Celebrant, Lady Toastmaster & Public Speaking Workshop Reviews 2018-20
Sought-after professional Lady Toastmaster, luxury weddings and ceremonies celebrant and public speaking expert Sonal Dave
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Lady Toastmaster Reviews
I was so impressed to see an Indian Lady Toastmaster who could
command the silence of the Guests as and when required in a friendly
and warm manner. She included humour as well which was lovely to
hear.
command the silence of the Guests as and when required in a friendly
and warm manner. She included humour as well which was lovely to
hear.
Sonal is an amazing Lady Toastmaster. I would highly recommend her if you have an event planned. She shone at a recent event I hosted. Above all she is very genuine, honest and caring.
We were very lucky that Sonal was free to be with us and we all had an amazing day. She is professional, organised and works well with everyone
Sonal was a great Lady Toastmaster. She kept the guests interested in the event, hosted professionally and ran a smooth show.
One of the biggest thanks must go to you for all you did to make Asha’s and Vik’s wedding day so special. Without you we don’t know how we would have managed. We valued the very professional way in which you conducted the events of the day and the seamless way in which you made everything happen. There were problems which you sorted out well before they escalated – not least of which was acting as a mediator when things went wrong, but you handled things so discreetly. We would definitely recommend you to anyone of our friends or families.
On a more personal note we appreciate that from time to time you made sure me and Purnima were relaxed while you made it all happen. Before I end this review, we would also like to thank Dhani and his team for doing such an excellent job in performing the live music. All the guests made positive comments on the live music during the wedding ceremony and the civil wedding and that the live music made all the difference.
Thank you so much for hosting for us at our engagement on Sunday 2nd June 2019
I just wanted to say thank you so much! Honestly nothing I say or do could repay you for what you have done for me. You made my day run so smooth and helped me out so much. You were my go to person, without you this day would not have been the way it was. Your job is the biggest and hardest but you do it effortlessly and the passion just shines through. There is so much I want to write now but I’ll be here forever. Sonal keep being you and never change that personality of yours. Every single person I have spoken to has said how lovely you are and most importantly understood the importance of your role. Everyone could see that this day would not have gone the way it did without you. I hope to meet you again and will 100% book you again for family weddings.
Sonal, what can I say! Thank you so much for all your support during our wedding.
We booked you as our toastmaster and after meeting you and going through our itinerary you really guided us by pointing out some things we didn’t think of! When we met we mentioned we would like our wedding to be calm and as quiet as possible which it was given we have over 450 guests (including lots and lots of babies!) We were really pleased how you liaised with other suppliers and interacted with guests to ensure our day was running on time and it really helped that you spoke in English and Gujarati to ensure guests understood what was happening. As we all know indian weddings do not run on time, however I was so impressed that we were actually running ahead of time which was thanks to you and our suppliers. Our long list of family photos were managed with ease and we didn’t miss any family members out! What was even better was after the wedding you (literally) escorted us from the
mandap to outside where we were going to take our pictures as husband and wife and politely spoke to guests who wanted to take pictures with us that we’ll be back – this actually saved us time as we were constantly being stopped by friend and family for a pic!
We booked you as our toastmaster and after meeting you and going through our itinerary you really guided us by pointing out some things we didn’t think of! When we met we mentioned we would like our wedding to be calm and as quiet as possible which it was given we have over 450 guests (including lots and lots of babies!) We were really pleased how you liaised with other suppliers and interacted with guests to ensure our day was running on time and it really helped that you spoke in English and Gujarati to ensure guests understood what was happening. As we all know indian weddings do not run on time, however I was so impressed that we were actually running ahead of time which was thanks to you and our suppliers. Our long list of family photos were managed with ease and we didn’t miss any family members out! What was even better was after the wedding you (literally) escorted us from the
mandap to outside where we were going to take our pictures as husband and wife and politely spoke to guests who wanted to take pictures with us that we’ll be back – this actually saved us time as we were constantly being stopped by friend and family for a pic!
A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to work with the very talented very beautiful
and very professional Sonal Dave the wonderful toastmaster, and public speaker.
She hosted our first Smile with Shiv charity gala and Sonal did an impecable job on the day. If you are looking for someone to host an event, highly highly recommend Sonal.
Sonal it was a pleasure to work with you, it’s not easy what a toastmaster does but if you want someone who can set the tone & structure the evening & make your guests & you (the hosts) feel comfortable then you need Sonal.
Another wonderful PA collaboration.
and very professional Sonal Dave the wonderful toastmaster, and public speaker.
She hosted our first Smile with Shiv charity gala and Sonal did an impecable job on the day. If you are looking for someone to host an event, highly highly recommend Sonal.
Sonal it was a pleasure to work with you, it’s not easy what a toastmaster does but if you want someone who can set the tone & structure the evening & make your guests & you (the hosts) feel comfortable then you need Sonal.
Another wonderful PA collaboration.
Sonal was an outstanding Lady Toastmaster at the #EthnicityAwards for the ceremony. She got the evening right and was compere with Marvin Humes. She went above and beyond her role of reading the names of those shortlisted, she bounced off our award presenters, helped the ceremony run smoothly as was well prepared, and really importantly got all the names right – not an easy task. She was the star of the show.
Great banter. Ethnicity Awards partner with HSBC and sponsors including Tesco, Natwest, Viacom, Lloyds Banking Group, Legal &
General Investment Group and National Grid.
The awards celebrate business, public figures, politics, sports and so many other areas who all help the ethnicity and race agenda.
I would definitely use Sonal again without a doubt, she was great to work with and definitely added to the event.
Thank you so much
Great banter. Ethnicity Awards partner with HSBC and sponsors including Tesco, Natwest, Viacom, Lloyds Banking Group, Legal &
General Investment Group and National Grid.
The awards celebrate business, public figures, politics, sports and so many other areas who all help the ethnicity and race agenda.
I would definitely use Sonal again without a doubt, she was great to work with and definitely added to the event.
Thank you so much
Sonal was a magical component to the overwhelming event we hosted at the Intercontinental O2. This was a very interesting day and a very demanding event for all the VIP and VVIP guests. I was so thankful for the help provided by the Sonal and the Toastmasters and insisted that the event needed their special touch and expertise! I will not hold any events unless I have Sonal or one of her colleagues in scarlet! Thank you Sonal Dave!
Definitely pleased with the way Sonal handled our Wedding Day Management for our wedding! Everything went according to plan. I Highly recommend Sonal’s expertise and services – with a personal touch!
Working with Sonal was a pleasure, she is a true professional and an asset to any event, she put the family at ease, and kept the guests entertained and informed throughout
It was a pleasure to meet you last night and thanks so much for doing such an amazing job. I received so many positive comments about how you handled the role and it set such a great tone for the evening. I am sure that you will be much in demand and look forward to seeing you again soon.
I booked Sonal for a charity awards night and honestly, hand on heart, I can say Sonal was the best decision I had made. Sonal was not only adding the humour to the event but allowed myself and my co-organiser to relax and enjoy the evening. The quiet moments were filled in, the timing was kept in check and Sonal mingled with all the guests. I highly recommend Sonal if you want a light-hearted, burst of energy addition to your event.
Sonal’s high level of initiative on the day was noticed by all guests. She explained the meaning behind parts of the ceremony when the priest was occupied so that the guests were kept abreast of the events and even sung a surprise filler song, asking guests to wave their hands along, which went down a treat. Ironically, it was also the song that we had picked for our first dance later in the wedding day which made it so special. All the guests thoroughly enjoyed themselves and together with the priest and venue, the event was truly magical. Behind the scenes, Sonal was fantastically organised, reliable and reassuring. Several weeks before the event I sent her my meeting notes with the priest outlining the songs I wanted and blanks where I needed help. Sonal learnt all the songs I gave her and helped me pick songs I was missing. She was funny and warm and from the start I felt like I was in a safe pair of hands which cannot be underestimated as guests, bride and groom have hundreds of things to do already.
People are still talking about this event!!! Don’t you just love how professionally an event like this is organised and everything runs to perfect time! Well done Sonal Dave
Sonal helped to organise a 50th birthday party to remember. She listened to what i wanted and used her vast knowledge of such events and her endless energy to help realise my dream party. Everything went perfect on the day and all my friends and relatives have not stopped talking about the party, A big thank you to Sonal and her team. I have no reservations in recommending Sonal to my friends and relatives.
As a wedding planner, we come across many different vendors all the time. Sonal has always stood out, not only because she is an Asian female toastmaster, but simply because of her bubbly, approachable and genuine personality. She is an absolute pleasure to be around on an event day, and is fantastic at what she does. She knows exactly how to capture all the attention from the guests, carry a crowd and create the right atmosphere. That is exactly what you need on a wedding day, and we love working with Sonal because of that.
I had the pleasure of working with Sonal at a wedding where I supplied the cake. Prior to event Sonal was really well organised and emailed through all the details and even on the day she was easy to contact and make arrangements. She is very approachable and so professional. Would highly recommend her for her services.
Sonal is just a delightful ToastMaster. Professional, proactive and reliable. Hugely impressed by her witty style and her command of an audience. She also goes above and beyond to assist hosts and contribute ideas.
Sonal is so fantastic as a Toastmaster. You can see her passion coming through when she can command attention and still have that beautiful smile on her face. It’s great to see her confidence shine so bright.
Sonal booked our company for her clients’ wedding and what a wedding it was! Sonal was able to keep everyone’s attention and also kept everyone, including us, entertained. Sonal Was constantly checking the time, knew all the suppliers (introduced herself upon our arrival) and was just so welcoming and bubbly! I’ve met a few Toastmasters and Sonal is the First Lady toastmaster I had personally met and it was lovely to see. She did an amazing job and I would highly recommend her to anyone!
Sonal was the MC at our Charity Events in the House of Commons. She was professional, funny and led the evening smoothly. Enjoyed having her support – she made a huge difference to the event. I would highly recommend her.
Luxury Celebrant Reviews
We just wanted to say thank you for such
an incredible ceremony last week, you did such an amazing job (even with the venue’s dodgy microphone!). We’re so glad we found you, we never imagined we would be writing our own vows or doing a sand ceremony, but these really made the day special. So many people commented on how much they loved the ceremony (lots of tears amongst our family and friends as well!)
We asked Sonal to be the celebrant for our wedding celebration, and we cannot recommend her enough! From the start, Sonal was so helpful and involved to ensure everything was on track. From our first Skype session, she felt like an old friend who we’d known for a lifetime. She was extremely flexible for our needs and wants (even when we weren’t entirely sure what we wanted, she gave us incredible ideas and direction). On the day itself, Sonal was perfect – she made us feel so relaxed and at ease, and we had so many compliments afterwards from our guests saying what an amazing job she had done. Thanks to Sonal we’ll remember this day, and her, for the rest of our lives!
an incredible ceremony last week, you did such an amazing job (even with the venue’s dodgy microphone!). We’re so glad we found you, we never imagined we would be writing our own vows or doing a sand ceremony, but these really made the day special. So many people commented on how much they loved the ceremony (lots of tears amongst our family and friends as well!)
We asked Sonal to be the celebrant for our wedding celebration, and we cannot recommend her enough! From the start, Sonal was so helpful and involved to ensure everything was on track. From our first Skype session, she felt like an old friend who we’d known for a lifetime. She was extremely flexible for our needs and wants (even when we weren’t entirely sure what we wanted, she gave us incredible ideas and direction). On the day itself, Sonal was perfect – she made us feel so relaxed and at ease, and we had so many compliments afterwards from our guests saying what an amazing job she had done. Thanks to Sonal we’ll remember this day, and her, for the rest of our lives!
I just wanted to say a BIG thank you for helping Chaitaly and I create such a beautiful ceremony! We felt totally relaxed throughout it thanks to you and your upbeat, yet humorous delivery! We had so many compliments afterwards and many of our guests remarked at how wonderful you were!
We did receive the ceremony pack, which was beautifully packaged and we’ll keep it safe for years to come!
I’d also personally like to thank you again for the public speaking course. The speech went really well in the evening and I overcame the tremor by taking on the advice provided by you. That was a huge hurdle for me!
Thank you again so much…….I’m sure we’ll be in touch soon!
We did receive the ceremony pack, which was beautifully packaged and we’ll keep it safe for years to come!
I’d also personally like to thank you again for the public speaking course. The speech went really well in the evening and I overcame the tremor by taking on the advice provided by you. That was a huge hurdle for me!
Thank you again so much…….I’m sure we’ll be in touch soon!
Sonal was exactly what we wanted from a celebrant. Funny, interested in our ideas, open to suggestions and last minute alterations. Sonal spoke in a clear way which enabled my husband to lip read her easily throughout the ceremony and get the most out of his wedding too. Her calm presence helped us stay calm and she was prepared with our vows, including leaving us a lovely package with our ceremony script to keep.
As far as a celebrant goes, she went above and beyond to make it special for us, even braving the heat! Thank you x
As far as a celebrant goes, she went above and beyond to make it special for us, even braving the heat! Thank you x
Sonal was the best supplier we worked with for our wedding. She had multiple calls with us before our big day to understand our wants for the ceremony and once booked she helped us both compile our vows to one another. Her personality really made our ceremony what it was; she brought a lot of humour and energy to kick start the rest of our wedding day. We couldn’t recommend her enough. Sonal was amazing both throughout the journey on the run up to our wedding and on the actual wedding day.
Sonal was such a perfect celebrant for our wedding.
When we decided we wanted to create our ceremony, we knew finding the right celebrant was a crucial task. When we came across Sonal’s profile – we had a feeling she would be great – and she really was.
From our initial meeting we instantly liked Sonal and pretty much decided we wanted her on the spot. She instantly understood our values and what we stood for. She was non judgmental, friendly and incredibly warm – we felt she was truly open to our ideas and delivered exactly what we wanted.
So many people complimented Sonal during and after our wedding celebrations – she blended the Western and Eastern parts of our wedding beautifully and really was the perfect glue that made our ceremony perfect. I was a bit unsure how the ‘older’ more traditional members of our family would receive a slightly different ceremony, but the elegance, friendly and professional manner in which Sonal carried out our ceremony made it perfect. She was on time and worked well with the other suppliers.
Thank you so much, Sonal, for our beautiful wedding ceremony- I cant think of anyone who would have been more of a perfect fit – you were wonderful!
Hi Sonal, Thank you for the funeral service you provided for my brother Ramesh. You did a lovely job. Thank you
Dear Sonal, Thank you, The service went very smoothly despite Diego being late and Philip got too nervous to proceed. You did a great job. Thank you very much Take care Dorothy
Public Speaking Workshops & Coaching
Before I did my public speaking course with Sonal, I was a nervous wreck and didn’t even want to be a speaker. The full day course was hands-on with opportunities to practice a number of sessions. Sonal was a great teacher and I learnt so much. Not only that, it was such a fun day and Sonal has a great way of making you feel at ease (even when you feel an absolute prat!). Since my course, I have gone on to speak at 3 events and can sincerely say, I wouldn’t have been able to do this, without her help. Each time, I remember her words and feel more and more confident. Thank you for empowering me!
Excellent experience. One of the best. Very interactive, concise, clear to the point, lots of tips and tricks shared and Sonalben’s knowledge about the subject is deep and explained simply.
This was a well spent 4 hours as I learnt a lot about my style of presentations. It was a nice group as we were able to interact with each other and learn from each other.
Sonal is an amazing speaker and teacher. Her work to help children build confidence in public speaking is great and much needed. Highly recommend Sonal for your special events as well as her courses.
Great venue, great delivery which was interactive. It allows us all to dig deep to find issues that were holding us back. To remove the fears, to be confident and open.
Sonal has been so warm, welcoming and respectful of everyone and their stories. Full of great advice and tips, she facilitated all conversations diplomatically and fairly. I have come away with more than just public speaking / communicating information.
Sonal is a Star! I have had the most incredible learning in her workshop. She has covered all the vital points in Public Speaking and Confidence. Today’s exercises have been an eye opener and very empowering.
Superb skills workshop. Very interactive and constructive. Highly recommend to ladies and children.
Sonal was very interactive, supportive, observant. She took the time to understand, to encourage and find ways to support myself and to show me ways to improve myself.
Today’s workshop was practical, where we unleashed our inner confidence to be able to give a talk by the end of the day. Thoroughly recommended
It’s been a wonderful experience and the presentation was done with confidence, understanding, and dealt with calmness. I have learnt so many things today.
Sonal you are an inspiration to all asian women. Breaking barriers and doing roles that seem impossible. Carry on giving and encouraging women and men
Sonal’s workshop was fantastic. I really loved how engaging she is and would recommend the day to anyone wanting to gain a little more confidence with public speaking
Great Workshop. I learnt a lot of tips and pointers about public speaking. Worth the time
Excellent day. Great Content, and expanding the comfort zone by getting us uncomfortable
Fantastic and insightful workshop which has set me on the right path to overcoming my fear of public speaking
Inspirational as well as Aspirational. Well done Sonal
This is the second time attending the workshop and I felt so much more confident speaking and telling my story. It allowed me to relive memories and acknowledge my accomplishments, something I hadn’t really done properly
Highly recommended to find your inner voice, share your personal story and appreciate your life journey so far. Discover it all with Sonal Dave
I recently attended Sonal’s Public Speaking workshop as a VIP and left feeling armed with many techniques and tips to grow my confidence and speaking styles. This workshop is valuable for everyone; from the most confident and to those who prefer to stay in the background. It allows you to explore styles in which you can get a message across be it on a stage or with a group of friends and be confident at the same time. I highly recommend this workshop, and would advise watching some of Sonal Dave’s YouTube videos to gauge an understanding of what there is to offer.
I attended a public speaking workshop delivered by Sonal Dave and took so much away from it and felt liberated. My 14 year old son attended the one for young people as I feel it’s an essential life skill to have. He said he learnt a lot from it and described it as fun and interactive and Sonal made him and his cousin feel very comfortable
This has been an amazing and very insightful day filled with theory and practical exercises. I am walking away with added confidence and so much value
I loved the whole experience. I felt comfortable with Sonal and everyone else in the group. I feel I learnt more than the previous Public Speaking Events I have attended. I will definitely recommend Sonal to my network I know.
In this unprecedented time I have taken the opportunity to focus on key skills. With this in mind, my daughter and I did the online confidence course for children. It consists of a step by step guide on how to prepare, write and deliver a presentation. It had great tips and techniques and my daughter really enjoyed it. I wish there was something like this for me when I was growing up, thanks to @sonaldave68 for creating, encouraging and being a positive role model to young children.
Very good! Some really good content and good pace with some very useful practical exercises. Great engagement. Really good re-cap of key points.
The workshop was fantastic. I learnt so much considering I work in an industry where I talk publicly daily. I learnt a lot about myself and what I can change to be more confident.
My daughter was full of beans after the workshop and it was amazing to see how much value the communicating with confidence workshop gave to her as well as the other teenagers. Giving our next generation the right tools to fully embrace themselves and to know their self worth can only have a great impact for their future
Hi Sonal, Gurveer definitely enjoyed the workshop. She is doing really well and voluntarily did a presentation on a topic in her class and got double house points because she was loud and clear and not so shy. Thank you
My daughter participated in the online public speaking course set up by Sonal Dave. The course is very useful, well written out and easy to follow – designed for children (and adults) to follow at their own time, pace and convenience. My daughter really enjoyed participating in the online course and we are hoping she will follow and practice regularly from the material provided so that it’s useful at school. Highly recommend Sonal Dave’s public speaking courses and workshops. We will definitely be sending our daughter to the next kids public speaking workshop.
Both my children loved the workshop and have already asked to go to any others you run! Thank you so much Sonal.
My daughter sometimes struggles with communicating her feelings. She’s watched me have to be really strong and stump my emotions when I am upset about something. So she copies. I’m a single Mum, and sometimes I just don’t have time to be vulnerable.
This course has really made me think about our level of communication as a family. The course is easy to follow and interesting. We had to stop and discuss some tasks that my daughter didn’t understand, but that highlighted boundary issues we may have and it was good to bring this to light, so we had a good discussion.
Overall, such a good experience and great value.
Older Children Workshop
Speaking confidently in front of an audience, getting your point across articulately without feeling nervous, knowing the right words to use and how to present yourself is not something we can all do naturally. It is a skill, something which you can learn, but sadly, this is not taught in schools.
I was delighted to test out the accessibility of the online course below which is aimed at children to teach them a few pointers which could really increase their confidence, including their parents, who can learn at the same time. I cannot recommend this online course enough, it was easy to download and access using voiceover technology, and loved how each video was short, which meant kids can stay engaged. It was fun and interactive and the way the presenter describes herself helped me to build an image in my mind which even for me was an absolute perk. Each video was descriptive and I didn’t need to rely upon any sighted assistance.
If you want your kids to learn an essential life skill, something they can carry with them for the rest of their life, the art of being able to communicate effectively, then take a look at the link below and take advantage of the discount available until Sunday! Once you get the course, you have it for life.
Contact
+44 (0)7940715666
sonal@sonaldave.com
