IWIF Constitution

The organisation is known as the Irish Wedding Industry Federation (IWIF). Its purpose is to represent, support and promote the people and businesses contributing to Ireland’s wedding economy, and to advance a sustainable, inclusive and professional industry.

IWIF shall pursue its collective purpose independently of any individual member, sponsor, political party or commercial platform. Representation shall be evidence-led and shall not promise statutory accreditation, financial guarantees or endorsement of an individual supplier.

This draft does not assert a particular legal form, charitable status or incorporation. Before adoption, the constitution must be reconciled with the federation’s confirmed legal structure, any existing governing documents and applicable law in each jurisdiction in which it operates.

Equity means recognising different starting points and barriers to participation, and taking proportionate, lawful steps to remove those barriers. Fairness means consistent, transparent decisions, reasons for adverse decisions and a meaningful opportunity to be heard.

Equality means equal dignity, respect and treatment without unlawful discrimination. Opportunity means accessible routes into participation, professional development and industry representation, including for small businesses, sole traders, students and new entrants.

No member shall obtain preferential governance treatment because of advertising spend, sponsorship, personal connections or business size. Lawful membership categories may have distinct responsibilities and entitlements, but these must be published, justified and consistently applied.

IWIF shall not unlawfully discriminate on grounds including gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race or membership of the Traveller community. Relevant Irish equality law applies; all-island activity must also comply with the applicable law in Northern Ireland.

Meetings, consultations, application processes and information should be accessible. Reasonable accommodation and alternatives to attendance in person should be considered, with a clear route to request support through IWIF’s contact page.

Harassment, bullying, retaliation and discriminatory conduct are incompatible with the federation’s purpose. Differences of opinion shall be addressed respectfully; raising a concern in good faith shall not itself be grounds for adverse treatment.

The membership paths are Business Member, Professional Member, Student Member and Industry Affiliate. Lifetime Membership and Honorary Membership are additional proposed recognitions whose eligibility, appointment process and entitlements must be separately confirmed.

Admission shall be assessed against published criteria relevant to the applicant’s work, identity and agreement to the professional standards. Decisions shall be made by authorised reviewers rather than automatically. Rejection shall carry an explanation and an opportunity to seek a review by an appropriately independent reviewer.

Fees, renewal terms, publication consent and category-specific rights must be disclosed before a member makes a commitment. A website account, directory industry listing, sponsorship booking or council appointment shall not by itself confer membership or administrative access.

Members shall have fair access to the information and opportunities attached to their confirmed category, be able to put forward concerns and proposals, and receive respectful treatment. Personal data and confidential business information shall be protected.

Members shall comply with applicable law, the federation’s professional standards and published membership terms, communicate honestly, respect others and avoid misrepresenting membership as a Government licence or guarantee.

Voting and nomination rights, representation of a business or organisation by a named delegate, and eligibility for elected office must be settled in the adoption schedule. No voting entitlement is created by publishing this draft.

Governance shall distinguish the legally accountable governing body, the advisory Industry Council and operational management. Their delegated authority and reporting obligations shall be recorded. A council seat does not automatically create a board directorship or a right to manage private website records.

Shane McGrath is the Founder Chairperson. The existing council appointments are Inaugural Provisional Council Members. These descriptions are preserved; this draft does not confirm additional directors, executive appointments or permanent council tenure.

The permanent governance structure should reflect the diversity of wedding-industry sectors, regions and business sizes, with open nomination routes and safeguards against domination by a single sector or connected interests. The Founder Chairperson title shall not itself confer an undisclosed veto, exemption from accountability or additional voting power.

Eligibility, nomination procedures, selection criteria, appointment or election methods, term lengths, renewal limits, vacancies and removal procedures shall be published before a permanent appointment process begins.

Candidates shall declare relevant interests. Selection and election administration shall be fair, documented and appropriately independent of candidates. Results and the basis of appointments shall be communicated to eligible members while respecting confidential information.

The transition from the inaugural provisional council to the permanent structure shall be expressly agreed at adoption. This draft neither terminates existing appointments nor silently makes them permanent.

The adopted arrangements shall provide an annual general meeting, regular governing-body meetings and a route for eligible members to request a special meeting. Notice, agendas and accessible participation arrangements shall be provided in advance.

Meeting notice periods, quorum, voting thresholds, proxies or remote voting, treatment of ties and who may convene a meeting shall be settled in the adoption schedule, consistent with applicable law. No unconfirmed threshold shall be used to claim that this draft has been validly adopted.

Minutes shall record decisions, attendance, declared interests and recusals. Members should receive a proportionate summary of governance activity, with lawful protections for personal, commercially sensitive and legally privileged material.

Office holders, council members and decision-makers shall disclose actual, potential or perceived conflicts relevant to federation decisions. A register of interests shall be maintained, with a public summary where lawful and appropriate.

A person with a material conflict shall not take part in the relevant decision unless a lawful, documented procedure expressly permits limited participation. Recusals shall be recorded, and an independent decision-making route shall be used where conflicts would otherwise prevent a fair decision.

Paid sponsorship and advertising shall be labelled and kept separate from membership approval, appointments, policy positions and complaint outcomes. Procurement, partnerships, gifts and hospitality shall follow proportionate written controls.

Federation funds shall be used for its stated purposes, not distributed for private benefit except for lawful, properly authorised payments for genuine services, remuneration or expenses. Any legal restriction arising from the federation’s confirmed structure shall take precedence.

Budgets, delegated spending limits, authorisation controls, expense rules and record keeping shall be documented. Material transactions shall receive appropriate independent review, especially where a connected person or business may benefit.

Annual financial information and a report of activities shall be made available to members in a form appropriate to the organisation’s legal obligations. Independent accounting review or audit shall be arranged where required by law or the adopted governance rules. No audit, tax status or charitable exemption is claimed by this draft.

The professional standards shall be published and reviewed through consultation. A complaint about federation conduct or membership compliance shall have a clear submission route, acknowledgement and an impartial review process.

Before adverse action, the affected person shall normally receive the substance of the concern, a reasonable opportunity to respond, a decision with reasons and an appeal to a person or panel not materially involved in the original decision. Any urgent temporary safeguarding measure shall be proportionate, time-limited and reviewed promptly.

Sanctions, suspension and termination shall follow published procedures and the applicable law. The federation shall not claim to adjudicate private contractual disputes, replace courts or regulators, or provide a consumer redress scheme unless a separately approved service lawfully provides that function.

Policy positions shall be informed by member consultation, relevant evidence and the wider public interest. Opportunities to contribute shall extend beyond the largest or best-connected businesses, with the basis of significant positions explained.

Research should distinguish sourced findings, estimates and opinion, disclose material limitations and avoid publishing identifiable confidential business data without a lawful basis.

Federation activity must comply with competition law. Meetings and platforms shall not facilitate price fixing, market allocation, coordinated boycotts or improper exchanges of competitively sensitive information. Members retain independent commercial decision-making.

IWIF shall process personal data lawfully, fairly and transparently, with appropriate security, retention controls and respect for data-subject rights. Private applications, enquiries and account conversations shall not be treated as public membership records.

The federation shall publish its current governing document, confirmed office holders, relevant policies and routes to contact or raise a concern. Transparency shall be balanced with privacy, confidentiality and legal obligations.

Records of adoption, amendments, appointments and material decisions shall be retained securely so that the federation’s authority and accountability can be traced over time.

This text is a consultation draft. It shall become operative only after legal review, confirmation of the adoption schedule and a valid adoption process under the federation’s applicable governing arrangements. The adopting body, decision, date and effective version shall be recorded and published.

Proposed amendments shall be circulated with an explanation and meaningful opportunity for eligible members to comment. The adopted document must specify the decision-making body and approval threshold for amendments; these are not presumed here.

Reviews shall consider whether governance remains equitable, fair, inclusive and effective. No change may be presented as adopted merely because the website text has been edited.

Any decision to dissolve the federation must follow the applicable law and its adopted governing rules, with notice to eligible members and provision for creditors, staff obligations and secure handling of records and personal data.

After liabilities are settled, remaining assets shall be dealt with in accordance with the federation’s confirmed legal structure and an approved dissolution clause. The intended principle is transfer to a compatible industry or public-interest purpose rather than private distribution, subject to legal review and valid adoption.