The short answer is five to seven minutes. That gives you time for the thank-yous and the toast, with a couple of minutes left to talk about your new wife or husband. Guests are happy to listen for that long, especially as they know the best man is coming next.
The groom's speech has one particular problem, which is the thank-yous. There are a lot of them, and each one takes a little longer to say than you'd think. Many grooms time their first draft and find the thanks alone take four minutes. If that happens, it's worth trimming them so there's still room to talk about your partner. The groom speech structure page shows how the time usually splits between the sections.
Timings, word counts and pages
Most people speak at about 130 words a minute when giving a speech, which is slower than normal conversation. The page counts below are for typed A4 in a 12 point font. If you print your speech in a larger font to read from, which is a good idea, it will run to more pages.
| Minutes | Words (at 130 a minute) | A4 pages at 12 point | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | about 260 | just over half a page | Part of a joint speech with your partner |
| 3 | about 390 | just under one page | A short speech, or a day with lots of speakers |
| 4 | about 520 | just over one page | Short thank-yous and one story about your partner |
| 5 | about 650 | one and a half pages | The usual length |
| 6 | about 780 | one and three-quarter pages | The usual length, with room for a second story |
| 7 | about 910 | two pages | The upper end of normal |
| 8 | about 1,040 | two and a quarter pages | Long, so check with the couple and the best man |
| 10 | about 1,300 | three pages | Too long for most weddings |
Allow a little extra for laughter and pauses. A speech that takes five minutes at the kitchen table will usually take five and a half or six on the day. The groom speech examples run from three to five minutes, so you can see what each length looks like on the page.
How the groom's speech fits with the others
At most UK weddings the speeches run in this order:
- Father of the bride, around five to seven minutes, ending with a toast to the couple
- The groom, or the couple together, around five to seven minutes, ending with a toast to the bridesmaids or the wedding party
- Best man, around five to ten minutes, ending with a toast to the couple
That comes to about fifteen to twenty-five minutes in total, which is about as long as a room will sit happily. If the speeches come before the wedding breakfast, keep to the shorter end, as people will be hungry and the kitchen will be waiting. If they come after the meal, guests are usually more relaxed, but the venue may still have a timetable to keep to.
More weddings now have extra speakers, such as the bride, the maid of honour or the mother of the bride. If that's the case, everyone should speak for a little less. Four speeches of five minutes each still add up to twenty minutes. The how long should wedding speeches be? guide has timings for every speaker, and wedding speech order shows where each one usually comes.
Your speech sits between the father of the bride and the best man. Ask both of them how long they're planning to speak. If the father of the bride is going long, you can keep yours shorter, and if the best man has a lot of stories, it helps if you don't run over.
If you're giving a joint speech
When a couple speak together, aim for six to eight minutes in total, split roughly evenly between you. That's about 780 to 1,040 words. The thank-yous only need saying once, so a joint speech can cover a lot in that time. Write it together, and time it together at least once, as handing over between two speakers adds a few seconds each time.
How to cut your speech down
If your draft is running long, here are the places to trim:
- Group the thank-yous where you can. "Thank you to everyone who helped with the flowers and the tables" covers several people in one line.
- Leave out anyone the father of the bride has already thanked, unless you'd like to add something of your own.
- Keep one story about your partner, and save the others for a card or a letter.
- Cut any joke you aren't sure about. If you hesitate over it in practice, it's probably not worth the time.
- Take out long introductions. You don't need to warm up the room, as the father of the bride has already done it.
If you're finding it hard to fill the time, go the other way. Add a second small story about your partner, or a detail about the day you proposed. The groom speech template shows where each part goes.
Time it properly
Stand up, hold your notes as you will on the day and read the whole thing out loud with a timer running. Reading it in your head is much quicker and will give you the wrong answer.
If you'd like help getting the length right, Speechmade writes a first draft with AI from your answers, and you choose how long you want it to be before it starts. You can then read it aloud and change anything you like.
Common questions
How many words is a five-minute groom speech?
About 650 words, at a steady speaking pace of 130 words a minute. That is roughly one and a half pages of typed A4 at 12 point. Allow a little extra time for laughter and pauses.
Is a three-minute groom speech too short?
No. Three minutes is about 390 words, which is enough for short thank-yous, a few sentences about your partner and the toast. It's a good length if you're nervous, or if several other people are speaking.
Should the groom speak for longer than the best man?
Usually not. The best man's speech is often the longest, and the groom's is often a similar length to the father of the bride's. There's no fixed rule, so agree rough timings with the other speakers beforehand.
How do I know how long my speech is?
Read it aloud at the pace you'll use on the day and time it on your phone. Or count the words and divide by 130. Most people speak faster when they're nervous, so practise slowing down.