
Who oversees your reception and ensures the speeches are delivered on time? Do you have someone to tell your guests it is time to eat? Who is making sure the right music is played for your first dance?
I’ve been to plenty of weddings where the maid of honour or best man has had these duties. As the night wears on I’ve also watched as their focus changes with a few drinks and the celebrations become a distraction!
I offer my services as your master of ceremonies ready to take charge of your reception. Late arrival of the bride and groom is no problem. I am the person your suppliers speak with to readjust timings. Want to play the shoe game and have vetted the questions first, or time the speeches for the tables to compete for a prize? I will do that with you!
Charges are from £300 for four hours to run your night at a venue that has it’s own coordinator or manager for your reception. This includes a site visit/meeting with you before the day. Typically I stay until the first dance.
From £500 plus an additional night’s accommodation and transport if you want me to coordinate behind the scenes as well. This is good for receptions in family homes or venues that don’t have a venue manager. This includes a site visit/meeting before the day and my attendance the day prior to help set up and finalise the run times. For this I stay until the end of the night.
If you do require me to coordinate your suppliers behind the scenes I suggest the following for a smooth night (based on 60-80 guests, scale as required);
- Chef and their staff (typically 2-4 additional staff that chef brings)
- 4 waiters
- 2 bar/drinks servers (if there is a separate bar location add 1-2 more bar staff)
- 2 pot washers (most crockery hire requires dishes returned cleaned, and glasses need cleaning during the night for reuse)
- 2 porters to move furniture, remove garbage and move dirty dishes during the night – be able to transport 20kgs
- Lifeguard for pool area
- First aid kits (including paracetamol and ibuprofen) and trained first aider
- Minimum four toilets (have a variety of period products in all of them)
- Additional meals for all above staff including myself – don’t forget your DJ/Band and Photographer
- Min 3+ large trestle tables that food can be served from chef to waitstaff, and dirty dishes can be sat before being washed
- Large 80/90 litre garbage bins, heavy duty black bin bags and area to store garbage
- Spare, clean cutlery. If someone drops a fork spares are needed close to hand for waitstaff to replace.