Once again I’m honoured to be the Master of Ceremonies at Auckland’s premier wedding event for the year, the Grand Wedding Show at Sky City. Additionally I’ll be co-hosting a seminar with Auckland MC and DJ Nick Logan called ‘Improve-a-Groom’ and following on from the success of last year, I’ll once again run my popular seminar ‘Wedding Speeches Made Easy’. I hope to see you there!

Richard Mills, Master of Ceremonies at the Grand Wedding Show, Sky City Bridal Fashion Parade.

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Choosing a first dance song can be a real challenge for many couples. If you are having difficulty deciding on a first dance, here’s a fun idea to add a little bit of mystique to your reception and involve your guests in one of the major elements. Read the rest of this entry »

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Thanks to all of my past clients for allowing me to be a part of your special events. Here’s what you’ve been saying about DJ Richard after your events:

We just wanted to send a quick email to say thanks again for all your help Read the rest of this entry »

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The final wedding of the 2009/2010 season was Robert & Ruth’s lavish ceremony and reception at the glorious and prestigious Huka Lodge in Taupo. Since 1936 Huka Lodge has played host to a remarkable list of notable people including Read the rest of this entry »

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A change of plans for one couple has made for a possible great piece of news for others. A couple who booked me to entertain at their wedding on 26th February 2011 have had to reschedule their date.

What this means of course is that I am now available to entertain on this key date in the wedding calendar. Please contact me quickly to secure your booking if you’re still looking at getting some quality entertainment at your beautiful wedding.

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Today I received an email that made me happy to be of assistance. It read;

Hi Richard
Thank you so much for your tips on being a wedding MC. I am writing you from Nairobi Kenya and will be MC at my very 1st event on the 20th of October (the day after tomorrow!!). I have just embarked on a career as an event and wedding planner and this is my first gig as a wedding MC.

I have not attended any wedding receptions (I usually just show up for the booze)so I had no idea what a wedding MC does. Most other sites wont tell you anything of substance and will shoo you off to buy this or that. Amongst all other websites yours is the most helpful so far and i would like to thank you for availing this information to us
Warm Regards
Caroline

Thank you for your email Caroline and I’m sure you’ll make a fine MC.

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There is a lot of cross over and no clear demarcation point between the DJ and DJ/MC roles. The skills and wedding experience that a good professional mobile DJ has puts them in an ideal position to move into the MC role.

As for my service, I don’t charge out my MC duties as an extra. My fee is my fee and I do all the planning for every wedding as if I were the MC, so even if the MC on the night panics or falls ill and pulls out (as has happened twice now), I can step in seamlessly and nobody is any the wiser.

I know who the VIP guests are, what their names are, where they are sitting and what their relationship is to the couple. I know who will be speaking and in which order and whether there are any important anniversaries or birthdays to honour and acknowledge. I know (and have prepared) the run-sheet for the day, so I know what needs to happen at what time and I know the dynamics of the crowd and the venue. I liaise with the venue and other on-site event vendors. I often assist the MC when I’ve not been booked for the duty.

I am qualified to do this work. I attend international DJ and MC seminars, workshops and trade shows. I am a regular and long-standing contributor to DJ and MC forums and I purchase materials to constantly train and improve my service.

Being a really good MC is a hard, hard job and it takes a lot of practice, rehearsal and training. On top of that it requires a top understanding of wedding reception etiquette, run-sheet preparation, name mastery and pronunciation. It requires the ability to relate to people in a friendly, polite, approachable and competent manner and to control the flow of the reception, eliminating problems before they occur and facilitating the creation of great memories.

It’s a big job. An honourable job. One to not take lightly.

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As I write this, I’m sitting on a Boeing 737-300 on the Tarmac in Wellington. In a few minutes I’ll be in the air, on my way up to Auckland, to once again work as Master of Ceremonies for the Grand Wedding Show’s Bridal Fashion Parades.

Lisa Charteris (the creator and owner of the show), really does produce probably the finest wedding show in New Zealand, and this Spring it was a sell-out, with no remaining space for additional exhibitors. Visit the website, http://www.weddingshow.co.nz for more info.

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Ben & Jennifer's Guard of Honour at Pukehou Church in Hawkes Bay

Picture the moment.

Your celebrant smiles broadly and introduces you proudly to all of your friends and family as newly-weds. Applause breaks out, your chosen recessional music plays and you walk down the aisle as a married couple, followed by your wedding party, family and guests.

It’s a wonderful moment, and one that probably hasn’t factored too highly in your planning, as it’s a given that it will be both emotional and exciting. What could possibly go wrong? What could need to be considered in advance? Read the rest of this entry »

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This is NOT me!

One of the most common requests from any mobile MC & DJ’s prospective clients is the question asking for a quote for a price for a 4 or 5 hour wedding entertainment package. In my early years as a mobile DJ, this wasn’t a problem, because I really didn’t do much more than turn up on the day and play music for that time frame. I may have found out a few basic details, such as the timing of the finish of dinner and the first dance song, but that was about it. Read the rest of this entry »

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I was reading comments from a British DJ on a UK DJ forum today. At the last wedding he entertained, he was getting ready to play the first dance for the Bride & Groom. He got the song queued up, prepared the following song also, checked that the couple were ready to go, then announced the first dance. Read the rest of this entry »

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I’ve had a spate of enquiries lately from couples wanting a quote before talking or meeting with me. I find this very difficult because my service isn’t a ‘five hours’ type of service by any measure. I’m often on site from a couple of hours before the ceremony until half an hour after the finish of the reception. 14 hour days aren’t uncommon. Price isn’t an easy thing to discuss without an understanding of value. Read the rest of this entry »

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It’s this time of year when I’m putting the final touches on the last couple of weddings for the season. I like to take stock of the memories of the celebrations past, the wonderful people I’ve met and the enjoyment I’ve helped create. I think about what I’ve learned, what I could have done better and what went very well. Read the rest of this entry »

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Every now and then I’m genuinely pleased that I’ve paid attention to the little things that sometimes go wrong at weddings.

Take today for example. Read the rest of this entry »

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What a fascinating season year it’s been already been. I’ve been fortunate enough to entertain clients and their guests in some of the country’s most beautiful locations and there’s more still to come before winter hits.
Read the rest of this entry »

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A few months ago I was fortunate enough to purchase an extremely compact data/video projector for an extremely reasonable price. I had the intention of using it to play video footage that I occasionally get asked to present at my client’s events. Read the rest of this entry »

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I read this recently and thought it sounded like a HUGE, yet amusing challenge for the Groom-to-be and his entourage:

Stag will be wearing a full wedding dress with a veil all day Read the rest of this entry »

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Many of you will have seen this already, but it’s such a fun clip that I thought I’d link it for your enjoyment once more. I do love it when couples put some preparation into creating something fun and memorable for their reception. Enjoy!
Read the rest of this entry »

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Here’s a tip for you to help with planning your wedding ceremony, whether it’s in a church, marquee or garden. Signing the wedding register in New Zealand (unless it’s been partly completed in advance) usually takes 5 minutes or more. That’s Read the rest of this entry »

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Can you meet with the DJ personally?

Does the DJ you’re considering tell you anything about themselves in their website or advertising, or are you hiring an unknown? Most people would like to know a little about the person who will be entertaining at their event, particularly if it’s a wedding, and a face to face meeting is the best way Read the rest of this entry »

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What type of music do they provide and will they play requests?

It’s your party. Will your prospective music entertainer cheerfully accept your musical suggestions? Can they provide a play list with a wide variety of songs that you can choose from? Will they play Read the rest of this entry »

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This is an incredibly novel concept. The amount of work and planning that must have gone into this is frightening, but I have to admit that it’s totally memorable. Read the rest of this entry »

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Take a look!

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Is the DJ you’re considering hiring an experienced professional, or a hobby DJ?
For some parties, all that’s required is someone with DJ equipment to turn up (some of the cheaper ones might not even do that if they get a better offer!) and play music. In this scenario, any reasonably proficient DJ will do for you.

For a corporate event where you’re wanting to reward employees, help them bond or unwind during a conference, or impress clients and say thank you, you’re going to want someone who is a true professional. Weddings and other one-off celebrations are another example where you won’t want to take the risk on a hobby DJ. Read the rest of this entry »

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How will the DJ you are looking at hiring make YOUR celebration unique? What will they do to ensure that your celebration isn’t just a music playlist variation from every other similar type of event they’ve performed?

If your event is a wedding, this question is all the more important. The couples I’ve spoken with over the last 23 years really don’t want their wedding feeling like a McWedding, or to feel Read the rest of this entry »

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For most people, hiring a DJ is a new experience. What do you need to ask? What are the differences between a great DJ and an average DJ? How can you be confident that you’ll get the entertainment experience you’re hoping for? How can you be sure that the DJ you choose will even show up?!

This series of comments on my blog will hopefully offer you some guidance to narrow down your choice. Once you’ve got a short list, Read the rest of this entry »

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For the most part, I talk with my clients about their celebration and how I can offer ways to help bring it to life while making it unique and fun. I don’t talk much about my DJ gear as it’s really only a tool I use to provide my service and deliver my entertainment, but it’s worth mentioning a few things about it.

Over the years I’ve worked very hard at making sure my DJ equipment fits several important criteria. Read the rest of this entry »

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Once again I’m honoured to have been asked to act as compere/MC for the bridal fashion parades at the wedding shows, which are now in Dunedin and Auckland. Otago’s wedding show was on 5th April 2009 and Auckland’s one is coming up on the 19th April.

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Garden Weddings

For an informal and very private wedding a beautiful garden is the ideal place to exchange your vows. From Spring to Autumn this is a backdrop to remember.

How about at your own house? Romance is in the air, you love your garden, Read the rest of this entry »

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