The Role Of The Master of Ceremonies At Your Wedding

A professional MC can often keep the crowd perked up, and keep the flow of the speeches going. But on the other hand, some people aren’t comfortable having someone they don’t personally know to talk at their wedding, so in the end it comes down to personal preference.

If you are going to hire an MC, you will need to interview them… to get a feel if they will be right for your wedding. You want someone who will listen to what YOU want, rather than dictate what they are going to do, and what should happen.

As well as a speaking role, the Master of Ceremonies is also an organizational role. But what kind of things is the MC meant to organize?

Here’s a quick run down:

Firstly, you’ll need to make sure the tables and place names are set correctly.

Next, you need to officially welcome all the guests to the reception.

You also need to make sure the meals arrive on time (as well as the drinks!) If there are any problems, you need to be there to sort them out.

You need to introduce the speeches, and also maintain the order in which the speech givers are going to deliver their speeches.

Then you will need to introduce the cutting of the cake.

You’ll need to gather the guests for the throwing of the bride’s bouquet.

As the day draws to a close, you’ll need to gather the guests together again to say farewell to the bride and groom.

And that’s about all that comes to mind right now. Depending on the wedding, you may have less or more tasks… but hopefully you’ll be informed of these before the big day!

Before the meal begins, you need to welcome the guests at the door, and introduce yourself as the Master of Ceremonies. Once the guests have all taken a seat, you should thank them all for coming. If there is anything else happening at the reception (games, for example) then tell people about this now.

When the bridal party enters, you will need to introduce the bridal party to the guests and take them to their seats (which will be at the top of the table).

You may want to talk about how the day is going well, and talk to the guests a bit. Ask them if they are having a good time, get them talking to you a bit.

And now we get closer to one of the biggest roles of the Master of Ceremonies, which is introducing the speeches.

Now everyone has finished eating their meals, it’s time for you to gather their attention ready for the wedding speeches.

Traditionally, you do this by tapping a glass. It works, so feel free to do this. Once the voices die down, you need to ask for their attention. Simply saying “Ladies and gentlemen, could I have your attention for a moment” is fine.

When the conversation has fully died down, its time to introduce the speeches! All you need to do now is introduce the first speaker. Once that speaker has finished, you need to thank that person for speaking, and then introduce the next speaker. You carry on doing this, until everyone who is making a speech has made one.

After the speeches, it’s time for you to read out any cards from people who couldn’t make it – if there are any, of course.

If you’re also giving a speech (as the best man, for example) then your speech will come last. After everyone has made their speech, you can introduce your own speech… and then make it.

If you aren’t giving a speech, you can simply end by thanking everyone. You can also propose a final toast to the happy couple (but make sure this is okay with the bride and groom before hand, as someone else may be doing this).