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Toastmasters
A toastmaster or master of ceremonies is responsible for ensuring that your day runs smoothly.
Professional toastmasters have a great deal of experience and help add formality to your day – often wearing a red tail coat. Their role will be to:
- Coordinate events throughout the day
- Act as a liaison between the venue, bridal party and key suppliers such as caterers and photographers to ensure everything runs to plan
- Arrange the bridal party in the receiving line (if you have one) and introduce guests
- Make various announcements to include the wedding breakfast, speeches, cake cutting and first dance
- Take care of your guests throughout the day.
A toastmaster will cost between £350 and £450 for the day.
Do you need a toastmaster?
A toastmaster in traditional dress introduces the bride and groom
Knowing that someone will undertake this role means that you can switch off, relax and enjoy your day. However, whilst you want your day to run smoothly, you may not need a professional toastmaster to do the job.
Some venues provide a wedding coordinator who will not only run around behind the scenes but also undertake the role of hurrying people along and assume the role of master of ceremonies, making all the announcements. Alternatively, your best man or someone else in the wedding party could make the announcements.
If you need someone to co-ordinate your day, think carefully before you ask a friend to do it - it will be a huge responsibility on their shoulders, they won’t have much fun and chances are you will probably worry about it too. A master of ceremonies needs to have a loud clear voice, be responsible, organised and good at keeping the day’s events on schedule!
Finding a toastmaster
If you choose to have a professional toastmaster you should ensure that they belong to a local or national professional body such as:
- Toastmaster & Master of Ceremonies Federation (TMCF)
- English Toastmasters Association
- Independent Toastmasters Association
If you don’t know anyone who can recommend a toastmaster, a good site to look is www.findatoastmaster.co.uk.
nofreetime tips
- If you’re worried that a toastmaster will be too formal – don’t be. Lots of toastmasters will bring a sense of humour into their role (where appropriate!). Speak to a few and find one you get on with.
- If you choose not to use a professional toastmaster, make sure you fully understand what the venue will and won’t do in terms of coordinating your day and announcements. If you’re not sure – check!