Wedding MC Duties: A Checklist, a Run Sheet and Lines to Borrow

A wedding MC keeps the reception running on time: they welcome guests, announce every big moment, introduce the speakers and fix small problems before anyone notices. Most couples can hand the job to a calm, organized friend for free, and the rest pay roughly $1,500 or more in the US or around £395 for a UK toastmaster.

Below you will find the full list of duties, a sample run sheet, lines you can read straight off a card, and an honest look at when paying someone is worth it.

What a wedding MC actually does

Think of the MC as the voice of your run sheet. The planner or venue coordinator keeps things moving behind the scenes; the MC is the one guests hear. In the UK the traditional version is the toastmaster, often in a red tailcoat. Elsewhere it is often the DJ, a best friend or a cousin who is good with a crowd.

The job has three parts:

• Hosting. Welcoming people, explaining what happens next, keeping the mood warm.
• Timing. Moving guests from cocktail hour to dinner, starting speeches when plates are cleared, nudging the cake cutting along before the kids melt down.
• Problem solving. A missing speaker, a mic that squeals, a guest who wanders up uninvited. The MC smooths it over so you do not have to.

The wedding MC duties checklist

Print this and hand it to your MC a month before the day.

Before the wedding

• Get the final run sheet and the venue contact's phone number.
• Learn how to say every name in the wedding party. Write tricky ones phonetically.
• Ask each speaker how long they will talk and how they want to be introduced.
• Agree on the cue for dinner with the caterer (usually a nod from the venue manager).
• Test the microphone and speakers at the venue, ideally at the rehearsal.

On the day

• Welcome guests as they take their seats and point out restrooms, bar and exits.
• Introduce the couple's grand entrance.
• Call tables to the buffet, or explain that dinner is being served.
• Introduce each speech and hand over the mic.
• Announce the cake cutting, first dance, parent dances and bouquet toss.
• Launch any games and explain the rules in one breath.
• Remind guests about the guest book, photo booth or favors.
• Call last song and the send-off.

What the MC does not do

The MC is not the planner. They should not be chasing the florist or carrying chairs. If your MC is also a close friend, give the setup and teardown jobs to someone else so they can enjoy the dinner between announcements.

Friend as MC vs a paid emcee

A friend costs nothing and knows your people. A professional knows the room. Here is how they compare:

	Friend or relative	Paid emcee, DJ or toastmaster
Cost	Free (a thank-you gift)	About $1,500 for 4 hours in the US; around £395 for a UK toastmaster
Knows your guests	Yes	No, needs a briefing
Handles a dead mic or a delay	Depends on the person	Usually, they have seen it before
Stays sober and on time	Ask them to	Part of the job
Can enjoy the party	Partly	Not their role

On the price side, one Los Angeles DJ company lists a standalone wedding emcee at $1,500 for 4 hours and $2,500 for 7 hours, or $2,500 for 4 hours if the same person also DJs (DJ Will Gill). In the UK, Bark's pricing data puts the average toastmaster at £395, with a typical range of about £300 to £600 (Bark).

The budget move is to check whether your DJ already includes announcements in their package. Many do, and then you only need a friend for the warm, personal bits like the welcome and the speech introductions.

Pick a friend if they are comfortable on a mic, will stay mostly sober until the cake is cut, and you have a coordinator or venue manager handling logistics.

Pay a pro if you have 150+ guests, a tight venue schedule, several languages in the room, or nobody you trust who actually wants the job.

A sample run sheet for the MC

Give your MC a one-page version with times, who speaks and what they need to say. Here is a five-hour reception laid out the way an MC sees it:

Time	What happens	MC's job
5:00	Cocktail hour	Mingle, check mic, find the speakers
5:50	Guests seated	Welcome, housekeeping
6:00	Grand entrance	Introduce the couple
6:10	Dinner	Release tables one at a time
7:00	Speeches	Introduce each speaker, keep order
7:30	Cake cutting	Call guests over, cue the photographer
7:45	First dance	Announce, then invite everyone to join
8:15	Games or photo booth	Explain rules, start the fun
9:45	Last song	Announce, gather for send-off

For a full-day version from getting ready to the last song, see our wedding day timeline. If you want the MC to release tables by number, clear table numbers that guests can read from across the room make this part painless.

Announcement lines you can borrow

These lines were written for this article. Swap in your names and read them off a card. Short beats clever.

Welcome and housekeeping

"Good evening, everyone, and welcome! I'm Sam, Jess's cousin, and I'll be your host tonight. Before we start: the bar is to your left, restrooms are past the big mirror, and the only rule tonight is that nobody leaves hungry."

Grand entrance

"Please get on your feet and make some noise, because for the first time as a married couple, here are Jess and Marco!"

Releasing tables for the buffet

"Dinner is ready. We're going to do this the fair way: table one, you're up. Everyone else, I'll call you in a minute, and yes, there's plenty."

Introducing a speaker

"Our first speaker has known Marco since they were both terrible at soccer in third grade. Please welcome the best man, Luis."

If your couple is giving their own short welcome, our wedding welcome toast examples pair nicely with these.

Cake cutting

"If you'd like a photo of this, now's your moment. Phones up, the cake is about to be cut, and Marco has promised there will be no face smashing. We'll see."

Starting a game

"Look under your plate. If you found a bingo card, you're in the game. Mark a square every time something on it happens tonight. First full row comes to me for a prize."

Last song

"This is the last song of the night. Grab someone you love, or someone standing near you, and get on the dance floor."

Games and fun the MC can launch

A good MC turns a slow stretch into the best part of the evening. Two easy ones that run with almost no effort:

• Wedding bingo cards on each table, which the MC kicks off during dinner and checks for winners later.
• A photo scavenger hunt, which the MC announces after the speeches so guests have the rest of the night to finish it.

For more ideas and where they fit in the evening, see our full list of wedding reception games.

Small things that make your MC look great

• One page, big font. The run sheet, names spelled phonetically and every announcement on one sheet or a few index cards.
• A spot near the mic. Seat the MC at a table close to the dance floor so they can hop up without crossing the room.
• Signs do the quiet work. A mirror welcome sign at the entrance answers half the questions an MC would otherwise announce, like where to sit and where the bar is.
• A plan B speaker. If a speaker freezes, the MC thanks them warmly and moves straight to the next one.
• A thank-you. If a friend is doing this, a nice bottle of wine or a dinner out afterward goes a long way.

Brief your MC a month ahead, walk them through the run sheet once, and on the day you will hardly notice the job is being done.