Emcee: Friend or Professional?

Did you know your emcee could make or break your reception? If you really think about it, your emcee will be the person to have everyone's attention for almost the entire time. So...here are some pros & cons of a professional emcee...

PROS:

1. They should know how to read the crowd. If your guests are of a certain temperament, the professional emcee should know how to determine the temperament and adjust their style & dialogue to match.
2. The professional can be asked to do specific tasks and be held accountable (whereas a friend might not take it seriously, forget, or decide not to do it)
3. The professional can be held accountable for being on time, dressed appropriately, and should not consume any alcohol (and as a result the professional's behavior should remain controlled).
4. A Professional shouldn't tell stories about the times you got drunk "wasted" (unless that's what you want)
5. If something in the program isn't ready, the professional should know how to stall (if needed) or adjust/skip accordingly (to something that is ready)
6. A professional will take the time to know your coordinator (or day of contact person), DJ/musician, and meet the Banquet Captain to work out all timing, cues, and clarify details (BEFORE the reception starts).
7. A professional should know how to enhance your reception while directing & controlling the flow.
8. A professional can arrive to sound test (and not have to miss attending the ceremony).

CONS:

1. A professional will cost money and good professionals typically cost more! Just make sure there is a reason for the higher cost! Will they only be talking? Have you seen them actually work before? Since troubleshooting is involved, an emcee should be hired similarly to a professional coordinator and questions should be asked accordingly (especially if you are not hiring a professional coordinator).
2. There are emcees who may call themselves or represent themselves as a "Professional", but really might not be. Remember, anyone can call themselves anything they want, so interview the person and decide for yourself.
3. Some professionals may not take the time to get to know their clients...which could be a benefit of having a friend as your emcee

So now what? Well, there are benefits to having both a professional & a friend emcee your event, so what I would recommend (if your budget allows) is to have a friend possibly take care of the more personal announcements (i.e.: acknowledging your immediate family members) since they probably know them and will pronounce them correctly, but leave the other areas up to a professional. Please keep in mind that you might have a friend who is hilarious on a daily basis, but speaking in front of a crowd is completely different and some of the day to day jokes might not be appropriate for a wedding reception.