Most guests will happily listen to three or four speeches if each one is well prepared and none of them runs on. The problems start when every speaker decides to add a few extra minutes, and a planned 25 minutes turns into 50.
This page covers the timings for each role and for the speeches as a whole. If you're working out who goes when, see the wedding speech order.
Timings for each speech
These timings are based on a speaking pace of 130 words a minute, which is a steady pace for a speech. It is slower than normal conversation, and it leaves room for pauses and laughter.
| Speaker | Usual length | Words (at 130 a minute) |
|---|---|---|
| Father of the bride | 5 to 7 minutes | 650 to 910 |
| Groom | 5 to 7 minutes | 650 to 910 |
| Best man | 5 to 10 minutes | 650 to 1,300 |
| Bride | 3 to 5 minutes | 390 to 650 |
| Maid of honour | 3 to 5 minutes | 390 to 650 |
| Mother of the bride | 3 to 5 minutes | 390 to 650 |
| Father of the groom | 2 to 4 minutes | 260 to 520 |
| Mother of the groom | 2 to 4 minutes | 260 to 520 |
| Bridesmaid | 2 to 3 minutes | 260 to 390 |
| Joint speech from the couple | 5 to 8 minutes | 650 to 1,040 |
| A guest's toast | 1 to 2 minutes | 130 to 260 |
Allow a little extra on top of your practice time. A speech that takes five minutes at home will often take five and a half or six on the day, once people start laughing.
What one minute sounds like
It can be hard to picture how much you can say in a minute. Here is part of a groom's speech, from Owen, who married Freya. It is about 130 words, which takes about a minute to say at a steady pace.
I'd like to start by thanking Nigel for that lovely speech, and for not mentioning the time I reversed into his gatepost on my first visit. Nigel and Sandra, thank you for welcoming me into your family from the very first Sunday dinner, and for everything you've done to help with today. Mum, thank you for the flowers on every table. You were up at five doing them, and they look beautiful. Thank you all for coming, especially Freya's cousins, who've come over from Cork and have already made friends with half of my family. Dev, thank you for being the calmest best man I could have asked for. And Freya, you look amazing, and I still can't quite believe I get to call you my wife.
That covers a thank-you to the previous speaker, both families and the guests in one minute. A five-minute speech is about five of these.
The total for all the speeches
Aim for about 20 to 30 minutes for the speeches as a whole, including the toasts and the time it takes to pass the microphone. Here is how that works out with different numbers of speakers.
| Speakers | Typical split | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Three (traditional) | Father of the bride 6, groom 6, best man 8 | About 20 minutes, 25 with toasts |
| Four | Father of the bride 6, groom 5, maid of honour 4, best man 7 | About 22 minutes, 27 with toasts |
| Five | Father of the bride 5, bride 3, groom 5, maid of honour 4, best man 6 | About 23 minutes, 30 with toasts |
| Joint speech plus two | Parent 5, the couple 7, best friend 6 | About 18 minutes, 22 with toasts |
If the speeches come before the meal, stay towards the shorter end. Hungry guests have less patience, and the kitchen will be waiting to serve. If they come after the meal, you have a little more room, but people will also have had a few drinks by then, so keep things moving.
How to keep the speeches on time
Most over-running is avoidable with a bit of planning.
- Give every speaker a time. The couple should tell each speaker how long they have, in minutes. Something like "about five minutes" is much easier to stick to than "not too long".
- Time it out loud. Every speaker should read their speech aloud with a timer running at least twice. Reading it in your head is much faster than speaking and will give you the wrong answer.
- Share the thank-yous. Thank-yous take longer than people expect. Agree in advance who is thanking whom, so the same people aren't thanked by every speaker.
- Cut the long set-ups. If a story needs a minute of explaining before it makes sense, it is probably too long for the speech. Save it for the evening.
- Tell the toastmaster. Give the toastmaster or MC the running order and the timings. They can keep things moving between speakers.
- Hold back on readings and poems. A poem can add two minutes without adding much. If you want one, keep it short.
If your speech is running long
Look at the thank-yous first, then at the number of stories. Two good stories are usually plenty. Once you've trimmed it, read it aloud again and time it.
Working out your word count
Divide your word count by 130 to get a rough time in minutes. Most word processors show the count at the bottom of the screen. A page of A4 typed in a 12 point font holds roughly 450 to 500 words, so a five-minute speech takes up about one and a half pages. If you print it in a larger font to read from, which is a good idea, it will run to more pages but take the same time.
If you use Speechmade, you choose the length before the speech is written. It writes a draft with AI from your answers and sizes it to the time you've picked, so you start from roughly the right length. For wording to finish on, see wedding toasts.
Common questions
How long should all the wedding speeches take?
Aim for 20 to 30 minutes in total, including the toasts and the handovers between speakers. Once the speeches go much past half an hour, guests start to get restless, especially if the meal is still to come.
How many words is a five-minute wedding speech?
About 650 words, at a steady speaking pace of 130 words a minute. A three-minute speech is about 390 words, and a seven-minute speech is about 910.
Who should give the longest speech?
Traditionally the best man, who can speak for up to ten minutes. The father of the bride and the groom usually speak for five to seven minutes each. Extra speakers keep to three to five minutes.
What if there are five or six speakers?
Keep to the same total of about 30 minutes and share it out. That might mean four or five minutes each, with the extra speakers keeping to two or three. Tell every speaker their time in advance.