About
In 2013 the first Vancouver Island Wedding Awards were held in Victoria, BC. It was a chance for vendors from across the island to come together and celebrate the past year and all the amazing talent! After the success and overwhelmingly positive response from the first awards, it was clear that the awards were just part of what we could do, as a collective, to grow and educate the industry. As such, the Vancouver Island Wedding Industry Association was created in 2015.
The mission of VIWIA is to partner with wedding professionals to become the recognized public voice of the wedding industry, to be a purveyor of education and information for the members of the wedding industry, and promote Vancouver Island as a premier destination for weddings and events.
Since 2013, the board has run with 15 Board members, and in 2017 was officially registered as a non-profit organization.
In Spring of 2024, with the support of our Vancouver Island vendor community, the annual awards gala program was put to rest after an almost 10 year amazing run. This decision was made in an effort to pivot toward emphasizing more community, togetherness, inclusion, and educational amongst our Island vendor family, and continue to work with destination marketing partners to strengthen the voice of this amazing industry across all of Vancouver Island.
Meet the Board
The board is made up of vendors from across the industry, representing over 13 different vendor groups. Each member is a volunteer and offers their time and expertise to put on the industry evenings and awards gala’s throughout the year.
Want to learn more about the board, interested in becoming a member?
Each year we open up the opportunity for new board members to join. If you think this could be you and want to help shape some of the events and add to the mission of the association, we hope to hear from you! Below you will find a few notes on what to expect if you join.
Commitments & Expectations
The Vancouver Island Wedding Association Board is comprised of 14 Board Members. Board Members serve as volunteers and are expected to serve a minimum 1 year term. (Executive committee commitment is 2 years). New board member applicants will be considered at the end of May – marking the end of the year for the board.
Applications will be accepted based on the their role in the Wedding Industry on Vancouver Island and (where possible), the board must have representation from across all areas of Vancouver Island in all fields of the Wedding Industry.
A strong desire to support the Vancouver Island Wedding Industry and to promote the Island and industry as a whole are key attributes of successful candidates.
Roles, Responsibilities & Time Commitments
A major role of Board Members is to take an active role in the planning and promotion of the Education and Industry Events hosted through out the year and many of the other projects the Boards runs behind the scenes.
Regular meetings of the Board are held every month via screen or in person. Additionally, Board members must be willing to travel to Victoria and mid-Island for meetings if in person is required, and be able to provide at least a minimum of 10 volunteer hours per month in an active role.
Education Days
Providing education is one of our top mandates. This involves helping to secure industry leaders and venue locations on a complimentary basis.
Correspondance with invites and sharing feedback for board discussion is another opportunity for participating with the board.