To say 2020 was challenging for wedding pros is an understatement. As we look forward to 2021 and 2022, smart wedding pros will use the experience of 2020 to ask and answer some important questions, such as, how we do business in a post-Pandemic world and what sustainability looks like in our industry.

WIPA is pleased to welcome our newest members for May 2021. Our mission is to provide industry leading education for our members, produce inspirational networking events and advance the ethical standards of the wedding industry. Our founding board worked with a diverse group of WIPA members to develop the professional conduct and code of ethics to achieve the highest standards of excellence. Please join us in welcoming the following members.

As always, a big shout out to our members that have made the news. Below you'll find members that have been highlighted or otherwise recognized. Thank you to those that submitted news this month and thank you to our members that continue to push the outside of the envelope in some way. 

The Wedding International Professionals Association (WIPA) and Equally Wed Pro are pleased to announce a partnership to advance inclusivity initiatives in the events industry. 

There isn’t a business owner in the world that would turn down an opportunity to increase revenue from every sale. Yet, not many take advantage of the chance to upsell — even when it’s right in front of them. Some may not recognize it whereas others may feel uncomfortable pushing an upcharge, but a simple adjustment to one’s mindset is all it takes to start building profit without putting off your clients.

As WIPA works towards more sustainable events, we have tips for making your events more environmentally responsible in recognition of Earth Day 2021!

Happy April and welcome to Springtime, everyone! Kristen Seaholm here, your WIPA San Francisco Bay Area President, serving the greater Northern California region. We have had a lot of statewide updates over the past couple of weeks so let’s go ahead and chat about those real quick. As you may already be aware, on April 2nd, Governor Newsom finally released tiered event guidelines. If you have not already reviewed these, please refer to the link within my transcript, as this will be an incredibly helpful tool as we all begin to safely reopen for events.

To then follow that welcomed update, about a week later, Governor Newsom also announced a goal of fully reopening the state of California by June 15th, assuming we keep along the current trajectory. Now, as exciting as this is, we must remember that this does not mean that events are reopening to pre-covid times. Quite the contrary, actually. If anything, the current misleading messaging is only going to make it harder on each and every one of us when communicating to our clients about covid-safe system and procedures for their upcoming event, as we will be the only line of defense in incorporating these safe practices. I encourage you all to mentally prepare yourselves now as the onslaught of inquiries begin rolling in. And again, I highly encourage you to refer to the tiered blueprint I mentioned above, to help guide you in best practices.

WIPA MEMBERS, join The National Society of Black Wedding & Event Professionals on April 22nd at 5pm for the webinar "Back to Business, Part 1 with @CROWDPASS...

Running a successful business can often feel like you're spending the bulk of your time working on client work, but smart wedding pros know that they must also commit to optimizing your business structure to keep clients happy. After all, a disorganized and chaotic backend is enough to alert clients to deeper problems and turn prospects away to your competitors.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2020 was a difficult year for countless reasons, but one of the hardest challenges for business owners was the decision to lay off employees due to a lack of live events and, consequently, a drop in revenue. As the light at the end of the tunnel becomes brighter, some wedding pros will need to consider rehiring a team to handle the heavy workload that awaits the industry on the other side.

WIPA is pleased to welcome our newest members for April 2021. Our mission is to provide industry leading education for our members, produce inspirational networking events and advance the ethical standards of the wedding industry. Our founding board worked with a diverse group of WIPA members to develop the professional conduct and code of ethics to achieve the highest standards of excellence. Please join us in welcoming the following members.

As always, a big shout out to our members that have made the news. Below you'll find members that have been highlighted or otherwise recognized. Thank you to those that submitted news this month and thank you to our members that continue to push the outside of the envelope in some way. 

Working in the wedding and events industry involves crossing paths with many different personalities. On one hand, you’ll find creative partners that seem to get you and your thought process instantly. On the other hand, you’ll also find those who you have to work a little harder to get on the same page. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Transcript

Hello everyone and happy March! Kristen Seaholm here, you’re San Francisco Bay Area WIPA President, serving the greater Northern California region. Happy to be back for another round of updates so let’s jump right in.

WIPA is pleased to welcome our newest members for March 2021. Our mission is to provide industry leading education for our members, produce inspirational networking events and advance the ethical standards of the wedding industry. Our founding board worked with a diverse group of WIPA members to develop the professional conduct and code of ethics to achieve the highest standards of excellence. Please join us in welcoming the following members.