Wedding Reception Order and MC Duties

Today’s topic was question from one of Facebook Brides to be, Christine. Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to help you.

Wedding Reception Order & MC duties

The ceremony went lovely; it is time for your reception. Is there a specific order of events that should take place? This is what I am going to explore today.

A wedding reception timeline serves as a checklist and helps the bride and groom form a mental image of the wedding reception order of events.

How to coordinate the events all depends on your wedding MC. It is recommended the reception program and script is prepared weeks in advance so the Emcee can familiarize himself with the flow of events.

A basic guideline to follow:

Wedding MC Duties & Tips

· Wear a well-tailored suit, a freshly ironed shirt and an elegant tie. If you been ask to Emcee a wedding and don’t have a good suit – there’s an easy and practical solution – RENT ONE.

· Practice smiling while speaking and allow your voice to boom, boom, boom across the room.

· Arrive. Very early. You need to check the acoustics of the room. There is nothing worse than `testing, testing, one, two, three….’ all over the auditorium.

· Make sure you have a detailed time sheet. You will need to co-ordinate your introductions with the caterers, musicians, make sure the toasts and speeches all fall on time.

· Make sure all the speechmakers know what is expected of them.

· Use the whole stage or floor. Most first-time speakers or emcees stay rooted to the spot and that simple lack of action dooms them. Walk around to the bride and groom when you refer to them. Walk up to the parents as you introduce them to the wedding party.

· Be animated. The more of your personality and charm you project, the better. Master of ceremonies duties should be conducted with genuine pride and joy.

· Feel free to incorporate a few one-liners or light humor to lighten the mood. I would refrain from anything off-color. If you’re not use to this type of interaction, practice!

· Remember; do not make long rambling monologues. You are there to simply guide the course of events.

I have listed below the traditional order of events for wedding receptions. They are not ‘carved in stone’. Remember this is YOUR day. This is a guideline for you to follow if you are having trouble with how to get everything done during your reception

- Wedding Guests Arrive

(The Receiving Line may be at the wedding reception location or the wedding ceremony location)
- Cocktail Period Starts
- Photographs of Bride and Groom

- Introduction of the Parents and Wedding Party
- Grand Entrance and Introduction of the Bride and Groom

- First Dance – Bride and Groom (Option 1)
The above option eliminates a long break in the reception .

Guests are not supposed to dance until after the Bride and Groom have had their first dance.

- Blessing before Dinner – if desired
- Wedding Toasts
- Dinner is served

- Wedding Cake Cutting
- First Dance – Bride and Groom (Option 2)
- Special Dances – Bride with Father, Groom with Mother, etc.
- Main Dance

- Bridal Bouquet Toss
- Bride’s Garter Toss
- Dollar Dance – if desired
- More Dancing
- Last Dance – Bride and Groom

- Exit – Bride and Groom
- End of Wedding Reception

I hope this has made your planning go a little bit easier. It is my pleasure to do the research for all brides out there!. As always have a wonderful week and email me any questions you may have or what you would like to see covered in the future!

-Ann
ann@weddingcountdown.com