Thanks so much for your thoughtful comment, Darcie! It makes me happy to know this video was helpful for you. You're going to absolutely crush it as Emcee! Good luck, and feel free to pop back on and comment after the wedding regarding how it went :)

Wow! Such kind words. I'm so glad this video was helpful for you. Best luck with MCing! You're going to do awesome :)

You're so welcome! Good luck on the wedding; you'll do great!

Thanks, Tom! I appreciate you taking the time to watch!

Good luck! You're going to crush it! 💪

How did it go with mcing?

I'm so glad you got some value from this video! You're going to crush it in Nov! If you get a chance, drop a comment afterward and let me know how it went!

You've gotta love KZfaq! I'm glad you were able to find this video and it makes me happy to know it gave you a bit of value. Good luck with MCing!

You're very welcome! Happy New Year, and best of luck with your MC role!

You're very welcome! Thanks for the kind words. I love your positive energy... you've definitely got this!

Wow! My guess is you’re already a great public speaker to have multiple people asking you to MC! You’re going to do great. So glad this video was helpful for you.

Let's gooo!! You're going to crush it, buddy.

Awesome! That's so exciting. You're going to do great; glad this video helped.

I'm so glad you found this helpful! Good luck with your brother's wedding; I'm sure you'll do a fantastic job! Being nervous is completely normal, but the more you prepare and practice, the more confident you will be on the day of.

Thanks so much for your comment and best of luck emceeing! Sounds like you're incredibly prepared, and I'm confident you're going to crush it! Enjoy the process and let me know how it goes. (Also, remember, having some nerves is a good thing... still happens to me all of the time!)

how did it go?

Pppujpp

Best of luck! You'll do great! (Would love to hear how it went afterward!)

You're welcome! Thanks so much for taking the time to watch and comment! Sounds like you are already on the right track, and you're going to do an amazing job MCing the wedding!

I'm so happy this was helpful for you!!

So happy this video was helpful for you! Best of luck with your colleague's wedding! You're going to do great.

No worries!! Glad it was helpful.

That's so AWESOME!! It's challenging enough to emcee in one language, but the fact you're doing it in two is amazing!! Send me the link to your video when you make that, would love to check it out.

Amazing! I'm stoked this video helped you!

You're welcome! Best of luck with the MC opportunity! Would love to hear how it goes after...

Love hearing that you got some value from this video! Thanks for watching!

You're so welcome! Good luck, you're going to do great! Would love to hear how it goes afterward!

I'm glad this helped you beef up your MC game! Way to go!

@@wadepaterson thank you for your selfless efforts to better others. #Mc Hakim Bwoji Uganda

You're welcome, Tabitha! Best of luck with MCing! The fact you're doing your homework this much in advance tells me you're going to crush it!

Thanks for your positive energy! Really happy you got value out of this video! All the best :)

@@wadepaterson I did man much luv all the way fron South Africa 👊🏻👊🏻👊🏻👊🏻👊🏻🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🙏

I'm glad this video brought you some value! Best of luck, and let me know how it goes!

You're welcome! Thanks so much for watching :)

You're welcome, Cody! Thanks for taking the time to comment. Sorry for my delay in response!

Thanks for taking the time to watch. Glad you found this helpful.

You're welcome, Adam! Thanks for taking the time to watch.

2 weddings and 3 church events! Wow, tons of experience! Glad this video was helpful, but sounds like you're a pro already :)

Special thanks to your wife, indeed! Tell her I appreciate her taking the time to check out my channel. And best of luck to you MCing your first wedding! You're going to crush it.

You're welcome! Good luck.

You're welcome! Thanks for the kind words!!

You're welcome! Best of luck with the MC role!

Cheers, Herold!

Thanks for listening to the video, and best of luck with MCing the wedding next week! If you have a funny short story about how you know the bride/groom (not too long), you could fit that in early in the evening (after you've introduced the bridal party and given some housekeeping information). You could also get the bride/groom to write up humourous (but still nice) descriptions about the members of the wedding party, which is a sure way to get some laughter going. One game you could introduce midway through the evening (which our MC did to me at my wedding) was a "dancing competition" between the groom (who was me) and all of the groomsmen. I was told we all had to put paper bags over our head and bust out our best dance moves. What I didn't realize is that the groomsmen were in on the joke, and so as soon as I put the paper bag over my head, they removed theirs and sat back and watched my terrible dance moves. I have to admit, that got many people laughing. Good luck.

Thank YOU for watching! (And you're welcome :) )

You're so welcome!

Awesome! Congrats on being asked to be the emcee. Definitely let me know how it goes!

I'm glad they helped!!

Thanks for watching!

You're very welcome :)

You're welcome, Amanda!

Haha woww, that's one of the biggest compliments I think I've ever received in my life. Glad this video was helpful for you! This video might answer some additional questions for you: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/Zq2enLuh0a2ZoH0.html

So glad it was helpful for you!

I'm so glad this video was helpful! Thanks for taking the time to watch :)

You're welcome! Thank you for watching.

That's amazing! Good for you! With that in mind... was there anything I missed in this video that you'd suggest is important for people to consider when MCing?

That’s awesome! So glad to hear it.

So happy to hear that :) You're welcome!

You're so welcome! I'm really hoping it went well for you!

Great, I've learnt a lot

That's definitely a challenging situation! But not insurmountable... you've got this! Here are a few thoughts: -Many couples hire professional MCs for their wedding (my video is more geared for those who are friend of the bride and groom), but it goes to show that you don't have to be close friends with the couple to do a great job (you should be honoured... the parents clearly think you're the best suited to take on this role)! Your biggest job is to make sure the event runs smoothly and that the newlyweds enjoy their evening. -Try to touch base with the bride and groom before Monday. Find out what they want, but also come prepared with suggestions in case they're looking to you for the answers (for example, ideas of how to introduce the wedding party, games, etc.). While they won't have time to write out full descriptions for the wedding party, ask them a couple things about each individual and take notes for if/when you introduce those individuals. See if they want any specific relatives or guests who have travelled a far distance recognized during the reception. Find out the timing for the meal and the order they would like guests to eat (often head table will go first, then parents table, then you can choose the order or do a game or something like that.) Find out who is doing speeches, and maybe ask for a sentence or two to describe those people. See if there is a DJ, and if so, whether he/she will take over once the music starts. Essentially, find out what they're looking for the vibe of the reception to be, and do your best to deliver. -Since you know the parents, try to get some intel from them on a cute/funny short story or two that you may be able to use at some point during the reception. -This tip may be risky... but there may be an opportunity to recognize the fact you didn't previously know the couple... however, in your short time getting to know them, it's clear that these two individuals are in love (or something nice like that). Or... if you really want to take a risk, you may be able to crack a joke about the fact you don't know the couple well (but it has to be the right crowd for that to work...) -Do your best to be flexible and ready for anything, and try not to stress out. Prepare as much as possible and then enjoy the evening. I think you're going to crush it. --- Would love to hear how it goes after! Wishing you the best of luck.

Thanks, Antonio!

You're welcome! Thanks for taking the time to watch!

You've given me a great idea for a follow-up video! Thanks :)

Good luck! You're going to do a great job.

You're welcome! Thanks for watching :)

Wow!! Now that’s a challenge! Don’t worry, Hanny, you’ve got this! My best advice is KZfaq research of full receptions and meeting with the bride and groom in advance!

I'm so glad this video was helpful for you!

I'm sure you're going to do amazing! Message back after the event and let us know how it went!

I'm glad this helped you! Thanks for taking the time to watch :)

You're welcome! Good luck!

Thanks so much for watching!

Thanks so much, Kaganzi! I'm glad this video gave you some value!! Thanks for subscribing :)

@@wadepaterson How best can someone follow you for mentorship apart from KZfaq? Thanx

@@Allanmerlin Two options... if you have a specific request, you can send me a Direct Message through Twitter (my handle is @ PatersonWade) Or, you can check out my LinkedIn page for other articles I have written on Impactful Communication: www.linkedin.com/in/wade-paterson-0509a956/

@@wadepaterson thank you sir.

You're welcome; thanks for checking out this video! Great question. I would strongly suggest you meet with the bride and groom if possible before Saturday and get a feel for the type of reception they're looking for. For example, when it comes to jokes/humour, some people in this situation may be very sensitive, while others may welcome jokes that don't cross the line. The most important thing is that you cater the reception to what they're looking for. Other than that, I think many of the tips in this video will still apply! Best of luck.

You got this!!! Hope it goes/went well!

I think short, funny personal stories work best for getting the crowd laughing. My suggestion is that you throw in humour early on, because that will do two things: 1) It will relax the audience who may be thinking, "Is this MC going to be any good?" ... and 2) It will relax you. Once the audience is laughing, you will have a boost of confidence. Here is a rough idea of how that could work: 1) Grand Entrance of Wedding Party 2) Your prepared introductions of bridesmaids and groomsmen (you should try to make these a bit funny, but kind at the same time.) 3) This would be the spot for a short, funny personal story about how you know the bride and groom. It depends a bit on the vibe of the crowd, but you might want to steer clear of anything that might come across as mean. I've seen some MCs get a bit carried away with jokes, and it comes across as a roast, which isn't always well received. Hope that helps! Good luck Saturday! I'd love if you commented afterward and let me know how it goes!

You're welcome! Best of luck! Let me know how it goes.

I'm so glad it was helpful!

So glad to hear that!

@@wadepaterson I'm the MC at my bros wedding mañana. I'm pumped!

@@mysticmisa1 you got this!!

Hey Billy! Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment. Cool to hear you've been MCing for years. Would love to hear some of your best pieces of advice as well! In terms of making the audience laugh, my go-to is always funny personalized stories. I try to get the bride/groom to write humourous (but nice) descriptions of their wedding party to get some early laughter. I also try to get a few laughs early on with a short, funny personal story about how I know the bride and groom. There are some standard jokes (the upper hand joke, or the "marriage is not a word, it's a sentence... it's a life sentence.." but I find these to be a bit overused and don't always go over well. In terms of fun things to do, if there is a DJ sometimes it's fun to incorporate music trivia for the order the tables go to eat. You can also get one representative from each table to come up to the front and sit on a chair, then do the "bring me an item" game, where they have to go source random things you ask, and each round you remove a chair until there is one winner. The shoe game is a classic, but usually goes over well. TLDR: I use personalized stories more than canned jokes, and many of the classic wedding games seem to work well, but you can certainly be creative in adapting these to the crowd you're MCing.

You're so welcome!

So glad this video did that for you! You're going to do a great job in December!

It varies depending on the couple, but here is a general template you could work off of: Cocktail Reception Guests Arrive Wedding Party Arrives Newlywed Entrance Housekeeping and Introductions Dinner Announcement Game (Optional) Slideshow (Optional) Speeches Dances Cake Cutting

Hey Scott! Thanks for taking the time to watch and leave a comment. Here are some thoughts: 1) Meet with the couple a few times in advance and make sure you lean on them for direction regarding what they envision their wedding reception looking like (and your role specifically). The more you're clear on their vision, the greater your confidence will be. You can also ask them for the wedding party's contact info, and chat with those individuals to learn more about the bride and groom and gain some additional content for the reception. As for keeping it simple, once you know the essentials the couple has asked for, stick to that plan and don't feel as though you need to add too much (in terms of your own storytelling/games or anything like that). Stick to the essentials I cover in this video, and you should be in good shape. Aim for high energy and try to inject a bit of humour early. Also, if you're a DJ, perhaps you could tap into music to help make the event run smooth. (As an example: you could do a "name that tune" game to see which table gets to go first for dinner.) 2) Practice! Go through the whole agenda multiple times so you have the process clear in your mind. Visualize yourself speaking in front of the wedding attendees. The more you practice, the less you will feel insecure. 3) If this is something you plan to offer as a service more often, I think it's a great idea to look into a local Toastmasters club to join to build your long-term public speaking skills. -- Best of luck! You've got this.

Wonderful

Great question. And congrats to you both on being named MCs! Depends a bit on your style and everyone's sense of humour, but my immediate thought is to do something that gets the audience laughing. I would still start the process of asking the bride and groom to provide a couple sentences about each member of the bridal party (yourselves included), but to add a bit of humour, when reading the groomsmen descriptions, your husband could start describing himself in clearly a way that is exaggerated or made up. For example: "According to (groom's name), I am the perfect friend. I am flawless in every way, and there is simply not enough time to list all of my amazing qualities. According to (groom), I am: Handsome, talented, intelligent, strong, hilarious...." Then you could cut him off... "Wait a second (husband's name).... that's not what my script says. According to (groom's name), you are: (and then read actual description)" Depending on how you feel about that, you could also do it vise versa when you read out the bridesmaid descriptions. ** Have fun with it! It's very cool you were both asked to be such a big part of their wedding!

Ha!! You're way too kind. Thanks for the compliment and for watching my videos. You just boosted my ego :)

@@wadepaterson anytime!! You’re a legend! 😄

Wow! Thanks :)

Remember that it's normal to be nervous, but you're going to do great! Hopefully this video gave you some ideas and direction. You're going to do great!

@@wadepaterson thank yOu 😊

I think that depends on the couple's preference. I personally have always just worn my own suit/tie/etc; however, some couples may have certain preferences.

Best of luck with the emcee role! If you follow the steps of this video, I'm sure it will go great! The biggest thing is to understand what the couple is looking for in terms of how the reception will go.

@@wadepaterson ok master, I'll definitely give you the results after the event from audience view thank you

@@wadepaterson my biggest problem is the intro and how to welcome the couple

Haha you got this!! Hoping my video helped out a bit. If you were asked to be MC, I'm sure you have some natural public speaking talent already, so I'm sure it went great :)

@@wadepaterson its actually in about 8 hours now. He also said no speeches and then dropped on us like 2 days ago that it's 2 minutes speech max. I've written 1 minute so far. Gonna go for a run now and write the rest while all the groomsmen are still asleep. I'll be fine but ny God the lack of organisation is almost hilarious 😂 Thanks for your support and kind words!

Congrats! You should be proud... it's an honour to be asked! Hoping this video helps you out through the process!

Good question! The answer is absolutely not. The reason I speak so much about humour in this video, is because humour has a powerful way of drawing the audience in... but that might not be every couple's style. If the bride/groom have picked you to be their MC, whatever your personality is... that's what they're looking for. Some of the best MCs don't use a ton of humour, but they're great because they are genuine, thoughtful and kind.

It depends a bit on the structure that the bride/groom prefer, but usually this would be included within the speeches. Often the Best Man will give a Toast to the Groom and the Maid of Honour will give a Toast to the Bride... but check with the couple to see what they want to see in terms of speeches.

You can double-check with the bride and groom on their preference, but in my experience, groomsmen and bridesmaids are paired up and introduced together (usually to high energy music), then the best man and maid of honour come out, then the bride and groom last. (Keep in mind that it's nice to have the grand entrance accompanied with high energy music... if there's a DJ, find out what song the bride and groom want to enter to): Here is an example of how that could look, assuming there were two groomsmen/bridesmaids, as well as a best man/maid of honour: "Ladies and gentleman, I've been told that the wedding party has arrived at the venue, so please put your hands together and help me welcome (groomsman #2 name) and (bridesmaid #2 name)." "Next up, let's welcome (groomsman #1 name) and (bridesmaid #1 name)." "Keep that round of applause going for our Best Man and Maid-of-honour: (Best man's name) and (Maid-of-honour's name)." "And finally, will everyone please stand as I introduce, for the first time ever, Mr. and Mrs. ________" (Hope this makes sense.)

What do you have doubt about?

@@wadepaterson I need a mentorship

@@Vibeslord001 are you part of a Toastmasters club? Usually as part of the program they will assign you with a mentor!

@@wadepaterson so how can I be part of it Sir

@@Vibeslord001 www.toastmasters.org/find-a-club

In my opinion, the best material is often personal stories or info you have on the bride/groom (rather than canned jokes). But... if you're really looking for canned material, a joke I've seen at a few weddings is: "Mark, take your right hand and place it on top of Julie's left. Now I want you to truly appreciate this moment, because it's the last time you'll have the upper hand." One thing my cousin did (he MC'd my wedding) was he informed the audience that I would be in a dancing competition against all of my groomsmen. He placed paper bags over all of our heads so that we couldn't copy each other's dance moves. The joke was on me because the other guys were secretly instructed to remove their paper bags when the music started, so I was dancing by myself (like a fool) on the dance floor. Hope this helps, Brett! Good luck.