Is a microphone necessary for my ceremony?

You don't NEED one, but just know half your guests won't hear anything.

At least half of your guests won't hear anything. The front row will hear it, if they are lucky. If the ceremony is outside, I would say some sort of amplification is necessary. Its super annoying to sit through a wedding that you can't hear.

Exactly. Truly sincerely the guests won't hear. Especially if there is any kind of wind.

Even better is a microphone for the pastor/readings, and a lapel mic on the groom that is turned on for the vows (unless the pastor is good enough to hold the mic out for you).

Yeah I agree. I was at a wedding in a barn with zero other noise and in the 5 or 6th row and couldn't hear what was going on! So frustrating when you can see people crying but have zero idea why!

Our DJ doesn't do outdoor locations so we have a separate musician who provides a wireless mic for the officiant.

Following

Check if the officiant has a microphone and amplifier. I was worried about the same thing for the ceremony and the officiant said he would be able to provide one if the DJ does not. We are planning on having a harpist for the ceremony and cocktail hour. DJ for reception only.

You need one. We went to an outdoor ceremony this year with about 180 guests. It was on a golf course, but there was no other "noise" (it wasn't even windy!) We heard literally nothing of the entire ceremony. It was annoying as a guest to have no idea what is going on.

YOU. NEED. ONE.

We only had 35 guests (so imagine how close our furthest away guest was) and even as small as our wedding was if we hadn't had a microphone people would not have been able to hear and the officiant would have been awkwardly shouting. Esp imagine any of the older folks! Our day had the most perfect weather with only a slight breeze and I promise you only the first couple rows would have been able to hear a dern thing without that mic. If you are worried about cocktail hour music you *could* always have a iPod take care of that part since it's really just background noise more than anything for that bit. Otherwise just pay for both. Trust me you don't want your guests to not be able to hear your wedding. That's what they're there for and what it's all about after all.

Your FH is wrong on both counts. The length of the ceremony has nothing to do with needing a mic, and it's not tacky.

Outside? With that many guests?

You need one. If you don't care that half of them won't hear it, then just invite immediate family. (I'm not being snide, I'm being realistic....)

I have a tiny system that I can use, but (of course) it's less reliable than the DJ's system, and while I offer it, I make no guarantees for it; the minute that it starts to make noise, off it goes. I am in NJ/NYC, and there is more crap floating around the airways than possibly any place on earth; even the DJ's have to over compensate with extra equipment....just in case.

I can cover about 80 guests, outside, without a mic, but then I'm a very experienced big mouth. I don't really enjoy delivering a whole ceremony (mine are always around 20 minutes, unless we have some elaborate rituals or guest readings) without a mic because I basically have to yell the entire thing. And if you have guest readers? No one will hear them at all.

Your DJ should be able to set up a simple speaker with a mic which will have no effect on his setting up for cocktail hour, which should be set up independently. (Robert can correct me if I'm wrong...) Yes, he'll need to be there earlier to set that up, but it shouldn't seep into the cocktail hour provisions at all.

The amphitheater that we got married in had AMAZING acoustics so we thought we'd be okay. But we definitely needed a microphone as only the first row could hear when the officiant made his introductory announcement. The DJ handed a mic to the first BM going down the aisle and that really fixed it. You'll definitely be glad you had a mic.

If you want people to hear you, then Yes Yes and more Yes. We had one, and I never regretted it!

Ok, I think I am thoroughly convinced! (I was pretty sure we needed one anyways.)

The officiant is my cousin, so it's gotta be the DJ provding the equipment.

We might have ceremony musicians play during cocktail hour, depending on who we get. If they're pros, they usually require a 1-2 hour minimum anyway. If it's our friends playing at the ceremony, we'd want them to enjoy a drink for their generous playing! I think music at that time is a must, though.

Thanks! I'll relay the advice to my FH..."Because WW people said so!"

Absolutely, you need a mic. My wedding was only about 65 people, outside, and I'm so glad I had one--nobody would have been able to hear otherwise. And that was for a smaller group in a fairly secluded garden without much ambient noise.

What is the point of having any of those people there if they cant hear a word that you are saying. Yes, you need a mic.

The only people I have ever met that could speak loud enough for 100 plus people to hear has been drill sergeants... You have to be very very loud for everyone to hear.

Without amplification up to about 30 guests can hear me on the beach, but they can't hear the couple say their vows.

If no one else can provide a sound system, you can rent one from a party rental place.

Yes, i think so.

YES!!! You absolutely need one!

My DJ set up the ceremony mics and speakers (for entrance songs too) for $100 more. I think it was worth it, i did hear the mic cutting in and out but no one has said anything to me about not being able to hear so i am thinking that the dj was able to fix whatever was going on.

i have been to many outdoor weddings and the mic is definitely much nicer for the guests, weddings where i couldn't hear it felt like they took forever because i didn't know what what step they were at.

I would recommend a microphone. We had an outdoor ceremony in a small closed in courtyard. There was about 80 guests and our officiant highly recommended we have one. I was at a wedding in the summer that was indoors and had about 150 guests, with no microphone. I couldn't hear a thing at the back.