Hiring the right MC

How important is having a Master of Ceremonies (MC) for your party? And should that person be in addition to the DJ and or Band leader.

In my opinion a good MC is the most important person you hire. He will after all be running the party. One of the things to look for in your MC is the ability to multi task – kind of like a catcher in a baseball game. He has to be aware of the group and read them quickly. Within the first 20 minutes of the party this person should know your party and what music to play throughout. If you go with a band he can be the Band “Leader” if you decide on a DJ hire one that offers you a separate MC as these are 2 very distinct jobs with distinct functions and the last thing you want is someone running back and forth between dance floor and his equipment or worse yet, someone who stays put behind a table all night.

Make sure your MC is good at public speaking and that you like his voice cause you will be hearing it all night long. He should be able to have the ability to memorize well. A personal grievance of mine is when the MC has the mic in one hand and his cheat sheet in the other standing on the edge of the dance floor reading his notes. He should not be reading them he should know them! If you were at a play would you want to see the actors reading their lines from the script?

Your MC should be able to interface and communicate with the banquet manager and your planner. He should be able to watch the event and know when the food is finished being served, where people are in their meal and when to turn up and down on the heat.

Most importantly he should also make sure that before announcing the first dance he has the bride and groom in the room and that he has both the photographer and videographer present. You do not want to have to repeat the first dance because the photographer was in the bathroom. – The same principle should be applied to all the formalities of the day. I find it completely frustrating when I am at an event and something gets announced and then the guests have to go on a scavenger hunt looking for a bride or groom, parent, grandparent …. It is really important for the MC to be on top of his game and communicate with all necessary parties prior to announcements. And if there is a planner involved he needs to communicate with them and they will make sure all people necessary are present.

Have a relationship with your MC beforehand. Make sure he knows you and your family. Meet him a few times- email him your favorite songs and the things you do not want to hear. Let him know if he should take requests from the crowd. Communication before hand is so very crucial. Make this person your friend- but please respect their boundaries. I know you may want to call him at midnight, every night leading up to your party, but stop and think for a minute- would you want someone calling you at this time of day/night? How you guys relate prior will make all the difference to the energy of the night. Now on the day of- leave him do his job! Micromanaging him never makes the party better!!!