INTRODUCTION TO WIPA Wedding industry professionals association

WIPA will be the most respected national community for wedding professionals who want to be recognized as masters and innovators.
Our Mission Statement
WIPA will advance the wedding profession, enhance the professional growth of members, uphold the highest ethics, and educate the public about WIPA-qualified specialists. 
Members champion four core values
- knowledge, integrity, quality, & education -
thereby delivering the best business practices to our
WIPA is working tirelessly to become the premier association for wedding industry professionals.  But there is much work still to be done.  Joining a Committee is a great way to advance our industry while developing a closer connection with your fellow WIPA members.  Here are current Committees that would love to have your help:
Certification Committee – develops and oversees Special Interest Groups; performs research and comparison of competitive Certification programs such as CMP and CSEP, and helps to develop a controlled course study, testing and assessment; and follow up system for continued application. Please contact our Director of Certification, Carol Rosen, CSEP with Party Designs by Carol: partycarol@aol.com.
Education Committee – helps the Director organize activities to impart information, knowledge or skills related to wedding design and management, and secures all speakers and reviews all educational content for general meetings, seminars, webinars, etc.; develops program for trend reporting, industry research & statistic. Please contact our Director of Education, Liese Garnder with Mecca Communications: liese@reachmecca.com.
Ethics Committee – develops and applies guidelines for ensuring ethical behavior, standards of performance and resolving ethical conflicts; as well as studies and furnishes interpretation of the bylaws. Please contact our Vice President, Sharon Dexmier with Napa Valley Linens: sdexmier@nvlinens.com.
Finance Committee - oversees development of the budget; ensures accurate tracking / monitoring / accountability for funds and adequate financial controls; secures insurance; sets up electronic payment systems; prepares financial reports. Please contact our Treasurer, Mandy Scott with Mandy Scott Flowers, LLC: mandy@mandyscott.com.
Communications Committee – prepares communications to provide information to the membership, prospective members and the general public; assists with production of the chapter newsletter, directory and website.  Please contact our Director of Communications, Jan Bohn with Margaret's Cleaners: janb@margarets.com.
Marketing Committee – assists with advertising, Public relations, promotions and publicity. Please contact our Director of Marketing, Wendy Dahl with Dahl Wedding Company: wendy@dahlweddingcompany.com.
Membership Committee – defines membership benefits & requirements as well as methods to attract new members and retain existing members; processes membership applications and maintains membership roster; acts as a formal welcoming committee for new members. Please contact our Director of Membership, Erin O'Donnell with BBJ Linen:eodonnell@bbjlinen.com.
Professional Development Committee – determines activities or programs which sustain a member's professional competence and assists in setting master mind groups, "Ask the Experts" business support and novice mentoring. Please contact our Director of Professional Development, Therese Cole-Hubbs with ASC Event Services: therese@asceventservices.com. clients and each other.

Programs Committee – coordinates all F&B and logistical requirements for WIPA meetings & conferences (i.e., securing venues & vendors); staffs the meeting/conference registration areas, maintains supplies and returns venues to acceptable appearance afterwards. Please contact our Director of Programs. Please contact our Director of Programs, Anseth Page Richards with Bridal Bar / Creative Occasions: ansethrichards@me.com.
Records Committee - handles the preservation of the records of WIPA and its members in its role to becoming the leading wedding trade association for professionals in the industry. These records include meeting minutes, legal documents, thank you notes and photos. Please contact our Secretary, Vanessa Rockafellow with Cachet Wedding Designs: vanessa@cachetweddingdesigns.com.
Chapter Formation Committee
Oversees the development of local chapters nationally for WIPA. Ensuring all requirements for chapter formation are met prior to going to charter. Please contact us at info@wipausa.org.