The essentials
A wedding MC welcomes guests, introduces the couple and the speakers, makes the announcements, and keeps the reception on time. This page has a complete script to copy, from the welcome to the send-off, the order speeches usually run in the US, the UK, and Australia, how to introduce the wedding party, and tips for keeping it short, warm, and on schedule.
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Copy the full wedding MC script
Ten moments from the welcome to the send-off. Replace everything in brackets, cut what your reception does not include, and print it in a large font.
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WEDDING MC SCRIPT (replace everything in brackets) 1. WELCOME (as guests take their seats) Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the wedding of [Name] and [Name]! I'm [your name], [how you know the couple], and I'll be your MC tonight. A few quick notes: the restrooms are [where], the bar is open until [time], and dinner will be served at about [time]. 2. PHOTOS [Name] and [Name] would love to see tonight through your eyes. There's a QR code on every table: scan it to add your photos to their private album. No app needed. 3. GRAND ENTRANCE If you're able, please stand and help me welcome the wedding party. [Introduce parents or grandparents if they are entering, then the attendants in pairs, then the maid or matron of honor and the best man.] And now, for the first time as a married couple, please welcome [the couple, introduced the way they asked]! 4. DINNER [Name] and [Name] would like to thank you all for being here. [If there is a grace or blessing: Please welcome [Name] to say a few words before we eat.] Dinner will be served table by table. Enjoy! 5. SPEECHES AND TOASTS Could I have everyone's attention, please? It's time for the speeches. Please welcome [Name], [relationship to the couple]. [Repeat for each speaker. After the last speech:] Please stand if you can, and raise your glasses to [Name] and [Name]! 6. CAKE CUTTING If you'd like to grab your phones, [Name] and [Name] are about to cut the cake. 7. FIRST DANCE Please gather around the dance floor as [Name] and [Name] share their first dance as a married couple. [Partway through, if planned:] The couple invites their parents and the wedding party to join them. 8. OPTIONAL TRADITIONS [Anniversary dance:] Could every married couple join [Name] and [Name] on the dance floor? We'll ask couples to leave as I call out the years, until the longest-married couple is left dancing. 9. LAST DANCE AND SEND-OFF This is the last song of the night, so everyone onto the dance floor! [Then:] Please make your way to [the exit] by [time] for the send-off. 10. CLOSING Thank you all for being part of [Name] and [Name]'s day. Please collect your belongings, take home a [favor], and get home safely. Good night!
At a glance
- The MC's job
- Welcome, introduce, announce, keep time
- Between moments
- 30 to 60 seconds of talking
- Traditional UK order
- Father of the bride, groom, best man
- Speech length
- Ask each speaker for 3 to 5 minutes
- Prepare with
- The timeline, names, and pronunciations
- On the day
- A printed script and a backup copy
What a wedding MC does
The MC, or emcee, is the host of the reception. They welcome guests and cover the practical notes, introduce the wedding party and every speaker, announce the cake cutting, the first dance, and the send-off, and keep the evening close to the timeline.
Much of the job happens off the microphone: checking with the venue coordinator before each moment, giving the DJ or band and the photographer a heads-up, and making sure the next speaker is ready.
An MC is a link, not a headline act. Short, warm introductions keep the attention on the couple and the speakers.
Before the day: what to prepare
Get the timeline from the couple or the coordinator, the list of speakers and the order they speak in, and the names of everyone you will introduce. Write tricky names phonetically and check them with the couple.
Agree cue points with the DJ or band and the photographer, such as the grand entrance music, the cake cutting, and the first dance, so nobody misses a moment.
Ask each speaker to keep to three to five minutes, check the microphone at the venue before guests arrive, and print the script in a large font with a backup copy.
The running order, moment by moment
Receptions vary, but most follow this order. Cut what yours does not include and keep the script in the same order as the timeline.
| Moment | What the MC does | Check first with |
|---|---|---|
| Guests take their seats | Welcome everyone and give the practical notes | Venue coordinator |
| Photo announcement | Tell guests where to share their photos, such as a QR code on the tables | The couple |
| Grand entrance | Introduce the wedding party, then the couple | DJ or band for the music cue |
| Dinner | Thank guests, introduce any grace or blessing, explain service | Catering lead |
| Speeches and toasts | Introduce each speaker and lead the final toast | Speakers and photographer |
| Cake cutting | Gather guests around the cake | Photographer |
| First dance | Announce it and invite others to join if planned | DJ or band |
| Optional traditions | Run the anniversary dance or other games | DJ or band |
| Last dance and send-off | Call everyone to the dance floor, then to the exit | Venue coordinator |
The order of speeches at a wedding
In the UK, the traditional order is the father of the bride (or whoever is hosting), then the groom, then the best man. Many couples now add the bride, a maid of honour, or both, often before the best man.
In the US, there is no fixed rule. A common order is a welcome from the hosts or a parent, then the maid of honor and the best man, sometimes followed by a thank-you from the couple.
In Australia, the traditional order follows the British one, and many couples add a speech from the other side of the family or from the couple themselves. Whatever the order, the MC introduces each speaker and keeps the speeches to about 30 minutes in total.
How to introduce the wedding party and the couple
Introduce people in the order they enter: parents or grandparents if they are part of the entrance, then the attendants in pairs, then the maid or matron of honor and the best man, and the couple last.
Ask the couple exactly how they want to be introduced, whether as Mr. and Mrs., Mr. and Mr., Mrs. and Mrs., the newlyweds, or simply by their first names, and say it the way they asked.
Keep each introduction to a name and one line about who they are to the couple, and agree the music cue with the DJ so the entrance starts on time.
Keep it short, warm, and on time
Keep jokes gentle and for everyone in the room. Leave out exes, inside jokes, and stories the couple's grandparents should not hear.
Keep a watch or phone timer within sight, and have something ready if the schedule slips, such as the photo announcement or a table game, so the room never waits in silence.
Pace your drinks until the speeches are over, and hand the microphone back as soon as each moment is introduced.
Questions & answers
What should the MC say at a wedding?
A welcome and practical notes, introductions for the wedding party and every speaker, short announcements for dinner, the cake cutting, and the first dance, and a closing thank-you. The script on this page covers each moment.
What does an MC do at a wedding?
Hosts the reception: welcomes guests, introduces people, makes the announcements, and keeps the timeline, while checking with the venue, the DJ or band, and the photographer before each moment.
What is the order of speeches at a wedding?
Traditionally in the UK and Australia, the father of the bride or the host, then the groom, then the best man, with many couples now adding the bride or a maid of honour. In the US, a welcome from the hosts or a parent, then the maid of honor and the best man is common.
Who gives speeches at a wedding?
Usually a parent or host, the best man, and the maid of honor, often with the couple themselves. The couple decides; the MC introduces each speaker.
How long should a wedding MC speak?
Briefly. The welcome can take a couple of minutes, but each later introduction or announcement should take 30 to 60 seconds, so the attention stays on the couple and the speakers.
How do you introduce the couple at the reception?
Ask them how they want to be introduced, then say it after the wedding party has entered, on the music cue agreed with the DJ: “For the first time as a married couple, please welcome [the couple]!”
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