Our community has the reputation it does because our members prioritise the way we treat each other, our clients and the wider wedding industry. Our members rely on each other to uphold these important values and maintain the ethos of the community, so you will also be expected to act in accordance with the Code of Ethics and Conduct explained below. These guidelines are the underlying key to what makes our community sustainable. Our upmost priority is the protection of our community and the values cultivated within it, so please ensure that you are very familiar and wholly aligned with the following values, as they are non-negotiable prerequisites for membership.

1. Be Inclusive

We welcome and support people of all backgrounds and identities. This includes, but is not limited to members of any sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, social and economic class, educational level, color, immigration status, sex, age, size, family status, political belief, religion, and mental and physical ability.

We support Community Over Competition, which means showing kindness and respect to all wedding industry professionals, not just our own members or people who we deem acceptable for whatever standards we hold them to. We do not tolerate exclusionary, unkind, or derogatory behaviour towards anyone who we do not align our personal or professional style with.  We also do not tolerate any communication that attempts to judge, censor or gate-keep the beliefs, lifestyles, actions, or language of any member, including our Directors or employees.

2. Be considerate.

We all depend on each other to cultivate and maintain the best member environment we can. Your decisions, words, actions and conduct will affect other members, and they rely on you taking those consequences into account when making decisions. We do not tolerate words or actions that promote negativity, judgement, or a vibe that compromises the supportive dynamic that our members have worked hard to cultivate.

We are a community that promotes best practice. We have new and training professionals who will be learning from the advice given by members, so please ensure that your advice is helpful, legally accurate and professional.

3. Be respectful.

We won’t all agree all the time, but disagreement is no excuse for disrespectful behavior. We celebrate differences and understand that a free market requires different approaches to the same job. We also have empathy for differences in character, language, word choices and personal preferences. We do not get easily offended by things we do not agree with and we are forgiving of the things that do offend us. If we do feel the need to address something with a member, we either do so in a kind, empathetic and respectful way, or we ask the directors to do so on our behalf.

If anyone finds an issue with any aspect of the way that The Wedding Society is run, or any behaviour of its Directors or employees, we expect them to address us directly via email so that we can work together for a productive outcome in the most efficient way that is private and respectful to all parties.

We will all experience frustration from time to time, but we cannot allow that frustration to become personal attacks. An environment where people feel uncomfortable or threatened is not a productive or creative one.

4. Maintain Trust

The Facebook forums are a private space for us to share our triumphs and also be vulnerable. No-one will judge another member for forgetting something simple or doing something wrong and asking for help. We are here to help each other, not bring each other down – If you see someone make a mistake, give them the chance to correct it by addressing it with them before reporting it to a higher authority. If the issue is escalated and you do intend to report to a higher authority, please notify the directors beforehand so that we can ensure the behaviour is dealt with accordingly.  

The Marriage Law Celebrants Section is regularly inundated with avoidable complaints about celebrants from others in the industry and Associations have agreed to filter these complaints where possible.  As such, we expect members to seek assistance from us before reporting another celebrant to the Attorney General’s Department.

Do not share private content from the forum with anyone outside of the forum. This includes screenshots, recounting of conversations or gossiping about members or forum content.

Active participation within the Facebook forums is required to maintain access. Our members give as much as they take and they do not lurk quietly in the background to take ideas and advice without contributing. Instead, they show gratitude and appreciation by both sharing their own strengths in return and crediting the help they have received if or when it is used.

5. Don’t harass.

In general, if someone asks you to stop something, then stop. When we disagree, try to understand why. Differences of opinion and disagreements are mostly unavoidable. What is important is that we resolve disagreements and differing views constructively and respectfully.

Harassment and exclusionary behaviour are not acceptable. This includes discriminatory jokes and language, sharing of inappropriate material, personal insults, inappropriate or unwanted sexual attention, and advocating for, or encouraging, any of those behaviours.

Members do not promote or advertise any products or services without the approval of directors. This includes contacting any member to promote or advertise a product or service privately or without the consent of admin.

6. Make differences into strengths.

We can find strength in diversity. Different people have different perspectives on issues, and that can be valuable for solving problems or generating new ideas. Being unable to understand why someone holds a viewpoint doesn’t mean that they’re wrong. Don’t forget that we all make mistakes, and blaming each other doesn’t get us anywhere. Instead, focus on resolving issues and learning from mistakes.

There is no one person who has more experience, weddings under the belt, or success than anyone else. We’re all awesome and we all have something unique to share. Everyone’s contribution is valued.