Find out exactly how long your vows or speech will take to read aloud — then practise until it feels natural.
Officiants recommend 1–2 minutes for wedding vows
Start a guided reading and follow along word by word at your chosen pace.
Most people read about 10–20% faster when they're nervous, which means a two-minute vow can easily come out in under ninety seconds. Practising at a measured pace trains your muscle memory so you slow down when it counts.
Emotional pauses, audience reactions, and the odd glance at your partner all add seconds that a word count can't capture. Knowing your baseline length means you can allow for those moments without running over.
Sharing your timing with the person leading the ceremony helps them plan the order of events and avoid awkward gaps or a rushed ending. A well-timed vow keeps the whole day on track.
Aim for five to eight minutes — long enough to land the stories, short enough that people stay with you. Anything past ten minutes and even a warm audience starts checking their watches.
The traditional UK order is father of the bride, groom, then best man — though plenty of couples now flip the best man earlier, spread speeches across the day, or give one themselves. Whatever you choose, tell everyone the running order in advance.
Paste in your speech and it calculates the read-out time at a natural speaking pace — slower than reading speed, with room for laughter and pauses. Practise it out loud at least twice; that's the only test that really predicts the room.
Cut the thank-you list (a card means more anyway), the in-jokes only three people get, and any story you can tell in a sentence instead of a paragraph. The timer shows you exactly how much time each trim buys back.
Our Vow Story helps you manage guests, budget, suppliers, and your timeline — all in one place.