Happy Monday Dotties! Last few days of January already – who can believe it?

Just engaged and starting your wedding planning journey? We have so many vendors in our Ms Polka Dot’s Directory who would love to help you with your wedding day. We have Venues, we have Bridesmaid Gowns, we have Catering and Photography – we even have Transport and Master of Ceremonies! Find the perfect vendor for your needs in our Directory.

Check out the Polka Dot Directory for wedding vendors who will love your wedding as much as you!

Mr Boutique offers acoustic duos, 4 or 5 piece bands – right up to an 8 piece band – the choice of singer and configuration of the band is yours. Priding himself on personalised and exceptional service of the highest integrity, from your first chat to the end of the wedding day, Tom and his accomplished singers and instrumentalists deliver professional jazz, soul, funk, pop, and classics that get everyone up and dancing their socks off.

“The results are both simple and exceptional: inspiring musicians performing brilliant wedding music.” You can’t ask for more than that!

We asked Tom of Mr Boutique five questions in five minutes:

What is your reward after a big working day?

I’m infatuated with the Japanese martial art of Aikido. As a singer, I’m used to work being an activity that relies on my body – but the busier we get, the more time I spend at my desk. After a long working day, what I really want is to pour myself onto the couch (and into a glass of wine!), but I haul myself to Aikido training and I’m always so grateful that I have. The training is so many things rolled into one: mindfulness, exercise, intellectual engagement and social connection.

A favourite weekend getaway?

A little family bush block in far East Gippsland! No power, water or (gasp!) WIFI! Don’t get me wrong, I LIVE on the internet, but that makes it even more important to disconnect (especially at the times I least feel like doing so). We spend the time around a campfire, cooking, bushwalking and swimming. It’s a long drive but all of that effort evaporates once I’m surrounded by the bush.

What is your most prized possession?

I go through a lot of phases! I routinely get hit by a blaze of inspiration and dive headfirst into a new hobby. A few months ago it was bonsai – now I’ve got 10 starter trees growing on the balcony that I have to water! At the moment it’s probably my sourdough starter. The traditional way to make bread is to leave flour and water out, so that wild yeast can come to stay. They give off carbon dioxide, which creates the air bubbles in the bread. Using this starter in your sourdough then results in incredible taste and texture. So I’ve been experimenting with that lately. It’s a time-consuming process, but it’s also great to break up the working day with various feeding, kneading and proofing of bread. Watch this space for the next craze!

Favourite restaurant?

My wife took me to a pretty special one last year for my birthday: Minamishima, a Japanese sushi and sashimi restaurant in Richmond. It was an exceptional array of ‘omakase’ (chef-selected) dishes of the highest quality, presentation, and taste – all created right in front of you, piece by piece. The chefs’ movements and knife skills were seriously impressive. It’s probably obvious by now but I’m a bit of a Japanophile, and their food is no exception!

What do you enjoy most about being in the wedding industry?

The coming together of community. These days our weddings often challenge traditions – and rightly so, in my opinion. We seek to find a balance between expressing our own voices while paying respects to our roots. One element of weddings though, that is so essentially a part of the tradition that it cannot be removed, is the element of community. The guests are witness to the declaration of love and commitment of a wedding. I thoroughly enjoy the opportunity to see friends and family at weddings connect, catch up and enjoy themselves in honour of such a special occasion. It really is a privilege to be a part of.

Visit  Mr Boutique’s page to find out more about our Vendor Of The Week. Mr Boutique is a member of the Polka Dot Directory