Our Story
In the beginning…
It started with a simple goal—we desired to make wedding planning an even easier process, and back in 2007, this was quite difficult as many vendors had yet to establish an online presence. Business relied heavily on word of mouth—and if you weren’t local, it was hard to know who was available. Key wedding industry members, along with Tourism Whitsundays and Whitsunday Development Corporation, came together to form Weddings Whitsundays—a not-for-profit organisation aiming to connect the wedding community, and help visiting couples find the perfect vendors for their Whitsunday wedding.
Spreading the love
By 2010 we were managing strategic print campaigns which gave the Whitsundays massive exposure in the major Australian bridal publications.
Digital drive
In 2012 we redeveloped our website to be more interactive and mobile friendly. We also introduced blog writing, allowing us to share more detailed insider knowledge and expertise for curious brides seeking their dream wedding destination. Suddenly, they were able to view real weddings and available venues, suppliers and their styles, as well as learn about the Whitsundays location and everything it has to offer at the mere click of a button.
Making new friends
In 2013, we hosted our first media famil—allowing major wedding directories and influencers such as Cosmo Bride, Queensland Bride, and Modern Wedding to travel to the Whitsundays and experience it for themselves. Immersed in our romantic, luxury locations, they were able to experience some of the most memorable experiences our local wedding suppliers had to offer and give personal recommendations to their own audiences of brides in search of wedding destination ideas. We found this offer to be so beneficial that we hosted three more in the years afterwards—one in 2016, 2017 and 2018 as well.
Expo Success
In 2015, we also hosted our first wedding expo at the local PCYC which was a success. We had a turnout of x attendees and included exhibitors such as x, x and x. In 2016 and 2017, we moved the expo to the Proserpine Entertainment Centre and these next two were a major success, with a massive turnout of x attendees and featuring popular exhibitors such as x and x. Due to cyclone damage, the Proserpine Entertainment Centre was closed in 2017, but this enabled us to take our Whitsunday wedding expo on the road and showcase our vendors in Mackay, Townsville and Brisbane!
Our Latest Achievements
2018 was an exciting year with the legalisation of same sex weddings and the incredible Joshua’s wedding media campaign—the couple won our all-inclusive Whitsundays wedding giveaway, and 15 of our community vendors came together to gift services that made this amazing wedding possible! As part of the campaign, each gifting vendor got nationwide exposure through the Joshua’s social media and their online following.
Towards the end of 2018 we updated our website again, keeping it fresh and appealing; enabling it to become more mobile friendly; and providing automated membership signups (making it much easier for local suppliers to benefit from the combined efforts of Weddings Whitsundays). By becoming a member, vendors can choose between three tier levels of membership and get access to benefits such as advertising, home page features, Facebook and Instagram promotion, Real Wedding blog submissions and referrals, expo participation, and tons more.
These milestones are an incredible look back at the progress we’ve made since the association started in 2007. Not only are we the most successful industry group in the Whitsundays in terms on longevity, but the amount of impact and success we’ve contributed to the Whitsundays wedding community as a volunteer organisation is simply outstanding.
We look forward to what the future brings, and working with many more happy couples here in the Whitsundays.
Get in Touch
The best way to chat with us is via facebook messenger @weddingswhitsundays or email hello@weddingswhitsundays.com