What a wedding MC actually does: the running order, minute by minute.
You have been asked to MC and all you have is the venue's timeline. Here is the job: eight blocks, about ten minutes of words across the whole evening, and one rule for all of it: say the line, then get off the mic. Below is a full running order with who cues each block, what you say in it, and a complete sample script.
Have your script written, $39 Read the full sample script
The times below are from the sample order for Priya and Tom, a made-up couple. Your venue's timeline replaces them; the blocks and the cues stay the same.
1. The running order on one page
Print this, put the venue's final times in, and carry it all night. The “who cues you” column is the part most first-time MCs miss: you never start a block on your own clock, you wait for the nod.
| Time | Block | Who cues you |
|---|---|---|
| 7:00 | Guests seated · welcome and housekeeping | DJ fades the music; you at the dance floor |
| 7:10 | Entrances: parents, wedding party, the couple | DJ's nod; names in the agreed order |
| 7:20 | Speeches · 5 minutes each | Mic to each speaker; thank each one |
| 8:00 | Dinner is served | Catering manager's nod |
| 8:45 | Everyone to the lawn: group photo | Photographer waves |
| 9:00 | First dance, then the cake | Couple at the floor; phones-away line |
| 9:30 | Band or DJ on · bar reminder | One line, then off the mic |
| 11:20 | Last dance and send-off | Band leader's nod |
2. What you say in each block
7:00 · Guests seated · welcome and housekeeping
About 90 seconds. Who you are in one line, why the couple asked you in one line, then the three housekeeping points (bar, toilets, photo time). Nothing else.
7:10 · Entrances: parents, wedding party, the couple
Wait for the DJ. Read each name slowly, with one line about the person, and leave a gap for the applause. The couple come last and get the biggest build-up.
7:20 · Speeches · 5 minutes each
Introduce each speaker with one line, lead the applause after, thank them by name, then introduce the next. After the last speech, one toast to the couple.
8:00 · Dinner is served
Check with the catering manager before you say it. Tell the room how tables will be called. One line.
8:45 · Everyone to the lawn: group photo
One line. Point at the photographer.
9:00 · First dance, then the cake
Say the phones line before the music starts. After the song, the cake, one line.
9:30 · Band or DJ on · bar reminder
Open the floor in one sentence. If the bar changes at some point, one line from the side of the room five minutes before.
11:20 · Last dance and send-off
Last dance, where the taxis are, and one closing line about the couple. Then stop.
3. The five rules
- Wait for the music to fade, then smile, then speak. Every block. Talking over a fade is the number one giveaway of a nervous MC.
- Read names slowly, with a gap for the applause. The entrance is the one place you are allowed to build.
- Introduce every speaker, thank every speaker, by name. Lead the applause yourself; the room follows you.
- Check before you call dinner. The catering manager's nod, not the timeline. Calling dinner four minutes early is the mistake people remember.
- After dinner, one line, then off the mic. First dance, cake, bar, band: one sentence each. The evening belongs to the dance floor, not to you.
4. See a complete script
The sample MC script has Dev's nine answers, the timed running order and every line he says from welcome to send-off, plus the cue cards as a PDF (one block per card, cue in capitals at the top). That is exactly what a real order looks like.
5. Build your own cue cards
One card per block. Top line in capitals: the time and who cues you (“7:10 · WAIT FOR THE DJ'S NOD”). Then the words, large, one breath per line. Names of the wedding party in the order they walk in, spelled the way they are said. Put the housekeeping on card 1 so you cannot forget the bar time. Number the cards.
Would rather we wrote it from your answers?
Our MC script service: you answer nine questions (the couple, the venue timeline, the speakers and their order, the entrance order, the housekeeping, two or three stories, the tone, the country) and within 1 day you get the timed running order with a blank column for final times, every word you say, and the cue cards as a PDF. Written only from your answers. One free round of changes.
Also £32 incl. VAT · A$59 · C$55. Writing your own vows too? How to write wedding vows that sound like you. Need the ceremony itself written for a friend officiating? The ceremony script, $79.
Questions
What does a wedding MC actually do?
Keeps the reception on time and tells the room what happens next. The MC welcomes guests, does the housekeeping, announces the entrances, introduces and thanks each speaker, calls dinner, the photo, the first dance, the cake and last call, and sends everyone home. The MC is not a speaker: the whole evening is about ten minutes of words.
How long should the MC talk?
Across the whole evening, eight to twelve minutes. No single block over ninety seconds except the entrances. One line, then off the mic, is the rule for everything after dinner.
Do I need to be funny?
No. You need to be clear and on time. One true line about the couple in the welcome and one in the send-off is plenty; the speakers are the comedy.
Who gives me the times?
The venue or planner. Ask for the timeline in writing, then confirm each block with whoever cues it on the night: the DJ or band for entrances and dances, the catering manager for dinner, the photographer for the group photo.
Can someone write the whole thing for me?
Yes. Send us nine answers (the couple, the venue timeline, speakers, entrance order, housekeeping, two or three stories, tone, country) and within 1 day you get the timed running order, every line you say and cue cards as a PDF, for $39 (£32 incl. VAT, A$59, C$55). One free round of changes.