Good morning Dotties! I can hardly believe we are in our first full February week! We have plenty of inspiration in store for you this week- including kicking off some very special posts on our specialty blogs! But first, let’s kick start the week with our Monday morning tradition and showcase one of our wonderful members of Ms Polka Dot’s Directory!

So let’s start our week of with a fantastical, talented vendor, a spotlight on a member of Ms Polka Dot’s Directory

The directory has welcomed in a brand new year with new photographers, florists, cake bakers, musicians and even venues! We work really hard to make sure our vendors are fantastic at what they do and understand that Polka Dot couples are particularly special!

Our Vendor of the Week this week is Ann Dally one of the fantastic Civil Marriage Celebrants in our Directory. Ann Dally is a professionally trained marriage celebrant (she’s even vice president of  Australian Marriage Celebrants Incorporated) and with a long history in everything from modelling to public speaking, she has a wide array of talents which are just right for officiating the most important ceremony of your life. Ann is commited ot making each and every ceremony fun and interesting- so there will be lots of laughter and nothing stuffy!

To get to know Ann a little better, we asked her five questions in five minutes –

What is your favourite after five drink?

Well chilled champagne with crushed fresh strawberries.

Your favourite weekend getaway?

One of the many beautiful B&B’s in the Blue Mountains with my hubby. Sadly don’t get the chance too often as my weddings are my priority and most are on the weekends!

Favourite restaurant?

Basils at Marsfield – scrumptious fresh lobster and scampi – Yum!

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

Bacon, scrambled eggs, snags and croissants – naughty but soooooo nice.

Your favourite wedding story?

An Awesome Moment as a Marriage Celebrant……the cool Fairytale!

I have married many amazing couples, some love stories would make the perfect movie script. This is one of them………let me share…………..
Turn the clock back in time – a young man, along with his family fled to Australia from Poland in the mid eighties when the solidarity movement caused a revolution and the subsequent downfall of the communist government followed. He was torn away from his sweetheart – for the first time in two years – there was no time for “goodbyes” – they completely lost touch – both devastated. She was 16, he was 17.

The groom, after working extremely hard here in Australia and saving all he could, returned to Poland in the 90’s to search for his love and when he arrived at her small village was told she had left a few years prior after marrying. Broken-hearted, he returned to Australia, convinced he would never see her again.

A few years later, out of the blue, an old friend from Poland visited him here in Sydney. In conversation the friend told him that the marriage of the girl had ended a couple of years ago, no children were forthcoming, and she had divorced and was now studying architecture at university in Poland.

After a few phone calls to Poland he was convinced he could and would find her again.

He was on the first plane he could catch to Poland!

He waited for her at the university gates. Apparently the scene that took place was of the “Hollywood Fairytale”. As she walked out of the gates this particular day he recognised her and approached her with trepidation – his heart was pounding. When she realised who he was, they threw their arms around one another and just wouldn’t let go! He swung her in circles! They had two weeks to rekindle their relationship – it was, they both told me – just the most amazing thing to happen to them. The groom proposed, she said a definite yes and he then had to return to Australia to apply for a fiancé visa to bring her to Australia.

The wait was long and painful but I finally conducted their wedding with Sydney Harbour as their backdrop – the tears flowed. Only 8 guests attended but it was one of the most moving ceremonies I have ever written for this exceptionally special couple – I felt so privileged that they shared their love story with me.

To have the pleasure of actually performing their marriage and declaring them Husband and Wife was an honour I will never forget. Starting them off on their new journey in life is about as good as it gets.

I wouldn’t trade being a marriage celebrant for the world!

Visit Ann Dally’s page to find out more about our Vendor Of The Week. Ann Dally JC CMC is a member of Ms Polka Dot’s Directory