Society of Wedding Professionals

What Society of Wedding Professionals does

Society of Wedding Professionals (SWP) is a Dallas/Fort Worth-based non-profit membership association serving wedding and event industry professionals. Its core offering is a tiered annual membership (Individual at $295, 2-Person Bundle at $475, 3-Person Bundle at $675) that grants access to a monthly events program — Social Hours, Educational Luncheons, and Dinner Series — plus free admission to the Annual SWP Social Gala (valued at $700 per ticket) and a searchable member directory spanning 19 industry categories from venues and catering to florals, photography, and stationery. Membership applications require sponsorship or referrals from existing members and are subject to Board of Directors review, embedding a trust-based, community-led acquisition model.

The business is operated by a six-person staff and governed by an elected Board of Directors (President, two Vice Presidents, Treasurer, Secretary, and Directors of Programs, Socials, Luncheons, Media & PR, and Community Relations, plus Board Members At Large). Revenue is generated primarily through recurring annual membership dues and pay-as-you-go event registration fees, supplemented by in-kind sponsorship contributions from member-operators (e.g., Reflections Venue & Gardens, Culinary Art Catering, Lady Luck Floral, KimCake4U, Infinity Media Dallas). The technology stack is intentionally lightweight, built on the Wild Apricot membership management platform, with no proprietary software, mobile app, or API surface.

Beyond member services, SWP runs The Wedding Wish program (established 2018; three dream weddings granted since 2019 for couples in need) and an annual fundraiser for North Texas Special Needs Assistance Partners (NTX SNAP), reinforcing a community-giving brand. The operating geography is strictly the DFW metroplex, with no disclosed expansion beyond regional; Legacy Member recognition for 10+ consecutive years provides tenure-based retention, while monthly event cadence and member-referral gating sustain engagement. The organization is privately held as a 501(c)-style non-profit with no parent company, funding rounds, or institutional investors.

Name

Society of Wedding Professionals

Legal name

Society of Wedding Professionals, Inc.

Website

https://swpdfw.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Society of Wedding Professionals is a Dallas/Fort Worth-based non-profit membership association that provides tiered annual memberships, monthly networking events, and a member directory for wedding and event industry professionals in the DFW metroplex.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (813920), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Vendor Sourcing & Management (Venues, Catering, Photo/Video, Music) (HSACABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Reception Planning & Guest Experience (Seating, Favors, Hospitality) (HSACABAM), Gala Dinners & Fundraising Events (Nonprofit/CSR) (MPAGAHAE)

Keywords

• Wedding industry association
• Professional membership organization
• Event industry networking
• Wedding vendor community
• Professional networking events

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees collected from wedding and event industry professionals. Membership runs January through December and is prorated for mid-term sign-ups. Bundle pricing allows multiple employees from the same company to join at discounted rates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Society of Wedding Professionals (SWP) is a Dallas/Fort Worth-based non-profit membership association that sells annual memberships to wedding and event industry professionals in three tiers (Individual, 2-Person Bundle, 3-Person Bundle). Membership includes access to monthly networking events (Educational Luncheons, Social Hours, Dinner Series), the Annual SWP Social Gala, a searchable member directory, and community-driven programs such as The Wedding Wish charitable initiative.

Product overview

Society of Wedding Professionals is a Dallas/Fort Worth-based non-profit membership association for wedding and event industry professionals. The organization offers a tiered membership structure (Individual, 2-Person Bundle, and 3-Person Bundle) that provides access to networking events (Educational Luncheons, Social Hours, Dinner Series), the Annual Gala, and a searchable member directory spanning 19 industry categories. The association also operates charitable programs including The Wedding Wish (granting dream weddings to couples in need) and annual fundraisers for NTX SNAP. The platform is powered by Wild Apricot membership management software.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Individual Membership

Named customers9 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Ophelia Event AffairsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent planning partner that sponsors SWP Dinner Series events, providing support for member networking opportunities.
• Reflections Venue & GardenscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerVenue partner hosting SWP events including August 19, 2026 Social Hour and Dinner Series. Located at 1901 E Spring Creek Pkwy, Plano, TX 75074. Host venue for multiple SWP events throughout the year.
• Culinary Art CateringcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCatering sponsor for SWP events. Operated by Makesha Miles, SWP Treasurer, who also manages multiple venue spaces (Nuvo Room, Vouv Meeting & Event Space).
• Lady Luck FloralminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFloral services partner sponsoring SWP Dinner Series events, contributing to event ambiance and décor.
• Harmland Weddings - DJ PrinceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEntertainment partner sponsoring SWP events. Chris Harmon serves as Director of Media on the SWP board.
• KimCake4UminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBakery partner sponsoring SWP events. Kim Warren serves as SWP Secretary on the board.
• Handmade4GoodminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSpecialty goods partner sponsoring SWP events via Etsy shop.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Aisle Planner: Software platform for wedding planners and vendors that increasingly embeds community, vendor directories, and referral tools; emerging digital-native alternative that competes with SWP's networking and directory value proposition.

Others

• HoneyBook: Business management platform (CRM, proposals, payments) widely adopted by wedding and event professionals; not a direct competitor to SWP's association function but increasingly the operating system for the same SMB member base.

Broad incumbents

• The Knot Worldwide (The Knot / WeddingWire): Dominant wedding marketplace and vendor directory platform serving both couples and wedding professionals nationally; competes with SWP's directory and referral functions at much larger scale, though it is not a member-driven association.
• International Live Events Association (ILEA): Global membership association for live-event professionals spanning corporate, social, and wedding events; broader in scope than SWP but overlapping in membership base (event designers, producers, vendors) and association operating model.
• WeddingPro: The Knot's professional vendor network offering leads, directory placement, and educational content to wedding businesses; comparable as a vendor-networking and referral platform, though national in scope rather than local-membership based.

Direct peers

• Association of Bridal Consultants (ABC): Long-standing membership organization for wedding and event consultants, offering credentials, networking, and education; comparable to SWP as a professional society serving the wedding industry.
• National Association for Catering and Events (NACE): National membership association for catering and event professionals offering networking events, education, and local chapters; directly comparable to SWP in mission and operating model, with overlap in catering and event-coordinator members.
• Wedding Industry Professionals Association (WIPA): National non-profit membership association for wedding industry professionals with a chapter-based structure that closely mirrors SWP's local-association model; both serve wedding vendors through networking, education, and member directories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/society-of-wedding-professionals

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Society of Wedding Professionals