2026-10-30 · Planning guide
Wedding Introductions: Help Your MC Get Every Name Right
Prepare names, pronunciations and introduction wording for your wedding or family celebration. A practical MC briefing guide for NYC and tri-state hosts.
A small detail that deserves preparation
An introduction lasts only a few seconds, but the person being welcomed hears every word. BusinessDay’s October 24, 2026 interview with MC Dammy discusses the preparation and cultural awareness involved in wedding hosting. Our practical takeaway is to give names their own preparation time. This original guide focuses on a simple pronunciation brief for weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, birthdays and destination celebrations, rather than treating the guest list as an announcement script.
Ask people how they want to be introduced
Start with the couple or guest of honor, then include anyone receiving a formal introduction. Confirm the spoken name each person prefers, including whether to use a nickname, full name or title. Do not assume a married couple shares a surname or wants a particular form of address. For a mitzvah, check the young person’s preference as well as the family’s. Keep the approved wording beside the name so the MC does not have to infer it.
Record a short pronunciation reference
Invite each person, or someone they designate, to say the name slowly and then naturally in a short voice note. A phonetic spelling can help, but familiar letters may suggest different sounds to different readers. Mark the stressed syllable if useful and keep the recording clearly labeled. Send these references through the method agreed with your MC. Share only the people who need introductions; a full guest directory is usually unnecessary for this purpose.
Write the entrance order separately
List the order of introductions, who enters together and any relationship wording you want spoken. Keep this list distinct from the seating chart, which serves a different job. If family arrangements require sensitive choices, approve the final words privately with the hosts. The MC needs the wording and order, not the personal history behind them. Specify whether applause follows each introduction or whether several names belong in one continuous welcome.
Rehearse the names before the event
Arrange a brief read-through with the MC while there is still time to correct anything. Listen for pronunciation, pacing and the complete introduction, not just each surname in isolation. For multilingual introductions, confirm which language is used for each phrase and who has checked it. At a destination celebration, agree on this before travel where possible. A local coordinator may understand the venue perfectly while still needing your help with family names.
Give changes one clear route
Name one host or planner who can approve last-minute corrections. Put a date or version label on the final introduction list and explicitly replace earlier copies. If someone is absent or changes their entrance partner, tell the MC before the sequence begins. Agree that uncertainty should prompt a quiet check rather than an improvised nickname or joke. The same approach works when introducing a live singer or inviting relatives forward for a birthday tribute.
Start planning your celebration
Use the booking button below to share your date, venue and the introductions that matter to you. Alichenzo offers DJ and MC entertainment and live singing options across NYC, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Events in Florida, California, Philadelphia, Maryland and worldwide destinations are available by arrangement. Availability, language requirements, travel and production details are confirmed individually. Bring your preferred tone too: a warm, understated welcome and a high-energy entrance need different delivery.
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