Toastmaster Services

In short

The most common thing couples tell me afterwards is that the day went past in a blur and they never got to eat. A good part of that is having nobody in charge, so the job quietly falls to a bridesmaid with a phone full of unanswered questions and an uncle who wants to know when the bar opens.

A toastmaster takes all of that off your family. I hold the running order, talk to the venue, the caterers, the band and the photographer, and move two hundred people from one thing to the next without anybody feeling herded.

£395 From, all inclusive

Somerset And well beyond it

Check my availability

What I actually do on the day

Arrive early, walk the venue and confirm timings with every supplier there
Greet guests, direct them, and quietly deal with the ones who need directing twice
Run the receiving line if you are having one, and keep it moving
Announce the couple, the meal, the speeches, the cake and the first dance
Look after the speakers, including the one who has rewritten their speech three times that morning
Keep an eye on elderly guests, children and anyone who has been left on their own
Hold the timings so the kitchen and the band are not left waiting
Handle the small emergencies without any of them reaching you

Formal or relaxed, your choice

The traditional version comes with the red tailcoat, the announcements and a certain amount of theatre. It suits big weddings, formal venues and families who like the occasion of it.

The relaxed version is the same job in an ordinary suit, with a lighter touch and no announcements beyond what is needed. Most couples I work with choose this one, and their guests tend to assume I am a helpful friend of the family.

Either way the work behind it is identical. The difference is only how visible I am.

Ceremony and toastmaster together

Around half the couples who book me for a ceremony add this on, and it is cheaper together than separately because I am already there and already know the plan inside out.

It also removes the handover, which is the point where days usually start to slip. The person who wrote your ceremony is the same person keeping the afternoon on schedule.

Other occasions

Large family parties, milestone birthdays, anniversary dinners, charity evenings and awards nights all benefit from somebody holding the shape of the evening. The job barely changes.

“Joe kept a hundred and forty people moving and we never once noticed it happening. We ate our own wedding breakfast, which apparently is rare.”
Sophie and MarcusWedding and toastmaster, near Bath