HOW TO HIRE · EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT

How to hire an MC or toastmaster in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

MCs and toastmasters need no licence in the UK. Here is what to check, what to ask and what the booking must say.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring an MC or toastmaster in five steps

  1. Meet them firstFormal red coat or relaxed host — see that the MC or toastmaster matches your day.
  2. Share the running orderTimes, names, pronunciations, who speaks and in what order.
  3. Confirm the microphoneThe venue's, the DJ's or the toastmaster's own.
  4. Agree the hoursArrival to last announcement, and the overtime rate.
  5. Get it in writingNamed person, duties, fee, travel and an illness plan.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

There is no statutory register for MCs and toastmasters anywhere in the UK, and no exam to pass before taking bookings. Association membership can show training, but it is a club, not a licence; references from recent events matter more.

Speak to someone who booked the MC or toastmaster recently, and get the terms on paper first.

Public liability insurance for the MC or toastmaster

Nothing in statute fixes the cover; venues set their own public liability figure and ask to see proof of it. Hotels and wedding venues sometimes ask every supplier, the toastmaster included.

Find out what the venue requires, then get a copy of the MC or toastmaster's certificate showing the amount and dates.

Trader status and cancellation terms

Anyone paid to work as an MC or toastmaster is acting as a trader, which brings in the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and its promise of reasonable care and skill. A booking for a specific date is usually outside the 14-day cancellation right, as regulation 28 of the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 excludes date-bound leisure and catering services, so the deposit terms in the MC or toastmaster's contract matter.

Read the MC or toastmaster's cancellation, deposit and postponement terms before you pay anything. legislation.gov.uk →

VAT

An MC or toastmaster's fee is standard-rated at 20% when they are registered. MCs and toastmasters whose taxable turnover passes £90,000 must register, charge VAT and show it as its own line on the quote and invoice.

Ask the toastmaster whether they are VAT-registered, and if so for the number and the 20% under the fee. gov.uk →

“What will you do on the day, start to finish?”

A good answer: A clear list from the MC or toastmaster: guest arrival, call to dinner, grace if wanted, speeches, cake, first dance.

“Can we meet before the day and walk the venue?”

A good answer: Yes, with the planning meeting included or priced.

“How do you work with the venue and suppliers?”

A good answer: A toastmaster who liaises with the venue coordinator, caterer and DJ on timings.

“What will you wear?”

A good answer: A choice — red coat for formal, suit for relaxed — matched to your day.

“Do you bring a microphone, or use the venue's?”

A good answer: A plan agreed with the venue or DJ.

“Can I speak to two recent couples or organisers?”

A good answer: Yes, with contact details for an MC's last events.

“What if you are ill on the day?”

A good answer: A named stand-in MC or toastmaster, or a refund, in writing.

Getting the quote right

  • The date, arrival time and finish for the MC or toastmaster
  • Duties covered: announcements, speeches, cake, first dance, receiving line
  • Planning meetings and a site visit, included or priced
  • Travel and any overnight stay
  • Deposit, cancellation terms and overtime rate
  • Their VAT number, if registered, and VAT under the fee and overtime
  • Who actually attends: the MC or toastmaster you met, or a stand-in — employed or subcontracted

Walk away if

  • No references from recent events
  • No planning meeting offered before a formal day
  • No illness or stand-in clause
  • A different person sent from the one you met
LOW
£300
TYPICAL
£395
HIGH
£1,000

What an MC or toastmaster costs: £300–£1,000 per event

MCs and toastmasters quote per event by hours on duty, with planning meetings, travel and any overnight stay added. MC / Toastmaster price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

MCs and toastmasters near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. Planning meetingThe MC or toastmaster takes the running order, names and pronunciations, and meets the venue coordinator.
  2. ArrivalEarly on the day to check the room, microphone and timings with the caterer.
  3. Guest arrival and call to dinnerAnnouncements that move guests where they need to be, on time.
  4. Speeches and toastsSpeakers introduced in order; the toastmaster keeps it moving.
  5. Cake, first dance and handoverThe last announcements made, then the evening handed to the DJ or band.

Toastmaster
A formal master of ceremonies, often in a red coat, who runs announcements and toasts.
MC
Master of ceremonies — a host who keeps an event moving.
Running order
The timed plan for the event.
Receiving line
Hosts greeting guests one by one on arrival.
Call to dinner
The announcement moving guests to their seats.
Grace
A short blessing before the meal, if wanted.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the bookingIt records the MC or toastmaster's duties and hours.
Note the timingsDid the speeches and meal run to the agreed order?
Thank the speakersAsk the toastmaster for any notes of names or pronunciations kept — useful for thank-yous.
Leave the reviewRate the toastmaster once the event is over — reviews on Locufy are limited to booked jobs. If something went wrong, the make-it-right step comes first: the toastmaster is asked to put it right before the review goes live.

STEP 1Put it to the MC or toastmaster in writingSay what went wrong — announcements missed, a muddled running order, a late arrival — and what you want, by message or email. Section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 means an MC or toastmaster must work with reasonable care and skill; where the day cannot be rerun, you can ask for a fair reduction, up to the whole price.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right step on LocufyRate the MC or toastmaster below four stars and you are asked whether to send the problem to them first; we follow it through, then your review is published.
STEP 3When the trader stops replyingNo regulator oversees MCs and toastmasters. If the trader will not engage, Citizens Advice (0808 223 1133) covers England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland (0808 800 9060) covers Scotland, and Consumerline (0300 123 6262) covers Northern Ireland; each can pass a complaint about MCs and toastmasters to Trading Standards.
STEP 4Money the MC or toastmaster will not returnThe last step against the MC or toastmaster is a small claim: up to £10,000 on the small claims track in England and Wales, up to £5,000 under simple procedure in the sheriff court in Scotland, and up to £5,000 in the small claims court in Northern Ireland.

Hiring an MC or toastmaster: questions people ask

No. No licence or register applies to MCs or toastmasters in any UK nation. Professional associations exist, but membership is voluntary.

There is no legal duty, but expect the venue to ask. Get its figure and the MC or toastmaster's certificate before the day.

£300 to £1,000 per event, typically around £395. What drives the price is in the mc / toastmaster price guide; put your town in the search above to compare local MCs and toastmasters.

A toastmaster is a formal MC — often in a red coat — for weddings and dinners; an MC can be more relaxed. The duties overlap.

Many DJs announce speeches and the first dance. A toastmaster suits a formal day with more to run.

Before the guests, to check the room, the microphone and timings with the caterer.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in events & entertainment

How to hire: Wedding PlannerHow to hire: Wedding DJHow to hire: Event PlannerHow to hire: Corporate Event PlannerHow to hire: MagicianHow to hire: String QuartetHow to hire: Wedding Officiant / CelebrantHow to hire: Live BandAll 701 hiring guides →

MCs and toastmasters near you

MCs and toastmasters in LondonMCs and toastmasters in ManchesterMCs and toastmasters in BirminghamMCs and toastmasters in GlasgowMCs and toastmasters in BelfastAll mcs and toastmasters on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — entertainment licence (Northern Ireland)
  2. gov.uk — Temporary Events Notice
  3. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28 — contracts the cancellation right does not cover
  4. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  5. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  6. mygov.scot — make a court claim for money
  7. nidirect — small claims process
  8. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue (England)
  9. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  10. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register