There is no question – in my mind at least – that you want to use humor and jokes as the MC of a wedding. Besides providing smooth transitions between elements of the Wedding Reception, I think it is great if the Wedding MC can be entertaining as well.

First of all, transitions are important. As a Wedding MC your job is to “facilitate” the Wedding Reception Program. Reception programs vary from wedding to wedding and culture to culture, however, there is always a need to smoothly move from speech to speech, or program element to program element. If, as MC, you can make the transitions in an entertaining way, the Wedding Reception will be enjoyable for everyone – from close family (who enjoy the wedding anyway) to friends (who might appreciate a reception that is not dull).

Secondly, if some of the speeches or parts of the Program are “less-than-stellar” then your Wedding MC jokes will “liven” up the Reception. Even if the Reception runs smoothly and those participating do a great job, your entertaining humor will only add to a superb Wedding Celebration.

Finally, as Wedding MC, the bride or groom (or domineering Mom of the…bride) asked you to MC their wedding because they trust you will do a good job. When you use humor (in a non-offensive way) you are honoring the Bride and Groom by doing your job responsibly, the best you can.

So, are there sure-fire jokes that work at every Wedding Reception? That depends. How you tell a joke is crucial. The authors of The Wedding MC Jokebook recommend you never say “here’s a joke…” They recommend you weave them into your presentation.

For now, I will assume you know how to use humor in your Wedding MC presentation. I found a couple of sure-fire jokes you can use. Here is a good joke to use before the toast to the groom. Also, a great joke to use anywhere in the program. For instance, before introducing the individual giving the toast to the bride.

Before Barb and Greg got married they went for psychoanalysis to make sure they were compatible. Greg was done in a day, but Barb had to return for several more sessions. It wasn’t that Barb had any problems. It was just that when they had to go back to their childhood, it was easy for Greg because he was already there.

Tell the joke in your own words of course, but make sure you keep the last line the same (punchline), keeping the same order of ideas. The following joke fits in the reception where you are introducing or talking about either the Bride’s or the Groom’s grandparents or parents.

Frank and Elizabeth are pleased that their granddaughter is getting married. I didn’t realize how caught up in the whole event they had become until Elizabeth said that she wanted to relive her wedding. She told Frank that they should run upstairs and make love. Frank said she had to make a decision because he couldn’t do both. This joke can be used with parents (change granddaughter to daughter). Emphasize “run upstairs” and “make love” when presenting.

Here’s a one-liner: Marriage teaches you loyalty, patience, understanding, perseverance, and a lot of other things you wouldn’t need if you’d stayed single. You can add this one-liner before you make an announcement, or as you transition from one part of the program to another. Wedding jokes that are tasteful and appropriate can help the MC or anyone making a speech transform a wedding reception into a memorable event.