Practice makes perfect

The success of a joke is all in the timing, so practice, practice, practice. A joke that sounds great in your head might turn into a stinker on delivery. Perfect your comic timing in front of a small, test audience to get your technique down and judge what works and what doesn't. You'll feel much more confident knowing that your jokes usually generate some laughs, and learn which deliveries provoke the most (and least) hilarity. If your jokes are so funny that you can't get to the punch line without laughing, repetition will ensure that you fire off that joke with a comic deadpan.

You should also strive to know your material by heart, and all the practice joke-telling that you're doing should make this task pretty easy. Stage fright can surprise anyone, but having a really firm grasp on your material will keep much of your nervousness at bay.

Write it all down

You should know your material inside and out, but that doesn't mean you can't have a few notes handy just in case. Write down outlines of your speeches and jokes on numbered cue cards. Use neat printing and big letters. You shouldn't need to write it all down verbatim, but give yourself peace of mind with lots of keyword prompts. The cue card is usually the best option because it hides away nicely in a tux pocket and can be unobtrusively cupped in the palm of a hand.

We've all suffered through the nervous speech of some poor guy, struggling to find his place on a scrawled piece of foolscap. Don't let that guy be you .

The big night

You'll probably feel a bit nervous as you stand to speak for the first time, so please, before you start squeaky speechifying; TAKE A DEEP BREATH. Deep breathing will relax both your diaphragm and your mind, will allow you to speak in deep, measured tones and will project your voice to the far reaches of the room.

Eye contact with the audience is vital, and while it's OK to refer to your cue cards, keep your face animated...it is a joke after all. Smile! Gestures and movement can add excitement to your delivery, and dramatic pauses should be used before all your big punch lines.

Emergencies

Even with all the preparation you've done, you might have a joke fall flat. Relax, you've already prepared a great line for this very situation ("Well, that's the last joke I steal from the best man ...") and you're ready to transform an awkward silence into a big laugh.

A wedding just wouldn't feel right without at least one minor catastrophe. Family, lots of alcohol, stress and nerves; they can all add up to an embarrassing moment or two. A great MC has a few jokes up his sleeve ready to diffuse a difficult situation. If you follow the Conan O'Brien approach to diffusing awkwardness, you know that pointing out the awkwardness can quickly cause people to relax and chuckle.

The most important thing to keep in mind as MC is that no one really expects you to suddenly transform into Chris Rock or Jerry Seinfeld.   Just be a slightly more outgoing, funnier version of yourself and you'll be a hit. And if you really want to seal the deal, consider investing in the Wedding MC Joke Book.

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