Been asked to MC a wedding?
How to become a great wedding MC
Everything you need to run the reception, from the first catch-up with the couple to the last song, with a word-for-word script for every part of the night. Written by a musician who has played hundreds of weddings and hosted most of them.
Instant download, and your money back if it doesn't help.
housekeeping
Wait for the music to fade. Wait for the room to settle.
Evening, everyone, and welcome. For those who don't know me, I'm [your name], and I've known [Sam] since [we were eleven and equally bad at soccer].
It's a compliment, and it's a bit terrifying
Being asked to MC means the couple trust you with their night. It also lands with a thud in your stomach, because you've seen it done badly and you know exactly how many people will be watching.
Most people in your spot worry about the same handful of things. Each one has a chapter.
- "I've never held a microphone in front of a hundred people."Chapter 7
- "I'm not naturally funny."Chapter 11
- "I don't actually know what happens when."Chapter 4
- "What if the best man goes twenty minutes over?"Chapter 6
- "What if something goes wrong?"Chapter 13
- "I've got no idea what to actually say."Chapter 15
- "The wedding is this weekend."Six chapters to read first
Written from the stage, and the workbench
I've played hundreds of weddings and events as a professional musician, and I MC'd most of them. From the stage you see the whole room at once. You notice the table up the back that can't hear, the speech that lost the room halfway through, and the MC who looked down at their notes and couldn't find their place. You also see the nights that simply work, and after a few hundred of them it's obvious that very little of it comes down to talent. It comes down to preparation, a few good habits and a plan for when things go sideways.
Over the years, plenty of friends have asked me for help after being asked to MC, and a few have asked to read the draft of this book. Their questions are mostly the same ones. What do I actually have to do? When do the speeches go? How do I stop someone talking for twenty minutes? What if nobody laughs? This book is my answer to all of them, written down properly instead of in a long phone call.
I've also spent a big part of my working life designing microphones, so the chapter on sound is close to my heart. Hold the microphone two fingers from your lips, keep it there when you turn your head, and stay behind the PA speakers. Those three habits alone will make you sound better than most MCs you've heard.
The book is about doing a great job, once, for people you love, and enjoying it. Do the preparation, use the scripts, and you'll walk up to that microphone knowing exactly what you're doing.
Ryan Burke, Sydney
Know exactly what to say
Chapter 15 has a script for every part of the night: the welcome and housekeeping, the entrances, every kind of speaker, the cake, the first dance, the last drinks and the farewell. Where the tone matters, there's a relaxed version and a more formal one.
Fill in the brackets, change the words until they suit you and the couple, and print them on the script cards that come with the book. Here's one of them:
Our next speaker has been [Sam]'s best mate since [year 7]. He's promised me this speech is under five minutes, and some of you have money riding on that. Please welcome the best man, [Josh].
From chapter 15. The name goes last, because the name is the room's cue to clap.
Why not just wing it?
You could, and with a script off the internet you'd have something to say. The trouble is that the words are the easy part.
Most of what makes a reception run well happens before anyone picks up a microphone, and most of what makes one go wrong is something nobody planned for. That's what the rest of the book is for.
| What you need | A script off the internet | The Handbook |
|---|---|---|
| Words for every part of the night | Some, often written for American weddings | Every part, with a formal version where the tone matters |
| How the night runs, and why | No | Chapter 4 and three sample run sheets |
| Speakers briefed and kept to time | No | Chapter 6 and the speaker briefing |
| Sounding good on the microphone | No | Chapter 7, from someone who designs them |
| A plan for when things go wrong | No | Chapter 13 |
| Reminders timed to your wedding | No | Four weeks, one week and the day before |
| Cost | Free | A$39, once |
What's in the book
Seventeen short chapters in four parts, written to be read in an evening and used for weeks. The chapters in the first three parts each end with a short list of what to do next, so you always know where you're up to.
- 1What a wedding MC actually doesThe three things guests need from you, and the jobs that aren't yours.
- 2Be the personWhy someone has to make the call on the night, and how to do it without being bossy.
- 3Getting to know the coupleThe questions that get you stories, the no-go zones, and getting every name right.
- 4The running orderHow a reception is built around the kitchen, and why the speeches go where they do.
- 5Writing your scriptWriting for the ear, with before-and-after examples, cue cards, and how to rehearse properly.
- 6The speakersBriefing them, keeping them to time, and messages from people who can't be there.
- 7Microphones and soundFrom someone who designs microphones: how to hold one, and how to stop feedback.
- 8The week beforeThe countdown, what to pack, what to wear, and why you need to eat.
- 9Your first hour at the venueWho to meet, the sound check, and walking the room.
- 10Voice, eyes and nervesGetting the room's attention without shushing anyone.
- 11Being funnyWhere good material comes from, the one-inside-joke rule, and what to do when a line dies.
- 12Keeping time and reading the roomWhich times matter, which can move, and going easy on the booze.
- 13When things go wrongLate couples, long speeches, dead microphones, rain, and real emergencies.
- 14Games, dances and traditionsThe handful of games that work, and how to introduce a tradition you don't know.
- 15The scriptsWord for word, for every part of the night, with a more formal version where the tone matters.
- 16Sample run sheetsA sit-down dinner, a cocktail reception, and a ceremony and reception at one venue.
- 17The toolkitThe countdown, the questions for the couple, the speaker briefing, the cue sheet and more.
Everything you need, in one download
A$39one-off, instant download
- The book as a PDF, plus an EPUB for Apple Books, Kindle and other e-readers
- Word-for-word scripts for every part of the night, with a more formal version where the tone matters
- Three filled-in sample run sheets to copy from
- Editable templates you can open in Word, Pages or Google Docs: your run sheet, the cue sheet for the DJ or band, the speaker briefing, the questions for the couple, a pronunciation sheet and the countdown
- Printable script cards, sized to hold in one hand
- Short emails timed to your wedding: four weeks out, a week out and the day before
- A printable gift card, if you're giving it to your MC
- Free updates to future editions
Price includes tax. Secure checkout. You'll get the download straight away and a copy by email.
Prefer paper? The paperback is on Amazon in Australia, the UK and the US. The editable templates are free for paperback readers at weddingmchandbook.com/templates.
If it doesn't help, I'll refund you.
Use it for the wedding. If it didn't help, email me any time up to 30 days after the wedding, as long as it's within six months of buying, and I'll give you your money back. You don't need a reason.
Buying it for your MC?
If you're the couple, it makes a good gift for the person you've asked. It says "we trust you" and "here's some help" at the same time, which is about the nicest way to hand someone a microphone.
The download includes a printable card, so you can tuck it into the invitation or hand it over properly. If you'd rather send the download straight to them, forward the email you get after checkout.
Not ready yet? Start with the free kit
Get the welcome script word for word, a sample run sheet and the speaker briefing, free. You'll also get a handful of short emails over the next fortnight with the most useful bits of the book, and you can unsubscribe whenever you like.
Give me the date and I'll send you a short checklist two weeks before. I'll only email you about MC'ing and the book. See the privacy policy.
Questions
I'm not a confident speaker. Will this actually help?
Yes. Being a good MC is mostly preparation and a few good habits, and very little of it is natural talent. The book walks you through the preparation in the order you'll need it, and the scripts mean you'll never be stuck for what to say.
Couldn't I just find a script online?
You can find scripts, and some of them are fine. What they won't give you is the rest of the job: how the night runs, briefing the speakers, the microphone, and what to do when the couple are forty minutes late back from photos. That's most of this book, and it's what makes the scripts work on the night.
The wedding is this weekend. Is it too late?
No. The book starts with a list of the chapters to read first if you're short on time. Read those, adapt the scripts, and you can be ready in an evening.
How long does it take to read?
An evening, or a couple of train trips. It's about 120 pages in print, in short chapters, and you'll come back to the scripts and templates for weeks.
Is it only for Australian weddings?
It's written by an Australian and reflects how receptions usually run here, but almost all of it works the same way in New Zealand, the UK and Ireland. Where something is different, the book says so.
Does it work for same-sex weddings, and couples who skip the traditional stuff?
Yes. The book says "the couple" throughout, and every tradition in it, from the bouquet toss to the order of the speeches, is treated as optional.
What do I actually get?
A PDF you can read on anything, an EPUB for Apple Books, Kindle and other e-readers, the templates as Word documents you can also open in Pages or Google Docs, printable script cards and a gift card. Tell me the date of the wedding after you buy, and I'll send you a short reminder four weeks out, a week out and the day before.
Is there a paperback?
The paperback is on its way to Amazon. The editable templates come with the download from this site, and paperback readers will be able to get them free at weddingmchandbook.com/templates with the code printed in the book.
Can I get a refund?
Yes. Use the book for the wedding, and if it didn't help, email hello@weddingmchandbook.com any time up to 30 days after the wedding (and within six months of buying), and I'll refund you in full.
I'm a celebrant, DJ or venue. Can I give it to my couples?
Yes, and thank you. Email me and I'll send you a free copy and a referral link that pays you 30% of every sale it brings in. Your couples pay the same price as everyone else.
The couple picked you for a reason
This book will help you prove them right, and enjoy the night while you're at it.