Your best mate has asked you to MC their wedding. It’s a big compliment and a real job. You’re the person who keeps the reception on time, introduces the speeches, cues the first dance and keeps the room in a good mood for five or six hours.
Our artists play weddings across Sydney and NSW every weekend, so we see a lot of MCs. The ones who do it well aren’t always the funniest people in the room. They’re the most prepared. This guide covers what we see them do: how to get ready, what to say, how to use the mic, and how to keep the night moving when something goes off script.
What does a wedding MC actually do?
The MC (master of ceremonies, or emcee) runs the reception. The celebrant runs the ceremony. On the night, your job is to:
- welcome guests and set the tone
- announce the couple’s entrance
- introduce each speech and keep speeches to time
- cue the key moments: first dance, cake cutting, bouquet toss, farewell
- make housekeeping announcements (meals, bar, photos, transport)
- work with the venue, photographer and band or DJ so everything happens in the right order
- fill the gaps if something runs late
You’re the link between the couple, their guests and the suppliers. If you do it well, the couple never has to look at their watch.
Before the wedding
1. Get the run sheet early and learn it
Ask the couple (or their planner) for the reception run sheet at least a month out. Read it until you know the order of events without looking. Most Australian receptions follow something close to this:
| Time | What happens | Your job |
|---|---|---|
| 6:00pm | Guests seated | Welcome, housekeeping, introduce yourself |
| 6:15pm | Couple’s entrance | Announce the bridal party and the couple |
| 6:30pm | Entrée | Let people eat. Keep it quiet. |
| 7:15pm | First round of speeches | Introduce each speaker, keep time |
| 7:45pm | Main course | Short announcement only if needed |
| 8:30pm | Couple’s speech | Introduce them, then hand back to the band or DJ |
| 8:45pm | Cake cutting and first dance | Call everyone to the dance floor |
| 9:00pm | Dancing | Step back and enjoy it |
| 10:45pm | Farewell | Gather guests for the send-off |
Every wedding is different, so use the couple’s version. The point is to know it well enough that you can adjust on the fly when the kitchen runs 20 minutes late.
2. Check names and pronunciations
Write down every name you’ll say on the night: the bridal party, parents, speakers, anyone being thanked. Check how each one is pronounced and spell them phonetically on your cards. Getting a grandparent’s name wrong is the mistake guests remember.
3. Meet the venue coordinator and the entertainment
Introduce yourself to the venue coordinator, the photographer and the band or DJ before the reception starts. Agree on a few things:
- how you’ll signal each other (a nod, a hand signal, a text)
- which songs play for the entrance, cake cutting and first dance
- when the band or DJ will turn the music down for you
- where the photographer needs to stand for each moment
A good band or DJ will help you here. Experienced wedding musicians and DJs, like DJ Brett Martin or Duke Music, work alongside MCs all the time and will usually talk timing through with you. If the couple has booked live music, ask for the bandleader’s number a week before.
4. Write your script, then cut it in half
Write out everything you plan to say, then cut it back. The MC isn’t giving a speech. You’re introducing other people’s moments. Aim for 30 to 60 seconds per announcement. Put each one on its own card, in order, in big print.
If you want a starting point, Gary from Marry Us runs wedding MC courses and scripts. You can buy a wedding MC script here. Use the code EE15 for 15% off all MC scripts and courses.
5. Ask the couple what’s off limits
Ask directly: any family tensions, exes in the room, stories that shouldn’t come up, cultural or religious traditions you need to handle carefully. It’s a two-minute conversation that saves a lot of awkward silences.
What to say as the MC
6. Open strong and keep it short
Your opening sets the tone for the night. Welcome everyone, say who you are and how you know the couple, cover housekeeping, and get to the entrance. Something like:
“Good evening everyone, and welcome. I’m Sam, I’ve known Tom since we were twelve, and I’ll be your MC tonight. A couple of quick things: the bar’s open, the bathrooms are through those doors, and the couple would love you to put your phones away during the speeches. Now, please get to your feet and make some noise for the bridal party…”
That’s about 30 seconds. Save your best story for later, if you tell one at all.
7. Introduce speakers properly
For each speech, say who the speaker is and how they’re connected to the couple, then hand over. “Next up is Linda, Emma’s mum, who has been waiting 31 years to give this speech.” Lead the applause as they stand up and as they finish.
Tell every speaker their time limit before the night (three to five minutes is plenty) and when they’re on. Nobody likes being surprised with the mic.
8. Keep the focus on the couple
A few inside jokes are fine. A ten-minute stand-up set isn’t. If a line only makes sense to the groomsmen, cut it. Grandma should be able to follow everything you say.
On the night
9. Learn the mic before guests arrive
Do a sound check with the venue or the band before guests arrive. Find out how to turn the mic on and off, and test your volume in the room. Hold it about a hand’s width from your mouth and point it at your chin, not your nose. Speak slower than feels natural and pause for laughs and applause. Don’t walk in front of the speakers, or you’ll get feedback.
10. Keep to time, quietly
Keep the run sheet in your pocket and check in with the venue coordinator before each section. If the kitchen is running late, shift a speech forward. If a speech runs long, shorten your next announcement. Guests shouldn’t notice any of this. That’s the point.
11. Have a plan for when things go wrong
Something will. The mic cuts out, a speaker freezes, the cake comes out early. A few things that help:
- Keep a couple of short fillers ready: a quick story about the couple, a toast, or a call for a round of applause for the caterers.
- If a speaker loses their place, step in with a light line and hand the mic back.
- If the tech fails, stay calm, raise your voice and keep going. The band or DJ will usually have a spare mic.
12. Pace yourself
Eat dinner. Drink water between drinks. You’re working until the speeches and first dance are done, and the couple is relying on you to be sharp at 9pm. Once the dance floor is open, you can relax.
Common MC mistakes to avoid
- Making it about you. You’re the host, not the headline act.
- Ex stories, embarrassing stories, or anything the couple’s parents would wince at.
- Reading from your phone. Use cards. Phones lock, die and light up your face.
- Calling everyone up for a moment before the photographer is ready.
- Talking over the band or DJ. Agree on when they’ll bring the music down.
- Leaving early. Stay for the farewell, it’s one of your jobs.
Wedding MC checklist
- Final run sheet from the couple or planner
- Names and pronunciations, written phonetically
- Announcement cards, numbered, in order
- Speaker list with times, and every speaker told in advance
- Contact numbers for the venue coordinator and band or DJ
- Song cues for the entrance, cake cutting and first dance
- Two or three back-up fillers
- Sound check booked before guests arrive
Wedding MC FAQs
How long should a wedding MC talk for?
Across the whole night, most MCs speak for 10 to 15 minutes in total, split into short announcements of 30 to 60 seconds. The opening welcome can run a little longer.
What’s the usual order of speeches at an Australian wedding?
A common order is the father or parents of the bride, the father or parents of the groom, the best man and maid of honour, then the couple. Plenty of couples change it, so follow their run sheet.
Should the MC be funny?
Warm is more important than funny. A couple of light lines help, but the MC’s main job is to keep things moving and make the speakers look good.
Can the band or DJ act as MC?
Yes. Some bands and DJs will handle the announcements if the couple doesn’t want a friend to do it, so ask when you book. You can also book a professional MC and host, like Andrew Rozen.
Get the music right and the MC job gets easier
The best receptions we work have an MC and a band or DJ who talk to each other. The music sets the energy, and the MC points it in the right direction. If the couple is still choosing entertainment, send them to our wedding entertainment page or browse our artists, from acoustic acts like Joe Moore to jazz from The Uprights and party bands like Tequila Mockingbird.
Planning a wedding and not sure what fits? Tell us about your day and we’ll recommend the right act.
