This week I’ve gone to my friend Peter Merry, author of “The Best Wedding Reception Ever” to touch on something that is seldom seen North of the Border…The Grand Exit???

Your reception is a celebration that can be truly entertaining from beginning to end. But the most memorable moment can often be the ending. Think about the last entertaining movie you saw in a theater. If the plot moved along well and kept you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire film, but the last twenty minutes tapered off in a way the left you feeling unfulfilled, you would most likely leave the theater commenting on what a great movie it was...except for the ending. Your reception celebration can create the same reaction among your guests as well.

However, if you plan ahead for your ending, you can create a memorable moment that will be both fulfilling and engaging for all involved. Consider preparing in advance to allow your guests to give you a big sendoff. Taking into consideration that not all of your guests may feel inclined stay and dance until 1:00am, staging an early ending that will involve most of your guests might be worth scheduling your ending to take place earlier than your location requires.

When the time is right (based on your energy levels, some of the guests beginning to leave, the arrival of your limo, etc.), your M.C. can invite everyone to join you for a Last Dance and then ask the guests to hurry outside, or to the room’s exit, where they can be provided with bubbles, confetti, sparklers, glow necklaces, streamers on sticks, or items to throw or wave around as they cheer during your grand exit.

This will wrap up your celebration on a high note that feels like a natural ending. The guests will leave with great memories from the beginning to the end. And because they played a role in sending you off, they will feel like that have been active participants in your entire reception celebration.

Now if you both still feel like you will want to stay and dance until 1:00am, consider using the grand exit as the end of the formal reception and the beginning of the “after party” for all of your friends and family members who will also want to celebrate with you until the wee hours. The grand exit will allow any of your older guests who might not want to stay out so late to feel like they now have permission to leave without missing out on any of the important moments.

Finally, make sure your photographer and/or videographer know that you are planning a grand exit so they can be sure to capture photos and video footage of your guests cheering as you make your departure.

Stephanie Wright of Toronto’s “The Wedding Company blog” interviewed Prodigy Entertainment’s Michael Coombs to get his take on what you should play to help create the perfect Wedding Experience.

Imagine...a couple spends well over $40,000 in décor to create the perfect look for their wedding.  The Bride and Groom where meticulous in their musical choices and order of the events; everything was in place to create the perfect Wedding Experience.   Everything…except the speech from the Father of the Bride.  

 For over an hour, he spoke off the cuff and reminisced about his daughter’s life history.  When his speech finally concluded, his new wife stepped up to the podium unannounced, and then spoke for an additional 30 minutes, boring the already tired audience to tears.

We’ve all suffered through it.  Speeches that go off track and last too long.  Inappropriate comments and speakers rambling on for what seems to be eternity.  So what is the right length of a speech and how should a proper speech be formatted?

 For this, I’m going to my Toastmasters public speaking training.  A speech should last between 5-7 minutes and should contain a beginning, middle and an end.  Very simple format, yet very effective.  The beginning should outline what the speech will be about.  The middle should contain 2-3 points, stories or anecdotes.  With the end tying everything together.  That’s it; it’s that easy!  No need to reinvent the wheel at the expense of the guests and more importantly, the Bride and Groom.

 Once the speech has been written in advance (yes, I said in advance; not in the limo on the way to the Church), it’s time to practice.  Get a watch and stand in-front of a mirror with the script in hand and start reading it.  If it’s running to long, edit it down and keep doing it until you’ve hit the 5-7 minute mark (5 minutes is ideal).  Once that’s been completed, continue reading it aloud until you get a good feel for the words and flow of the speech.  ***Please note, Bride and Groom speeches will typically run longer than 5-7 minutes, and that's ok; it's thier day.

The hour and a half for two speeches not only bored the crowd and killed the vibe, it affected the dancing.  Or should I say, there was no dancing.  By the time the floor opened and we completed the first dance, parent dances, bouquet and garter toss, the evening was over and the venue raised the lights (I hate when they do that!).  Ironically, the bride’s step-mother then walks up to be me and asks “where did all the time for dancing go?”  Nice!

“A master of ceremonies, or MC (emcee), is the host of an official public or private staged event or other performance. The MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving.”

The MC is the “host” of the wedding while the Bride and Groom are the stars.  He/She represents the couple and their families, and has a huge effect on the outcome and overall success of the night.  Yet, when couples are planning their wedding they often put little thought into who the MC should be and can that person handle the role?  So, what do you look for in an MC and how do you choose someone that will add to the “Wedding Experience”? 

Find someone that is comfortable speaking in front on an audience.  Public speaking is many people’s greatest fear and by putting someone in a situation where they’re not comfortable isn’t a recipe for success. 

Use someone that is responsible and will to do their homework.  Too often I have had MCs show up at a Wedding and the first thing out of their mouth is “what do I need to do?”  or “do you know any good jokes that I can use”.  Now, you can only imagine the result: Crash and burn!!!  So, what is the MCs homework?  To have a good grasp of the itinerary well before the event and to have brief bio’s written or short stories available to share about each speaker.  Really, it’s that simple.  Those that are prepared are those that are successful.

Keep it moving.  The role of the MC is not to be confused with someone’s “15 minutes of fame” and is not an opportunity to try out new material for amateur night at Yuk Yuk’s comedy club.  The guests aren’t here to see the MC; they’re here to celebrate the Bride and Grooms special day.  Those that have done their homework won’t ramble on; they will keep it moving and get to the point. 

Finally, a good MC is someone that can speak with passion and enthusiasm.  It’s one thing to stand in front of an audience; it’s another thing to captivate them.  Having a MC who can really get into their work and enjoys being the host of the evening will make all the difference at any wedding.  Even if you have to hire a professional, the right MC can and will only improve the “Wedding Experience” for the couple and their guests.

This past Sunday I was awarded the 2009 Canadian Professional DJ Association - DJ Industry Leadership Award at Glen Abby golf course in Oakville.  Presented by Executive Director, Dennis Hampson and new National President, Dave Hastings, I was honored to be the very first recipient of the award.