PRESS RELEASE: FROM CRUISE SHIPS TO NATIONAL WEDDING CHAMPION: WESTERN SYDNEY MC NATHAN CASSAR WINS AUSTRALIA’S TOP WEDDING SERVICES AWARD
PARRAMATTA, NSW: Western Sydney Master of Ceremonies Nathan Cassar has been named the national winner of the Wedding Services category at the 2026 Australian Small Business Champion Awards, announced at The Star Sydney on 2 May 2026.
The win marks a major milestone for Cassar, whose business began after COVID brought his cruise ship entertainment career to a halt. After years working in live entertainment with Princess Cruises, Cassar pivoted into weddings after MCing his brother’s wedding in 2021.
“That night changed everything for me,” Cassar said. “I realised weddings did not need someone to simply announce the next speech. They needed someone who could hold the room, protect the moments, manage the energy and make the celebration feel effortless.”
Since launching his business in April 2021, Cassar has hosted 200+ weddings, delivered 300+ events, built relationships with 40 preferred venues, and earned more than 120 five-star Google reviews and 150 ABIA Weddings Australia couple reviews.
The national win follows a significant run of recent recognition, including ABIA Wedding Awards 2025 #1 Wedding MC (NSW), Eventex Awards 2025 GOLD for Master of Ceremonies, BX xCellence Awards 2025 Wedding Services of the Year, and three-time Australian Achiever Awards National Winner in Event Services 2023-2025.
Cassar says the award is meaningful not only as a business achievement, but as a signal that the role of the wedding MC is changing.
“Couples spend enormous time and money planning the venue, styling, food, photography and music,” he said. “But the reception is a live event. If the timing breaks, if transitions feel awkward, or if guests disconnect from the room, people feel it immediately.”
“For couples who want a polished, elevated experience, the friend-with-a-mic era is over. A great MC is not there to fill gaps. They are there to stop the gaps from happening.”
Cassar’s service combines pre-wedding planning, custom run sheets, supplier alignment, scripted transitions, live room control and guest engagement. He has also built one of his strongest points of difference around interactive wedding games and audience moments, with around 75 per cent of his couples opting into them.
“Couples do not just want guests watching the night unfold anymore,” Cassar said. “They want people involved. They want richer memories, shared laughs and moments that make the room feel connected.”
Cassar credits the award to the couples, venues, suppliers, friends and family who helped shape the business.
“Every couple who trusted me with their wedding helped build this,” he said. “Every venue and supplier who backed me played a part. This award has my name on it, but it was built through a whole network of people who believed a wedding reception could feel more connected, more personal and more alive.”
The win also comes as Cassar prepares for a major brand evolution, including a new website, new hype reel and refreshed positioning focused on premium weddings, high-end corporate hosting, elevated live experiences, and destination celebrations, including his first international wedding in London in this coming September.
His next phase will centre on a clear promise: stress-free planning, seamless flow, big energy, and zero awkwardness.
“This award feels like a capstone, but also a launchpad,” Cassar said. “The next chapter is about raising expectations even further. I want couples to understand what great hosting can change, and I want the industry to see wedding MC work as a craft, not a side role. That is what modern weddings deserve.”
FOR ALL MEDIA ENQUIRIES, INCLUDING IMAGERY & INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES, CONTACT:
Nathan Cassar
E: [email protected] | T: +61 452 263 944
Website: https://www.nathancassar.com.au
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathancassar_mc/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathancassar-mc/
