The Order of Wedding Speeches at the Wedding Reception

The Master of Ceremonies is responsible for a variety of duties during the wedding. He/she must make sure everyone is standing in their proper place during the receiving line after the wedding, request all the guests to take their seats once everyone has passed through the receiving line, and introduce the bride and groom as they enter the room.

Another important duty the MC must oversee is the introduction of each speaker who will be presenting a wedding speech. Here is the general order in which these should be presented:

First, the Master of Ceremonies introduces each person at the head table to the seated guests.

Introduce the first person who will start the speeches, usually an old family friend or relative, and will deliver the first speech and toast to the Bride and Groom.

Introduce the Groom who will "accept" the previous speech for himself and his bride, and then present a speech and toast to the Bridesmaids and the Maid of Honor.

Introduce the Best Man who will "accept" the speech made by the groom on behalf of the bridesmaids, and make his own speech addressing the parent's of the Bride and Groom. The Brides's father will deliver a reply, followed by the Groom's father.

As the MC, you now present a short speech and toast to any absent family and friends who couldn't attend the wedding.

Once the main speeches are completed, the Master of Ceremonies can then invite any further speeches or toasts by the guests.

Along with keeping the speeches in order, the MC must also try to keep the speeches given by each speaker short - no more than 3 to 4 minutes each. For a more complete understanding of the duties of an MC, you may want to read the article Wedding Master of Ceremony Duties.



Recommended Resources

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