WEVA Members
WEVA members commit to removing barriers to inclusion and diversity by implementing anti-racist practices and creating LGBTQIA+ loving and affirming event experiences.
As individuals and business owners we have the power to step up en masse to drastically increase the level of inclusion in the wedding industry and create opportunities for underrepresented vendor communities and clients to be uplifted and celebrated.
Our members are working together to strengthen inclusive and equitable practices to dismantle racism and exclusion in the wedding industry.
We believe in the ability of the Wedding and Event Industry to adapt and learn as we go.
Meet our Board of Directors
Board President
Maricela Ehmann
(she/her/ella)
Maricela moved to Vermont in 2017 from the San Francisco Bay Area where she was deeply rooted in the events and restaurant industries. She was Executive Assistant the president and Executive Chef at an industry leading events corporation where she served as secretary of the Safety Committee and developed their Injury and Illness Prevention Program. Within the Human Resources aspect of her role, she advocated for employee empowerment.
Maricela and her husband launched Ehmann Events in 2018, an events services company providing planning and management services based in Killington, Vermont.
During the early days of the COVID 19 pandemic, Maricela developed an Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response Plan to be prepared to execute weddings and events in Vermont. The plan was vetted by the ACCD and the WorkSafe program. She was asked to join the Governor’s Restart Task Force team for the wedding and event sector and provided valuable insight in safety measures to reduce the risk of infection.
Maricela is a board member of the Travel and Recreation Council of the State of Vermont and is a member of multiple organizations including VBSR, the Event Safety Alliance and ALPFA. Advancing diversity and inclusion as well as providing resources to uplift our underrepresented vendor communities are top priority in her roles at WEVA.
Vice President
Phebe Robinson-Higgins
(she/her)
Phebe is the Owner & Lead Designer at Grace Floral and Co. in New Hampshire. Prior to joining the wedding world nearly 16 years ago, Phebe was working in Higher Education cultivating and growing new Diversity and Inclusivity programming for colleges to not only recruit students, but help foster student success throughout their college experience and beyond. The programming she developed is still in place today.
Phebe is the first African American woman to have an endowed scholarship in her name at her Alma Mater and she currently sits on the Board of Trustees.
It may have been an untraditional path to the wedding world, but Phebe realized she could combine her calling for program development into a creative field. Phebe has been instrumental in building momentum and education in the floral industry with her online training and resources via Popped with Phebe.
Treasurer
Alison ellis
(she/her)
Alison is a floral designer who’s been creating beautiful flowers for Vermont weddings since 2002 from her home-studio, Floral Artistry, in Jericho, VT. Alison graduated from the University of Vermont with a degree in Plant & Soil Science with a minor in small business.
In addition to being a florist, Alison is an ally, business educator, and published author who teaches a large community of floralpreneurs around the globe in her online business training at Real Flower Business.
Alison regularly attends the weekly Vermont Social Equity Caucus meetings with state legislators and she’s a member of the White Affinity Group. Alison is also on the Advisory Board of Bloom Trust Co.
How WEVA Got Started…
It started when Maricela met Michelle, from Petals, and they bonded over a shared desire to create a more inclusive wedding community.
When COVID-19 closed down weddings and events, Michelle introduced Maricela to Alison, where they served on a wedding safety task force in the spring of 2020.
Then, in June, when George Flloyd was murdered and #BLM activists marched in the streets, Michelle, Maricela and Alison began to meet to share their views on racial and social inequity and the seeds of our organization were planted.
In our fix 6 months, WEVA:
Secured a fiscal sponsor for our non-profit organization
Provided health & safety strategies during the pandemic
Hired legal fellows to develop our Anti-racism Policy
Invited Phebe to join our board of directors
Launched our website
WEVA welcomed over 100 new members in our first year!
We are all learning together and we know this is lifelong work.