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“Mr President, Your Excellencies, My Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen”

The above is a very formal preamble but a Toastmaster will know the correct protocol when addressing the guests attending your event. The task of a good Toastmaster or Master of Ceremonies goes well beyond that of merely a loud voice banging a gavel. His spectrum of activity is the overall co-ordination and steering of every type of event calling for a degree of formality. His punctilious attention to detail and continual unobtrusive liaison throughout your event ensures that it flows smoothly and apparently effortlessly to a successful conclusion.

The title ‘Toastmaster’ originated in the Middle Ages when wine travelled badly. The Toastmaster (who combined the modern functions of Estate Manager and Butler) would, among many other duties at a Banquet, ensure that a piece of Toast was placed in the top of every glass so that it sank down through the wine and absorbed all the floating bits of sediment and unpleasant tastes which would have been stirred up when the wine had been drawn from the cask.

For wedding celebrations, formal civic, company and social events your Toastmaster is available to help you prepare and enjoy the occasion. On the day itself he will assume the management of the formal ceremony to ensure protocol is observed and the event is conducted with grace, panache and professionalism. His courtesy, dignity and long experience of running formal occasions combined with his friendly personality combine to ensure the day is memorable for both you and your guests.

Apart from the ceremony itself, the most socially significant and usually the most expensive part of the wedding is the reception. In most cases for couples organising weddings it is the first time they have done so and although there is a lot of material and books to help prepare for the big day its is difficult for a couple to navigate and plan the celebrations without good professional advice.

One effective way to ensure your celebrations go according to plan is to use the services of an experienced Toastmaster who will be available to ensure that leading up to and on the actual day of your celebration the wedding breakfast is managed effectively and efficiently allowing you, the new couple, to focus on your guests and enjoy the day.

By engaging an experienced Toastmaster he will ensure that the occasion is friendly, informal and relaxed, yet no guest or detail is overlooked and everything occurs in the correct order and time.

Before the day he will be available to help you plan and prepare for the celebrations giving you access to his knowledge and experience. He can advise on preparing the speeches for the Best Man, Groom and Brides Father, help them prepare for their role so that on the day everything will run smoothly. He can give advice on the scheduling of the day and on the etiquette and manners that will make your event both individual and memorable.

On the day itself the Toastmaster in his formal scarlet tail coat will keep the wedding on schedule from when you arrive at the venue, during the photographs and then on through the wedding breakfast, cutting the cake and speeches. With his gavel in hand and his clear voice he will, without ostentation, and keeping the formalities light hearted and joyful, lead the celebrations, make the introductions to the speeches, "call" the toasts and round off the days formal celebrations in a most memorable way.

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