a wedding emcee job in Tokyo, Japan.While the bride and groom were leaving the reception place, I saw tears in the bride’s eyes. Even though it was awkward, the groom was trying to smile to show thankfulness to their guests. While I was watching them, I felt satisfied. One month before, I could never imagine this scene. “You are my first bride and groom. I will never forget you.” I whispered to myself.
Before I got this first job as a wedding emcee, I had met many gorgeous couples. Being a wedding emcee at “gorgeous” wedding places was my dream. One of the reasons why I picked my wedding emcee office was they made contracts with fascinating, trendy wedding places. In some of these places, I saw some celebrities attending wedding parties.
When I was offered my first job from my office, I was very excited meeting “my” bride and groom. Before that, I had met many beautiful brides and grooms, but they were my senior’s clients. I was an assistant emcee of them. Finally, I had my client! The wedding place was a traditional famous restaurant. If I compared other places where our office made contracts, the restaurant was not so gorgeous. “But, it’s OK!” I said to myself. “I know that restaurant has welcomed many friendly nice couples! My bride and groom also must be nice!”
One month before the wedding, I went to the restaurant to have a meeting with the couple. I was wearing a new suit, had a lucky charm to wish my first job’s success. When I entered the room where the couple was waiting, I made full of smile. “Hello! How are you? I am your emcee, Keiko! Nice to meet you!” I greeted them with big smile and loud voice like a professional emcee. But.. the bride and groom had no smile at all. “Sorry, we are busy. We have to leave here in an hour. Is this OK?” The bride said. “Ah…of course, OK.” Trying not to show my hesitation, I said to her. The groom remained silent. Brides and grooms were supposed to be in the middle of happiness, so most of them were friendly. However.. “my first” bride and groom were definitely different. I started to be anxious. “Let’s start our meeting. How many guests do you have?” I tried to keep my smile. “16.” The bride said. 16.. the smallest wedding I had ever heard of. “That would be a nice, intimate wedding. What kind of event do you want to have?” A wedding emcee should be always positive. I was reminded my boss’s teaching. “Actually, we do not want to have events.” Finally, the quiet groom spoke. Even though I should be positive, I had no idea what to say. No event!? So, why did you hire me??? “We do not like traditional, typical wedding events. We want to just enjoy talking with our guests.” The bride explained. “OK… So, how about interviewing guests? This is new wedding trend. It is not formal speech, so guests do not have to prepare. You can enjoy their comments. Isn’t it nice?” “Hahn.. but, interviewing quests may make them be nervous. Also, I do not want to let them make formal speeches.” “I..see…” This was my first job. But, it was the most difficult meeting I had ever seen and they were most stubborn couple!!! Feeling the pressure of the time limit, I was trying to find the best way.
However, when I asked them their stories, such as how you met or their hobbies, the mood had changed gradually. The groom who spoke little suddenly became eloquent. The groom was a clerk of a court. The bride was a nurse. They met by their friend’s arrangement, but they didn’t think they would become a couple the first time they met. He thought she was not friendly. However, when he had a promotion exam, he had bad cold. Then, the bride took care of him very kindly. He was so impressed that he decided to get married to her. While he was telling the story, the groom was like a child who was talking what he did a good job. Also, I saw the bride finally smiled to look at him. “I was not wrong. Every bride and groom is in the middle of happiness.” I saw the light of hope. This wedding may be successful. I had to do my best.
A wedding emcee can meet just once before their wedding day. However, I wanted to know them more. After the meeting, I called them often. Whether the wedding was small or big, the couple was friendly or unfriendly, they had gorgeous events or not, it didn’t matter. The wedding should be one of the best moments for the bride and groom. I had to proceed the event. I should be the biggest fan of the couple. I should know them. The more I called, the more both of them talked about themselves and guests. The bride said her mother and father divorced recently. But, she invited both of them. That was why she refused to have the “interview” event.
On their wedding day, the weather was not good. But I tried not to care. When the bride’s mother and father met, I say they stared each other with wrath. However, I tried to smile and be cheerful. Instead of formal speeches or interview, I asked every guest to talk about some memories of the couple and show their congratulations. Even though it was very small party, the bride and groom seemed to be nervous. However, every guest talked with full of pleasure. The bride’s cousin told us how the bride was an active girl when she was young, and she cried with excitement. The bride laughed, and cried.
Because I communicated enough with the bride and groom, I heard about every guest's information from them. The wedding reception was two and half hour longs and had no events, so I had time to talk with every quest. Everyone was surprised how I knew about my bride and groom. They thought I was a friend of them. When I talked with a guest, I saw the bride’s mother and father finally talked. They were smiling.
After the wedding, the bride and groom said to me “Thank you very much, Keiko. We have never imagined we could have such a nice wedding party. It’s because of you. You made this warm atmosphere. We are very lucky to have you.” They did not know, but it was my first job as a professional emcee. Actually, I made some mistakes. However, they did not care. How I showed my feelings of celebrations was important to them.
Since then, I have met over 100 couples. Some of them were not so nice. I can not choose my clients. However, “people in the middle of happiness” are not bad people. Some may be unfriendly, but they are my precious clients. If I try to know them, they would open their hearts. This is what I leaned from my first bride and groom.
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