Wedding MC Checklist: Your Ultimate Guide for a Smooth Celebration
I’ve poured my life’s work into this Wedding MC checklist to save you time, money, effort and headaches for your upcoming wedding day.
There is so much to check off. So much to cover and do.
An MC is responsible for so many things and having a good MC will help your day to run smoothly and keep everyone engaged or informed about what’s coming next.
The Wedding MC you choose must do the following jobs:
- Keep to times
- Adjust times or move formalities if/when needed
- Collaborate and organise and keep vendors informed to ensure they all do their job (musicians, DJ’s, photographers, videographers, wedding event co-ordinators)
- Organise and move guests to seats or areas during formalities
- Keep guests informed of what’s coming next (now’s the time for drinks and toilet break because in 5 minutes time we are doing speeches).•
- Introducing and conducting speeches
- Introducing bridal / wedding party into reception
- Introducing cake cutting / first dance / How the dance floor will build in stages
The following content will give you comprehensive Wedding checklists and dot points to run through.
Some things will need to be discussed with venues/vendors on their requirements and other things will need to be repeated a few times throughout the evening to ensure everyone has played their part!
Housekeeping Basics Every Wedding MC Should Cover:
We will start off with housekeeping. Most venues with their food & beverage manager’s / supervisors or event co-ordinators will make your Wedding MC aware of general house keeping.
Housekeeping (To be introduced at the start of reception):
- Smoking Area (don’t vape inside, do it outside)
- Dispose of cigarette butts appropriately
- Toilets
- Bar / drinks service (sit down, order at bar, beer & wine are part of package, spirits can be purchased etc)•
- Emergency Exits / Evacuation protocol
- Ordering taxi’s (for venues in the Hunter region)
- No drinks on dance floors (some venues try to avoid broken glass)
- Keep your shoes on (broken glass, no shoes, you get the picture)
- Put rubbish in bin
- Leaving cars overnight / picking up by 9am in morning
- Insert any additional requests from venue (For more tips on working with wedding venues, visit Wedding NSW.)
Engaging Guests: Key Tasks to Mention Throughout the Evening
Jobs for Guests (to be introduced at start of reception and again 1-2 times before the end):
We tell them a few times because once isn’t enough! Telling people to sign the guest book once at the start puts the idea there but most guests forget. Pick a section before or after speeches to make people aware of the jobs they need to do before leaving.
- Guest book / audiobook (audiobook is better to do before dancing starts as it’s too noisy!)
- Photo booth (stick strip in book or keep? / times of operation / how it runs and works) – chat to the photo booth assistant for this one!
- Polaroid camera/s sticking photos
- Gifts for guests / bon bonnieres (remind them at start and end to take them home)
- Ordering taxi’s (for venues like in the Hunter region where Uber isn’t a thing!)
- Wish jar / advice jar / other guest participation jobs
- Decorations or flowers (to be or NOT TO be taken home)
Perfect Timing: Introducing Speeches and Managing Formal Dances
Introducing Bridal / wedding party:
Below are the following options or arrangements on how couples can be formally introduced into the room. It’s always good to meet the wedding party prior and line them up in their orders before you come back and que the DJ or music for their entrance.
- Bridesmaids– groomsmen – couple
- Couple 1 – couple 2 – couple 3 ……. – Mr and Mrs / Bride & Groom / Newlyweds / first name & first name
- Wedding couple ONLY
Get guests seated / get guests standing / twirling napkins / clapping and making noise
Introducing…………
Introducing Speeches:
After you’ve clued in the photographer and videographers and have the go ahead to introduce speeches. Now is a great time to remind people of the certain jobs or tasks guests will have to do before they leave at the end of the event.
It’s always great to introduce people by first name and relations (Please welcome up first to the microphone the Father of the Bride….. or Mother of the Groom…. Sister of….. etc)
First Dance / Formal dances:
Please check in with the wedding couple as to how they would like to build the dance floor or coordinate their formal dances before the dancing / partying starts for the rest of the evening.
Some orders / examples are:
First dance (couple only) – 1:30s in (invite parents / bridal party or Everyone)
Then Father / daughter / mother / son dance etc
(Times may vary. Finishing their dance with a dip, a lift or a kiss may be the signal to invite guests on the dance floor)
The reverse may also be an option or there might not be any formal dances with other parents or guests at all. Some couples may want to dance for their entire song without others on the dance floor as well.
Creating Memorable Farewells: Coordinating Sparkler Exits and Goodbye Circles
Sparkler Exits / farewells:
If your duties extend right until the end of the reception, it’s a good idea to help coordinate the sparkler aisle exit or farewell. When it comes to sparklers, here’s what usually happens
- They are lit too early
- They are all lit together (10 or more) and cause a massive fire to burst and then dropped
- Guests don’t listen
- Not everyone is ready
- People forget their belongings
- People need to be told 2-3 times what to do.
Line everyone up, tell them not to light them yet and to only grab ONE each. Make sure whoever is filming or taking photos to get ready as well. Sparklers light other sparklers better than lighters. Tell them to share the love and pass it along.
When it comes to farewell circles the best thing to do is announce for people to make a big circle on the dance floor and the wedding couple will come around with hugs and kisses to say goodbye.
Add your details below to receive your ‘final checklist’ to have on the night to tick off to make sure everything’s been covered!
