With a wedding industry like Charlottesville’s (read: booming), it seemed smart and even necessary to officiant Claire Frances to create a network of professionals. In 2010, she launched the Community of Charlottesville Wedding and Event Professionals.
“Over the years, CCWEP has played an integral role in bringing a community of small business owners together who service weddings and events in the central Virginia area,” says current owner Lisa Watson. “I saw how helpful it was to bring new and established businesses together to share ideas, and support one another, when I first joined in 2014.” Watson relaunched the CCWEP in the fall of 2023 after the pandemic forced it into hiatus in 2020.
The reboot continues the mission of the original members—to connect with and meet each other, share ideas, promote their businesses, learn from industry-leading speakers, and, says Watson, “overall make the Charlottesville wedding community stronger.”
The CCWEP has more than 200 members (and counting), from all corners of the local industry: photographers, caterers, officiants, DJs, and more. Watson says the organization benefits to-be-married couples by having world-class vendors to choose from, at all price points.
“The organization and local wedding industry is growing every day,” she says. “Promoting a strong and healthy Charlottesville wedding and event community is the core value of CCWEP.”
