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by: ShelbyWright
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Perhaps you are a wedding couple planning your wedding. Or perhaps you have been asked to be a wedding master of ceremonies. Whichever, you need to carefully understand the role of the wedding MC. It is critical to the success of the wedding reception.

What would you prefer? A wedding master of ceremonies who is a capable entertainer, the center of attention and the star of the show, creating laughs all through the reception? Or a master of ceremonies who is the host, quietly in the background and guiding proceedings to make sure the newly married couple are at the center of attention?

The traditional role of the wedding master of ceremonies is to oversee the formalities of the wedding reception. A good wedding MC creates an atmosphere of happy celebration. A sound knowledge of wedding etiquette is required, an understanding of the wishes of the couple getting married, and the ability to speak well and with good humor to set the mood and gain everyone's cooperation.

Successful wedding MCs know how to keep in the background and only step forward to keep the wedding reception going as planned, without dominating proceedings. A good wedding MC is traditionally more like a chairman than a star entertainment performer for a wedding reception.

Mostly the wedding MC is a volunteer, often the father of the bride, or a family member or friend with the appropriate personality and experience. Sometimes the best man is also the wedding MC. To expect a volunteer to be the main entertainment will usually be asking too much, but you can mostly count on there being someone in the couple's circle of family and friends who can play the MC's chairmanship role successfully.

Somebody with the personality and sense of humor to make sure everybody enjoys themselves at the wedding reception will usually be chosen. Fortunate wedding couples may be able to call on an exceptionally entertaining and outgoing person who can put on something of a performance as the wedding MC. However the priority should be on finding somebody who is a good organizer and chairman.

For many weddings it is the best man's speech that generates the most hilarity. At some receptions there will be a specific entertainment item included in the program. A singer, often a talented family member or guest, is a popular choice. The flower girls, pages and others in the wedding party should each have their moment in the limelight. The danger of having a wedding MC who dominates the reception with his personality as an entertainer is that he will detract from the contributions of the other less professional and outgoing participants. The wedding couple needs to be very clear with their chosen MC about the role they would like him to play.

An expensive option is to hire a professional wedding master of ceremonies. This option is usually confined to society or a celebrity weddings. A professional MC may be expected by the guests to provide professional entertainment, but the irony is that professional MCs mostly see their role as being the chairman and facilitator for the reception.

The wedding reception's master of ceremonies plays an influential role in how the event will be remembered by the newlyweds and their guests. A successful wedding MC will ensure that he is very well briefed and prepared about the couple's expectations for the wedding reception. He will focus more on smoothly linking together the formalities, speeches and items of the reception, and maintaining a happy atmosphere, than on putting on a performance of his own. His responsibility is to make the newlyweds the stars of the reception, not himself as the wedding MC.

About the Author

Shelby Wright recommends a Wedding MC uses professionally designed wedding etiquette checklists, speech templates, suggested jokes and other wedding speech guidelines and examples to plan the Wedding MC role at the wedding reception. You are welcome to reprint this article - but get your own unique content version here.

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