Why join the UKAWP, is it worth it?
If you have been considering joining the UKAWP I imagine you are debating the benefits. Should you join or register on a wedding directory instead? What about the many other wedding memberships, could one of them be a better fit for you? It can be hard knowing where to spend our money, and more importantly whom to trust.
So why do other businesses join the UKAWP AND stay for years?
Normally this is because they want to stand out from the crowd, they want to show clients they have been vetted by an independent body. They love to tell clients that an industry body has checked all their documentation for honesty and integrity. This is now becoming important as more and more people are launching businesses, it has never been easier in fact to launch a business and instantly have a stunning website.
This means it can be harder for more established businesses to show clients that they are the better choice unless they highlight their experience. Belonging to an industry body gives them a stamp of approval that they can talk about with prospective clients. For the couples getting married they are able to make a judgement on who is the right supplier or planner for them. They can compare and have reassurance that any member of the UKAWP has been vetted beforehand.
How do we check suitability of members?
You may have heard us mention before that we are not a “pay to be listed” organisation, what that means is every member is vetted before being accepted. This is why we have a separate, one off joining fee to cover the time involved in this. When we receive an application the first thing we do is check the website and social media feeds. We do this to check professionalism and suitability. It’s never about having all singing, dancing websites. But it does need to be clear, concise and reflect the type of weddings they are involved with. Unless they are a new wedding planner (associate members) we go out and check references. And we ask for copies of insurance documents and we ask for their compliance to our code of business ethics.
Every time we open doors some businesses are turned down, but if we do say no full explanation is given on why, normally with advice on what changes are advised to bring your website up to par.
Once approved what happens?
Once a member has been approved and they have paid, we ask for all relevant information for their directory listing, once received this is uploaded within days, sometimes quicker.
A welcome email will be sent by our membership angel Lisa who will also send you your certificate and membership badge.
They are added to our facebook members group and welcomed across our social media platforms.
Interested in learning more?
Feel free to pop on over to your relevant membership page OR book a call with Bernadette to discuss the suitability to your business.
Further reading
Videos that might be of interest
Lows of the wedding industry & imposter syndrome
