Before I get into this week I want to acknowledge the loss of Sydney event planner Anthony Del Col. His creative talents and spirit will be deeply missed and a loss to the Australian wedding industry. On behalf of everyone at Polka Dot Bride, our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. Check back later today for more.

Monday morning tradition at Polka Dot Bride is to highlight how fantastic our members of Ms Polka Dot’s Directory are.  With Favors & Decor AccessoriesPhotobooth HireStyling & Hire – the little extras are all covered. Along with the essential VenuesBridal Gowns and Celebrants!

wedding speeches

So the last time I gave a speech I shook so much I had to move my leg halfway through the speech so I didn’t drop my piece of paper. Luckily, or hopefully it came off as emotional (which I certainly was due to the big occasion!) but to Mr Polka, he knew I was nervous and slightly freaking out in my head.  So I am fully on board with this week’s vendor of the week Adelaide Wedding Speeches.

Mark works with couples to write heartfelt, personal vows and speeches but can also work with you to actually say them without losing it.  You don’t have to be based in Adelaide either as Mark works easily on Skype with couples all over Australia and the world.

Starting with the speech and vow writing, Mark works with couples to ensure your vows and speeches capture everything you want to say, even if you’re not sure of the words to use. He refines it more and then rehearses it with you to ensure you can deliver it comfortably. For the added extras, Mark also offers speech coaching ensuring you’ll confidentially deliver what you have to say while using the correct pace, projecting your voice, and keeping good posture.

We asked Mark from Adelaide Wedding Speeches five questions in five minutes –

What is your favourite after five drink?

In an ideal world, it would always be champagne, but recently I have also been sampling quite a lot of Riesling too. Particular favourites are the Mr Riggs Watervale Riesling and Grossett Polish Hill.

Your favourite weekend getaway?

Weekend getaways tend to involve horse racing or sport wherever possible. My all-time favourite is to spend a long weekend watching the racing at Oakbank, but as that is only an annual event, getting away to a regional or interstate meeting is always a good option. Otherwise, anything that involves a cricket match or a football match is a favoured option (Go Crows!).

Favourite restaurant?

In Adelaide, it is undoubtedly Chianti Classico on Hutt Street. Wonderful, traditional cooking with an emphasis on seasonal produce coupled with a splendid wine list and first-rate service. An Adelaide institution and deservedly so.

What can we find you eating for breakfast on a Sunday morning?

Sunday morning usually involves a visit to Cibo on Gouger Street, followed by a trip to the Adelaide Showgrounds Farmers Market to stock up on locally grown and produced fruit, veg, meat and cheese. The rest of the day then takes its course from there….

Your favourite wedding story?

I was contacted by a bride-to-be regarding the writing of a wedding speech, although not for her. She was not especially keen on the chap her husband-to-be had chosen for his Best Man and was extremely worried that his speech at the wedding might be a little too off-colour, a little too near-the-knuckle. She wanted my help to reign him in, as it were, but thought there was no way neither she nor her future husband could persuade him that he needed some outside advice. Therefore, between us we contrived a plan whereby we would ‘accidentally’ meet in a pub and I would get to meet the Best Man that way. The subterfuge worked, and over the course of the evening we started to chat about the wedding and so on, and I was able gently to suggest to the Best Man that perhaps I could offer him some help in writing his speech – which he was, in actual fact, only too glad to receive as he was terrified by the entire prospect and very worried about not coming up to scratch. Therefore, all turned out well – the bride was happy, the Best Man was happy and, by all accounts, the speech went over extremely well. A positive outcome for all involved!

Visit Adelaide Wedding Speeches’ page to find out more about our Vendor Of The Week. Adelaide Wedding Speeches is a member of Ms Polka Dot’s Directory