The master of ceremonies
Your wedding day director!
The master of ceremonies plays a crucial part in turning the wedding into a success. He or she is the
director of your big day and will make sure that everything goes to plan, so you don’t have to worry
about anything.
Besides that, the master of ceremonies is the host for all guests and suppliers during your wedding.
It’s quite a job, that will take hours of preparation.
Tasks
The master of ceremonies’ list of tasks is endless and can vary from wedding to wedding, depending
on the wishes of the bridal couple. Below you will find an overview of the most important tasks that
are included in EGW’s master of ceremonies services. Besides that, we listed the tasks that are
optional or that you can leave to a master of ceremonies selected from your family and friends.
Exquisite Gay Weddings will take care of:
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Assistance with the set-up of the wedding day scenario and time planning.
Personal assistance of the bridal couple throughout the entire day.
Bringing the necessary paperwork, the rings and the bouquet and/or the corsages to the
wedding location.
Pinning up the bridal couple’s corsages and/or the corsages of the day guests and setting up
the bouquet.
Welcoming and informing the guests.
Seating the guests at the town hall/wedding location and/or church.
Handing out liturgy to the guests in church.
Setting up confetti/rice/balloons/soap bubble and handing it out when leaving the town hall
(only if it’s permitted and desired by the bridal couple).
Assistance of the bridal couple during the photoshoot.
Making sure the wedding cake and toast will be ready on time
Taking care of the seating arrangement during the dinner
Taking care of the guestbook and the gift table
Taking care of the cash payments during the day (f.e. suppliers, when discussed in advance)
Making sure everything is executed completely according to the time planning and scenario.
Solving problems during the day
Being the host of all guests, suppliers and location managers throughout the entire day.
Handing out thank you presents at the end of the wedding.
Exquisite Gay Weddings can take care of the following tasks optionally:
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Planning and organization of the wedding preparations (wedding planning)
Keeping up with the RSVP’s and setting up the final guest list.
Establish the order in which the speeches will take place and announcing them on the
wedding day.
Making a planning for the sketches and acts during the day and communicating them to the
guests.
Arranging a guestbook for the reception.
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Organizing bachelor and bachelorette parties.
Budget for organizing and executing ideas
As a master of ceremonies you will be asked to be creative and original. For example when it comes
to decoration and styling, the guestbook, corsages and drinks.
Exquisite Gay Weddings can arrange a professional stylist for you, who will take care of the whole
wedding styling or parts of it. It is necessary to establish a budget for certain parts of the wedding.
How much does the bridal couple want to spend on the styling of the location(s) for example? This is
why the styling will be treated as a special case and is therefore not included in the standard master
of ceremonies services or in wedding planning.
In addition to above, the Exquisite Gay Weddings team can and will be expanded if needed,
depending on how many guests there will be at the wedding. The master of ceremonies services
include two Exquisite Gay Weddings planners, who will execute everything according to your wishes
as laid down in the scenario. If more assistance is needed to make sure everything goes to plan, we
will calculate an hourly rate.
The master of ceremonies divided in chapters
Managing expectations
What does the bridal couple expect from the master of ceremonies? There needs to be a clear
establishment so there’s no room for miscommunication and both parties know what they are up to.
When the plan is clear for both sides, this will make everything go smoother!
Inventory wishes
It is important that the bridal couple and master of ceremonies are on the same page. That is why we
always start with an inventory of your wishes. All facets of the big day are included in the Exquisite
Gay Weddings checklist en together with you we will discuss, step by step, where the master of
ceremonies can add value to the day.
What do you wish for? What do you not want? Are you looking for a grand wedding or do you prefer
modesty? Have already thought about the wedding style? Do you want a theme? What kind of party
do you want? And do you like acts or not? Do you have examples of your preferences?
Of course we can help you with our own experience and advise you about all the facets, the more
inspiration the better. But it is your wedding, so the bridal couple’s choices are leading. During the
brainstorm session(s) we will take notes and send you a written report of everything we agreed on.
Setting up the big picture and making a global schedule
When we are sure we know everything about how you envision your perfect wedding day, we will set
up the big picture and a global scheme/scenario. Everything is written down and discussed with the
bridal couple. In this phase we set up a to-do-list, in which we explain exactly when which tasks need
to be executed and by whom. This will bring peace and order for the rest of the planning process.
Making the scenario
Making a good scenario is essential, it is the starting point of the wedding. Without a scenario the
chances are big that things do not work out like they should, because no party involved knows what
is expected of them. That is why it’s very important to timely set up the scenario. It’s essential to
leave enough room and flexibility for adjustments at a later stage of the wedding planning or maybe
even surprises for the bridal couple on the day itself.
Communication
Communicating with the family and guests
An important focus point for the master of ceremonies is the communication with the guests. The
master of ceremonies is not only the primary contact for the guests (in case of questions,
cancellations etcetera), but can instruct the guests too if needed. In fact, the master of ceremonies is
the link between the bridal couple and the guests (and the suppliers) and in that role the master of
ceremonies communicates the bridal couple’s wishes to the guests. For example about the speeches,
sketches or a joint gift. That is why it’s necessary that the guests know who the master of ceremonies
is and how to contact him or her. It’s possible to mention this on the invitation, in a separate e-mail
or letter, or maybe you have your own wedding website where this could be announced.
Communication with the family and guests prior to the wedding is optional and not included in the
standard master of ceremonies services.
When you wish to, this task can for example be given to someone from the bridal couple’s own
family and friends too. However, it is necessary that the master of ceremonies from your own family
or friends is keeping the Exquisite Gay Weddings team up to date about the arrangements he or she
made, so it can be included in the scenario and no one will be confronted with any unpleasant
surprises. Because of possible emergencies, it is necessary that Exquisite Gay Weddings is provided a
list of the guests’ addresses (name, contact information and for the family the relation to the bridal
couple, like “father of…” “aunt of...” etcetera).
Communication with the suppliers and location(s)
Essential is good and consistent communication between the master of ceremonies and the different
suppliers and location(s). The master of ceremonies is the primary contact for these parties and
together with them we will make sure that everything is executed exactly as laid down in the
scenario. Besides that, we will check in abundance if everything’s ready, if there’s a delay in the
program so parts of it will shift to a later point of time etcetera. Communication with the suppliers
and location(s) is included in the standard master of ceremonies services. When Exquisite Gay
Weddings is not in charge of the suppliers, it is important that we will receive a list of all suppliers
and locations, completely with name, address and contact information including the contact’s name.
Organizing the bachelor or bachelorette party
Some masters of ceremonies will also be the organizer of the bachelor(ette) party. Of course this is
not mandatory. This honorable task could also be given to a friend or family member. Whichever you
will choose, just make sure the master of ceremonies knows about your plans. Organizing a
bachelor(ette) party by Exquisite Gay Weddings is optional and not included in the standard master
of ceremonies services. In case you want to leave the organization to Exquisite Gay Weddings, we
want to know what your wishes are (what would you like to do and even more important…what not!
Who you want to invite to the party. Do you want a bachelor(ette) party someplace else or an
activity at your or one of your friends’ or family’s houses?) There are lots of possibilities. We will
contact the guests and elaborate your plans, because of course this party has to be kept a surprise
for the bridal couple! We will make sure everything will be organized to perfection.
The wedding
Finally there it is: the day you two have been waiting for so long! By far the most beautiful day in the
lives of two people: The wedding! On this day everything that you and our team have worked on so
hard has to happen and it has to happen good . For the bridal couple this needs to be the moment
they surrender to the organizational skills of our team. Your only task is to enjoy your big day to the
fullest. As a master of ceremonies, Exquisite Gay Weddings will be on your beck and call all day with
at least two people. We will make sure everything will be executed exactly as discussed before. The
whole day Exquisite Gay Weddings will be the host for the bridal couple, guests, suppliers and
location managers.
Morning ritual
On the morning of your wedding day, we will be your wake-up call (most bridal couples wake up
early, but sometimes it happens that someone oversleeps or needs help with the preparations, from
dressing to having a quick walk with the dog). Next we will go through the scenario together one
more time (appointments with the hairdresser or make-up artist, picking up the bridal bouquet
and/or corsages etcetera), so the bridal couple can start the day with the confidence they need to
enjoy their day.
Exquisite Gay Weddings will be in charge of making sure the bridal bouquet(s) will be ready, pinning
up the corsages, welcoming and informing the day guests that are joining in the bridal procession,
checking if the photographer, videographer and the wedding car or other forms of transport will be
ready on time. If needed, Exquisite Gay Weddings can assist with the dressing too. Between all these
activities, we will check if everything goes as scheduled on a regularly basis. On top of that, we will
make sure that all the necessary paperwork, the ceremony music and the rings are in the right place
up to the ceremony. When the bridal couple finally sees each other for the first time, and when we
are sure that everything is executed according to the scenario, Exquisite Gay Weddings will set off to
the wedding location, to make sure everything is ready for welcoming the guests.
The ceremony
Upon arrival at the wedding location, we will provide the ceremony music (if present) or go through
the scenario one more time with the present singer(s)/musicians. Besides that, we will walk the
guests to their seats and explain the continuing of the ceremony to them.
When the bridal couple arrives, they usually will be taken to a separate room to settle and rest for a
minute, because you probably will be overwhelmed by emotions. Usually the civil registrar will briefly
go through the ceremony with you. In the meantime we will hand over the rings to the ring bearer.
When there’s no ring bearer, we will hand the rings over to the civil registrar at the right moment in
the ceremony. After the ceremony we can assist the photographer with getting the family at the
right place for the family photos. We will accompany the bridal couple during the photoshoot. We
will make sure that dressing, hair and make-up are on point and have lots of practical things with us
in our SOS kit (a plaid for when the surface is wet or dirty, bottles of water, umbrella etcetera). After
the photoshoot we gather the guests at the reception location. (This can be at the same location in a
different room or outside, but can also take place at a different location). Exquisite Gay Weddings is
the first to arrive at the reception location to prepare the reception or toast.
The reception
Before the reception begins, we will put the guestbook (or any alternative) in the right spot and
prepare the gift table. If there are thank you gifts for the guests, we will put them on the table too.
We welcome the guests at arrival until the bridal couple arrives. Next to that, we will put the
wedding cake in the right spot at the right time (when wished for with a glass of champagne as an
aperitif). When everything is set up according to the scenario, we will announce the cake cutting to
the bridal couple and escort them to the wedding cake.
After that, we announce the cake cutting to the guests, so everyone can gather around the cake.
When the bridal couple and/or family members prepared a speech for the toast, we can announce
that too. During the reception we keep an eye on everything and are happy to help wherever we can.
By the time the guests are leaving, we will hand them a thank you gift.
The dinner
Prior to the dinner we need to know if there are any speeches between the different courses.
Because we communicate with the kitchen personnel, we prevent the food from turning cold
because of an unplanned speech that needs to be done. We keep up with the time and when a
speech is delaying the dinner, we will communicate that to the kitchen personnel as early as we can,
to avoid any problems.
If there’s a table setting, we walk the guests to their seat and check if everything is okay. When the
dinner has ended and the bridal couple wants to have moment for themselves, so they can freshen
up and get ready for the party, we will communicate the continuing of the evening to the guests and
bring them to the party location. This can be at the same location or somewhere else.
The party
Well before the party the first suppliers (music, catering etcetera) will arrive. Exquisite Gay Weddings
will make sure that the suppliers can do their job and ask us if they have any questions. Before the
party begins the guestbook will be in the right spot, the gift table is prepared and the thank you gifts
are on the table. For the last time, we will go through the scenario with all parties involved and check
if everything goes to plan. At the start of the party we will be at the entrance to welcome the evening
guests. If the whole ceremony mastery is outsourced to Exquisite Gay Weddings, we will remind the
people that prepared sketches or other acts to do their sketch or act on time and help them with
their preparation if needed. Next we will announce the acts.
When there’s no other master of ceremonies, we can announce the bridal couple’s opening dance
too (This can be done by the DJ or band too, when discussed in advance (including music choice). We
will communicate this to the DJ or band. These tasks can also be fulfilled by the master of ceremonies
selected from your family or friends. Will the bride throw a bouquet? Or does the groom have any
specific plans? We can provide you with the right things (when you don’t want to keep them with
you the whole night) and gather the guests for this special moment (or, according to tradition, the
unwedded men and women are asked to get together). When the guests are leaving, we will offer
everyone a thank you gift. When the party has ended and the bridal couple has left, we will make
sure all guests will go home safely and that the party location is left neatly. If there’s hired material,
we will prepare it for pick-up. Gifts and other things, like the wedding cake leftovers, can be handed
over to the couple, if they return home. When the bridal couple spends the wedding night someplace
else or is directly leaving for their honeymoon, it’s necessary to discuss what to do with these things
prior to the wedding. Sometimes it’s possible to leave stuff at the party location until the next day.
After the wedding
After the wedding we are happy to make one more appointment with you, to see if you are satisfied
with Exquisite Gay Weddings’ master of ceremonies services.