Weddingbee boards

 I TOTALLY fell in love with the Los Angeles library and the rates they quoted me for the use of all the different facilities was TOTALLY reasonable and were a lot less than the rates for my original favorite venue.  I was SOOO happy, but now I find out that if I want my ceremony in the garden out in front, I will need to get $6 million (yes, I said MILLION) in liability insurance.  

This is SOO ridiculous to me.  The gardens in front of the library are not owned by the city, but rather this private company.  Even to have an event INSIDE the library, you know, where they actually keep stuff like stairs, and ceilings, and chandeliers, and things that someone could actually feasibly be hurt by they only require $1 million in insurance.  The garden is just GRASS and a tiny pool that can't be more than 6 inches deep, and maybe like 4 steps.  What do you think is going to happen there that someone would hurt themselves SO BADLY that they could sue for $6 million!  I initially wanted to have the ceremony and cocktail hour in the garden, but even if i JUST have my ceremony there (i.e. 75 people sitting in chairs looking at something--with NO alcohol involved) it is still $6 million requirement.  

I am SOOOO sad right now.  I am trying to find out if I can purchase insurance for that rate, but even the insurance people I called can't believe its $6 million and think that the cost will be very high.  :-(  So unfair.  So ridiculous.  My caterer was willing to up his insurance, but he can only even GO to $5 million and even that is $1,000 by itself--which is MORE than the venue even costs to rent!!!  

If any knows any cost effective way to get insurance at that rate, I would be FOREVER grateful.  

Get an event planner.  I needed insurance to hang chinese lanterns up and the venue said that most event planners/designers have this.  Check it out.  It could save you a bunch of money.  Unsure of the actual $$ amount though.  Have site coordinator speak with your prospective event planner/day of planner.  Maybe they can figure something out. 

I know...its totally ridiculous.  I've contacted some places and most only offer up to $2 million.  My vendor's liability only goes up to $5 million.  I think $1-2 million is relatively standard in the industry for reputable vendors.  They explicitly ask for "liability insurance" and from all my understanding that is to protect them against other people suing for injuries received on their property. The crazy thing (to me) is that there is almost nothing even TO their property to justify such a high amount in comparison to other places.  It would be like if a mall required $1 million in liability to use, and the parking lot required $6 million.  Total WTF moment.

The one quote so far that I have received is for nearly $2,000 for 1 day's worth of insurance.  Because it is so high of a requirement, I do have to go through "event insurance".  Private individuals CAN buy it, but I think part of the reason why it is so high is because its so atypical for individuals to require this--it seems like its more often for-profit events (like fairs, concerts, filming, etc.), so $2000 in the scheme of things for those types of entities doesn't really mean a whole lot.  It does for little ol' me!

:-(  

Still trying to find ways around it...but who knows what will happen....

UPDATE: 

GREAT NEWS.  After finally being able to talk directly with the people in charge of the garden, they said that we could have our ceremony there without having to get a $6 mil insurance policy!  I am SOOOO relieved. They said that they would only need the $6 mil if we have alcohol involved.  This means (I think) that we can't have our cocktail hour there, which I really wanted, but at least we will be able to have the ceremony! This unfortunately still results in well over $1000 just for a 30 minute ceremony, but I think that maybe I am okay with that, since the reception area is not super pricey.

Just need to now find a bartender with $6 mil insurance coverage & I'll be 100% set!! ;-)