How Long Should Wedding Vows Be?

The short answer: aim for about one minute of speaking time — roughly 150 to 200 words, and rarely more than two minutes. That's long enough to say something that matters and short enough to keep the whole room leaning in rather than checking the time.

Length in words vs. minutes

Most people speak at around 130–150 words per minute, and a little slower when they're emotional — which you will be. As a rough guide:

• ~100 words ≈ 45 seconds — sweet and punchy.
• ~150–200 words ≈ 1 to 1.5 minutes — the sweet spot for most couples.
• ~300 words ≈ 2 minutes — about the maximum before attention drifts.
• 400+ words ≈ 3 minutes+ — usually too long unless you're a gifted speaker.

Why shorter almost always wins

Vows aren't a speech — there's no toast to build to and no jokes to space out. They're a concentrated promise. When vows run long, it's almost always because they repeat the same sentiment in three different ways. Say it once, say it well, and stop. A tight ninety seconds will move people more than a meandering four minutes ever could.

There's a practical reason too: you'll likely be crying, the microphone may be imperfect, and your partner has to follow you. Shorter vows are kinder to everyone — including future-you watching the video back.

Agree on a rough length together

One thing worth doing in advance: agree on an approximate length as a couple. If one of you reads for twenty seconds and the other for three minutes, the imbalance is noticeable. You don't need to match word for word — just land in the same ballpark so neither of you feels upstaged or rushed.

How to trim vows that run long

1. Cut the warm-up. The first paragraph is usually throat-clearing. Start at the first line that actually says something.
2. Keep one story, not three. Pick the single memory that does the most work and delete the rest.
3. Merge repeated promises. If two promises rhyme in meaning, combine them into one stronger line.
4. Read it aloud with a timer. Anything past the two-minute mark, go back and cut your weakest sentence.

If you're drafting from scratch and want something already close to the right length, our free AI wedding vow generator produces vows sized for a natural one-to-two-minute read, so you spend your time personalising rather than trimming. New to the whole process? Start with how to write wedding vows.