The Master of Ceremonies (or M.C.) is an integral role in the modern wedding reception. There’s so many moving parts to a celebration, and it’s important to have someone to help you manage it all. A proper M.C. can guide your guests throughout the celebration, building up the right emotions and creating memorable experiences, without getting in the way of the moment. The M.C. is a widely misrepresented role, often being sold as such while just being an “announcer.” A great M.C. continually educates him- or herself and practices their art to be able to offer you a more polished experience.
To truly perform well as a Master of Ceremonies in today’s wedding reception, there are several parts to be played:
Proper scripting of monologues, names to be spoken, transitional announcements, and any other spoken words that are scheduled and should be planned.
Rehearsal of aforementioned speech, to ensure fluidity, pronunciation, and pairing the right emotion with the right moment to better communicate with the guests.
Preparation and planning with the guests of honor, to create a timeline of events that keep all of the guests engaged in the event, with smooth transitions from one moment to the next.
Staging all individuals who will participate in a particular moment of the event, so that they are prepared for their moment, and know how and when to be involved.
Discrete event direction, leading the guests through the timeline, leaving no confusion or lapses in the celebration; at the same time ensuring that the celebration is fun and meaningful to everyone attending.
“If you want a DJ who doubles as a wedding planner, friend, and MASTER OF CEREMONIES, you have found the right person. Ryan and his family are among the most genuine people we have ever met and we truly could not have asked for more.”
A truly effective Master of Ceremonies can build real emotion and excitement through their wording and their technique. To coin a phrase, “it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.” Each celebration my team and I participate in is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for those attending. The little things that can easily be taken for granted are details that we take great care to polish so you and your guests get the best experience you can. For example:
Pronunciation of the names of you, your family, and your wedding party as they’re being introduced to your guests.
Making eye contact with all of the individuals who are to take part in the next activity before we transition into it, to avoid awkward moments of unpreparedness.
Working cooperatively with the rest of the hired production team to carry out the timeline, so that you (the guests of honor) don’t have to worry about managing your own celebration.
The list continues; the most important of all, however, is establishing a relationship with you over the course of our work together. To truly communicate with your guests and share in the celebration, it’s important to understand who you are as individuals, and as a couple.
The Grand Entrance
Almost everyone “introduces” their wedding party to their guests at the beginning of the reception. …Or do they? What exactly is an "introduction” anyway? Think back to the last wedding reception you attended. What do you remember about the wedding party? Did the M.C. just read their names? Or did you understand a little about why those individuals mattered to the newlyweds? Your wedding party are an important part of your celebration, so why not give them a little extra attention?
“He transformed our talking points for bridal party introductions into a script that made our families tear up.”
— Mary & Peter LoPiccolo
Check out some samples of personalized wedding party entrances!
“Our guests adored our love story video that he put together for us and it had everyone smiling and in tears.”
- Katherine & Dylan