Canadians typically (not always) have a Master of Cermony that is related in some sort to do all the announcements. They do the grand entrance, toasts, recognizing family, dismiss people for the buffet, cake cutting, tell stories, etc. This is usually the DJ's job, but it's a tradition for them. Last night it was the former groom that was the best man at the new groom's wedding. He will pass this down to the next groom. I would say 90% of the time this is the format for a Canadian wedding reception. It's actually a wonderful tradition, but teaching someone how to use a wireless mic can be a pain. They either hold it 9 feet from their mouth, or 1 cm from their mouth and scream. The other thing I ALWAYS tell them is that they can walk anywhere in the room, but not directly in front of a speaker as you get feedback. Where do they gravitate? RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE GOSH DARN SPEAKER. Don't get me started on an Asian immigrant reception who has a sponsor. Whole new story. Abbey
Oh. I see. I didn't realize that the Master of Ceremonies tradition was unique to Canadian weddings. I thought everyone did it that way. It's funny...our countries and cultures are so very close together. I keep being surprised and delighted by the differences. Thanks for the clarification. Trinity
I think it's a great tradition. I just was so annoyed by the wedding coordinator that she didn't realize that I KNEW this and could handle it and basically yelled at me because it wasn't being done the way she thought it should be done. Even though I'd kill to stop doing this job, I'm pretty darn good at it. I do it because we need the money. A wedding when you have a sponsor (someone who takes responsibility for you when you enter the US) is also very tricky. I did a Vietnamese reception where there were about 30 people who had to be introduced. Pronoucing their names was tough enough, but they want certain things said in their language. They are typically very shy of the mic, so I have to do it. Try to learn a new language on the spot. Always, always very polite people. Abbey
