
- Number of guests — the main measure for the liability section
- Duration of the event — including set-up and take-down
- Inside or outside — an outdoor party carries weather and structural risks
- Sections chosen — liability, equipment, personal accident and cancellation
- Sum insured for cancellation — based on the costs committed
- Special parts — attractions, naked flames or a temporary grandstand
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is why comparing pays off.
What is covered
| Situation | AVP | Events insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Your neighbour helps with the build and sprains an ankle when a trestle collapses | Provided that | Yes |
| During the street party a child kicks a ball through the window of a house on the square | Yes | Yes |
| The caterer drops a pan of hot soup over a guest | No | No |
| The DJ burns a mark in the parquet floor of the hired hall with a spotlight | No | Provided that |
| The bride breaks her leg a week before the wedding and the party does not go ahead | No | Yes |
| You sell drinks tokens at the street party and someone is injured at the bar | No | Yes |
If the hall owner asks for proof of insurance, arrange the cover before you sign the hire contract.
Frequently asked questions
The questions we are asked most often about this.
Does my ordinary liability insurance not already cover the party?
For a birthday at home with family, usually yes. As soon as the party takes on an organised character, with a hired venue, admission charges, sales or a club as the organiser, the insurer may decide that this falls outside your private capacity. Ask your insurer in writing beforehand; a verbal assurance will not help you at claim stage.
A guest damages the floor of the hired hall. Who pays?
The hall owner holds you liable as the hirer, regardless of who did it. Damage to hired premises falls under tenants' liability and that section has to be on the policy. Without that cover you bear it yourself. Draw up a condition report with photographs together with the manager beforehand, so that it is clear afterwards which damage is new.
We are asking visitors for a small contribution. Does that change anything?
Yes. As soon as payment is made for admission, refreshments or raffle tickets, this is an organised event and not private hospitality. State that when you apply, because the insurer assesses the risk on that basis. If you fail to mention it, that may affect the payment under Articles 7:928 and 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code.
Our wedding did not go ahead because a parent died suddenly. What now?
The death of a close relative is a covered cause under almost every cancellation section. What is paid are the costs you can show you had committed and can no longer recover: hall hire, catering, music, printing. Collect the contracts and the suppliers' confirmations that nothing will be refunded, and report it as soon as possible; Article 7:941 DCC requires you to notify in good time.