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During a workshop presented by Mark Ferrell, we were privileged to experience, up close and personal, how it felt to be welcomed by the Master of Ceremonies of the wedding reception. One moment, Mark was simply conducting the workshop as a trainer, the next moment he transformed and became a warm, believable, real life conduit through which one actually felt how wonderful it was to be a part of a most special occasion: the celebration of a wedding. Delivering “The Welcome” effectively at a gathering, especially a wedding reception, is an opportunity as well as a challenge. How will the welcomer be perceived by those he’s welcoming? To what extent will they experience the welcomer as genuine and sincere? Is he really feeling how wonderful the occasion is and can he reflect this in his demeanor and by his delivery? Will everyone be comfortable and eager to respond? Yes, that’s the big question. How will folks respond?
A WELCOME RESPONSE
The most overwhelming response I ever got was in a large hall at Sea Trail Plantation in Sunset Beach, SC for a gathering of about 200 folks from the metropolitan area of New York. During cocktail time, the room was charged with a frenetic atmosphere that for me was actually a little unnerving. Here I was, knowing I would soon have to politely corral this boisterous assemblage into their seats in order to set the stage for a well-orchestrated Grand Entrance. Under the calmest of circumstances, the moments leading up to this important segment are comparable to performing a juggling act. I’m trying to balance prepping the wedding party and necessarily getting the room ready to receive them. Happily, the process of encouraging folks to take their seats went off without a hitch. Then, after lining up and coaching the wedding party, so they would know what was in store for them and what to do, it was time to get things going—it was time for “The Welcome.” This moment’s always the same. I go over to my console, ready the playlist for the introductions, position the planning sheets, and then, well it’s like taking a dive. Once I turn off the background music, there’s no turning back. I’ve left the diving board and am in the air heading for the water. I need to click on the microphone and head out to my mark. This is it. I capture everyone’s attention and proceed with the welcoming process . . . “Welcome! Welcome to Jenny and Bob’s wedding” . . . and as soon as I delivered the word “celebration,” the room erupted in cheers—really LOUD, sustained cheers! The banquet staff peered out from the kitchen with astonishment and I knew this was gonna be a good one.
A SAD RESPONSE
As long as the “The Welcome” is expressive and presented with sincerity, a group’s response is a pretty fair gauge of how inclined folks will be to participate when its time for allowing themselves to have fun during the festivities. As the guests start arriving, the feeling one gets can be indicative in itself. First impressions definitely color what I expect from folks, and if the attendees appear to be uncomfortable, act awkwardly, or come across as just plain shy, well my expectations for a whole lot of partying and fun diminish considerably. But it’s important not to allow these first impressions to translate into a self-fulfilling prophecy. Many times situations can turn around, and the bride is most always hopeful that her friends and family are going to have a fun time at her reception. Depending on the folks she’s invited, she might not expect a fun, fun party, but none the less, she can still be hopeful. I know it’s not good to generalize, but generally, in the South, the more rural the area is that folks come from, the more reserved they are. Generally, they’re not used to partying, like laughing and cheering in public, or carrying on on the dance floor, especially in front of other folks, many of whom are casual acquaintances or strangers. Generally, there aren’t a great number of rural southerners who frequent night clubs featuring new dance music and lots of dance floor excitement.
On varied and repeated occasions, I find myself in front of just such a group—very nice, very warm, very shy, slow-dance-country-music folks. One instance especially stands out in my mind. I remember the bride, Shannon, very well. After telephone consultations, she and her fiance Ron came by my office and sat down for a good hour planning all these fun things we could do that would keep her friends and family involved and entertained. It was still a good year before her wedding day, and her main priority was, she wanted it to be fun! She was very concerned that her guests would get bored and feel like leaving early. So, we pulled out all the stops and started crafting a reception plan in accordance with her and her fiance’s personalities. We included all kinds of interactive party games and dance floor routines, and she chose a whole array of activities designed to make fun happen during each segment of a wedding reception. Shannon called me every couple of weeks for a whole year, touching base and making changes and adjustments to her reception planning sheets. When the big day arrived, oh was she nervous. She was practically trembling out in the hall as I coached her and her bridal party for their entrance. Together, we had conceived a unique and high-energy Grand Entrance featuring specially-selected music for each couple being introduced. When everyone was in place and ready, it was time for “The Welcome.” It was time to commence Shannon’s long-awaited fun-filled party. Standing on my mark, I proceeded. “May I have everyone’s attention. I’d like to welcome you all, to . . . Shannon and Ron’s wedding celebration!” Silence. Utter silence. Everyone just remained at there seats, looking at me quizzically, expectant, but confused. I’ve concluded, with certain groups, the timbre and intonation of one’s voice coupled with a verbal applause cue like “Shannon and Ron’s wedding celebration!” doesn’t automatically elicit the positive reaction expected. This must have been one of those groups. As Mark Ferrell conveys, the Master of Ceremonies role is to capture and comfortably direct people’s attention, keep them informed, and guide them so they know what to do to participate. In certain situations like this one, it might have been effective, and even comical, to have presented a cue card with the words, “APPLAUD AND CHEER!” written in big bold letters.
Larry,
What a great illustration of how every event and every audience can be completely different. So many events are similar in that they consist of many of the same ceremonies and protocol, but each event is as unique as a snowflake… Or like “Forest Gump’s box of chocolates” – you never know what you’re gonna get.
The same is true of your audiences. They don’t know what they are going to get. “Is it going to be a great party?” “Is the ‘DJ’ going to be good?”
In the same way you, as a Master of Ceremonies, are gauging your audience for an indication of how the evening will progress, so they are of you. Every time you perform for an audience, a one-of-a-kind symbiosis takes place. It’s a ‘chemistry’ that’s created by the union of your energies. And it will never happen again.
My best advice? Always expect the unexpected. Always be sincere. Always be you. And your audiences will always surprise you.