An “itinerary” is different than a “script.”
In the previous post we discussed the Responsibilities of your Master of Ceremonies. Just because your wedding coordinator has put together “an itinerary” or a “time line” for your wedding this does not mean that you have “a script for your Master of Ceremonies.”
Hello. My name is Eric Zimmermann. I am a DJ and Master of Ceremonies, Pianist and Bandleader. Phone: 626-797-1795
One of the major concerns most people have about hiring a DJ/MC is “will he talk too much?” You can have control over your DJ/MC by making him use a script for his announcements.
Wedding Itinerary
Please know that a “wedding itinerary” is usually a list of generalized events listed in logical sequence. An itinerary might indicate:
6:45 pour Champagne,
7:00 Grand Entrance,
7:03 First Dance,
7:10 Toasts,
7:15 Dinner
Scripted Announcements
A script would be the specific communication the MC needs to make; what he should say:
“Good evening and welcome to the the…”
“Congratulations to the family and friends of…”
“At this time please join me in welcoming…”
Professional Announcements & Presentation
Weddings are special occasions and usually formal. An MC doesn’t have to be “stuffy” but he should be respectful, have his facts organized and be prepared to make professional announcements. It is usually left up to the Master of Ceremonies to come up with his own announcements. It might be a good idea to test your Master of Ceremonies to find out what he is going to say and how he is going to say it. See: Responsibilities of Your Master of Ceremonies.
Talk to DJ/Master of Ceremonies
Eric Zimmermann
323-270-3650
Announcing
Announcing “the first name only” colors the event as being informal or not important. A good master of ceremonies would need to find out complete information about each person he is announcing. So for one announcement he needs to know the person’s full name but in addition to his name, who is he? Does he have a title? Is he only the best man? Is he the brother of the groom? If he is both the announcement he would be:
“The best man and brother of the groom Mr.” “first name” “last name”.”
Add to this the possibility that this individual might have an additional title. (military rank for example)
One wedding reception I attended as a guest I heard the MC say: “Yo! How’s everybody doin’!?” (no response from the guests) MC: “I SAID, HOW’S EVERYBODY DOIN’!!!?”(etc.) He then said, “Yo, let’s give it up for Joe the Best Man!”
Who was Joe? An officer in the US Marines in full dress blues. (“dress blues” is a formal uniform worn for special occasions.) So here is a Military Officer representing the Bride and Groom and also representing the US Marines and being introduced as “Joe”.
The family of the bride spent thousands of dollars on their daughter’s wedding and yes there was an itinerary but what the MC would say wasn’t considered.
The announcement should have been: “Good evening and welcome to the Athena Ballroom of the Odyssey Restaurant here in Granada Hills, CA. My name is _____. I am your DJ and Master of Ceremonies. Here to offer a toast please join me in welcoming the Best Man and Brother of the Groom Lieutenant Joseph Rodriguez!”
Take the time to ensure you and your family will be represented well by your Master of Ceremonies.
To help define the scope of service, before you hire your DJ you should require him to present an itinerary with scripted announcements so you know what you are paying for. Please know that an itinerary with scripted announcements accompanies every Elegant Music DJ contract.
Sincerely, Eric Zimmermann Elegant Music 323-270-3650
Host of Wedding and Event Podcast