I have no video or photographic evidence of this. I wish I had but I was young and not thinking that far ahead. I did it three times, not thinking ahead. The prefrontal cortex in my 15, 16 & 17 year old head hadn’t gotten to the point where it could plan for the future. I had been booked by my elementary school and the city of Adairville Kentucky to perform intermittently at the Beauty Pageant for the Adairville Strawberry Festival. My uncle, a well respected real estate personality was also booked as Master of Ceremony for the pageant. My late adolescent brain not capable of seeing how magic & MC were related.
In my article on why weddings need magicians (an article exclusive to only email subscribers, get it here) I discuss how magic can give weddings time in the event something unexpected happens. I am making the case that while a wedding magician can give the wedding time, the wedding still needs someone to get the wedding back on track. That is what a wedding MC is for!
A wedding MC is more than just a public speaker. The MC IS the director for the wedding. The MC knows when and how to segue wedding guests from ceremony to reception, cocktail hour, first dance & closing. The job of the MC is set the pace and guide the guests. I will be upfront – I have NEVER MCed though I hope that my 28+ years of being on stage, performing at weddings, etc is the foundation to expand my wedding service in offering a package deal that includes magic & MC. This will be ideal for weddings requesting a stand-up wedding magic performance. I already have the equipment, the voice, etc.
Wedding Master Of Ceremonies Preparation!
As with the wedding magic booking process, it begins with an inquisition and getting to know the bride & the idea the bride and groom have for their wedding. Is it themed? How many are expected to attend? Will it be indoors? outdoors or both? What’s the budget? What’s the start and end time? Will it all be in one place? The difference between preparing for a wedding magic event & MC is that the MC must KNOW the expected start and end times for all the events at the wedding. When will the bride, groom, family and party arrive? When will the guests arrive? When will the photographer arrive? When will the ceremony start? When will ceremony end? Every detail must be mapped out and put to paper.
Are MCs comedians?
No. The objective of the MC is to help the wedding segue through planned events effeciently and to get the wedding back on track in the event of an unexpected derailment. Very similar to what a wedding magician must do. While a MC may crack a comedic comment about a situational event, the MC is not a comedian.
I am thrilled at the idea of expanding my wedding services to package in MC & magic. I will keep one posted as I go through this journey.
Jordan Allen 