7 Things a Wedding MC Should Never Do in a Wedding

As a soon-to-be bride, you’re probably wondering what you can do to make sure your wedding is perfect.  Well, one thing you don’t want to worry about is whether the MC will mess things up. In this blog post, we will discuss seven of the most common (and cringe-worthy) mistakes made by wedding MCs. So if you’re looking to avoid any embarrassing faux pas, be sure to read on!

1. Get too personal with the bride and groom

A wedding MC is there to keep things moving and entertain your guests, but you should never get too comfortable in speaking about the bride and groom’s lives. Making comments like, “Well it looks like [groom] isn’t going to make it because he was out all night partying again,” or “I heard [bride] has been working much harder than usual at her job lately,” can make both of them look bad. It’s not only unprofessional (since you’re supposed to be a neutral party), but it will also embarrass them very quickly. Save your Jerry Springer quotes for reality TV–and stick to just what you’ve been asked to say.

2. Interrupt the bridal party

If you think you’re going to flub a line, it’s okay to practice. But don’t make other people wait for you–especially if it’s a bride or groom who is standing there anxious and ready to say their vows. Everyone should be given their moment in the spotlight–and that includes bridesmaids and groomsmen who are walking down the aisle as part of the wedding party. In fact, any time someone has been asked by the couple to say something as part of the celebration (including flower girl, ring bearer etc.) they deserve your respect and attention. If you give them your undivided attention when they’re speaking, then chances are good that most guests will do the same thing.

3. Make fun of the couple

Even if you are a wedding entertainer, your job is still to make sure everyone is having a good time. But jokes about how bad-in-bed the bride is or how the groom’s second marriage will never work aren’t appropriate–especially during dinner or at any other formal occasion where guests are expected to behave themselves. Even if they’re half joking, no one wants their dirty laundry flying around in front of hundreds of strangers . The best wedding stories are ones that end happily ever after–and it starts with not making fun of those involved.

4. Use “plant” people as props for jokes

Sure, it’s okay to have someone stand up and say “I’ve been dating the groom for three years now!” before you start poking fun at him because he’s never proposed. But if you set up too many people just to use them as material, then the ones who are actually important will be unimpressed by your lack of creativity. No one is going to laugh when a MC makes the same jokes they’ve already heard from their aunt or best friend–so it’s a lot better not to recycle those old stories and come off as original instead.

5. Make guests feel uncomfortable

Having a wedding MC isn’t about “out-comicaling” the entertainment you’ve booked beforehand, it’s about making sure they don’t clash. If there’s a DJ spinning or karaoke going on, make sure you don’t step on their toes or get in the way. It’s a wedding, not a comedy club. Your job is to encourage people to dance and have fun, not make them feel awkward when they suddenly start breaking out into song when you’re trying to tell everyone it’s time for dinner!

6. Read from cue cards during speeches

No one likes it when an actor stumbles over his lines because he didn’t rehearse enough–and neither does anyone appreciate a wedding MC who is reading directly from the card. The best speakers talk naturally and with passion, so if you can write down some notes that will keep your speech organized then go ahead and put them together in bullet-point form before you speak. Otherwise, just say what comes naturally and people will be able to tell that you’re speaking from the heart, not just reciting lines.

7. Make excuses for mistakes or lack of preparation

It’s fine to go over your notes one last time before you speak, but don’t make it seem like your entire speech was an accident–because everyone knows they weren’t. If you do something dumb (like say someone else’s name instead of the bride’s) own up to it right away–otherwise people will think it was premeditated and no longer care about what any good jokes you might have had in store. Also, if there are things that were supposed to be included but didn’t come off as planned (ests who couldn’t be seated in time, anything you were in charge of coordinating) then just apologize and move on. You don’t need to make excuses for what happened–but you do need to be confident that things will run more smoothly next time if they are asked to participate in another event with you. Thank you for reading my post. I hope it was helpful.  If you have any questions or would like more information about my services, please do not hesitate to contact me. I would be happy to help make your wedding day perfect.