Speech length by role
These ranges are what works for most rooms, not a rule. The word counts assume about 130 words a minute, which is a comfortable pace for a speech read aloud with a few pauses.
| Speaker | Minutes | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Best man | 5 to 7 | 650 to 900 |
| Maid of honour | 4 to 6 | 500 to 800 |
| Father of the bride | 5 to 7 | 650 to 900 |
| Mother of the bride | 3 to 5 | 400 to 650 |
| Father of the groom | 3 to 5 | 400 to 650 |
| Mother of the groom | 2 to 4 | 250 to 500 |
| Groom | 5 to 7 | 650 to 900 |
| Bride | 3 to 5 | 400 to 650 |
| Sibling | 3 to 5 | 400 to 650 |
| Friend | 2 to 4 | 250 to 500 |
| Officiant (personal address) | 5 to 8 | 650 to 1,000 |
Why do some roles get longer? The father of the bride and the groom both have a list of thanks and welcomes to get through before the personal part, and the best man is traditionally the main entertainment. A parent who is one of several speakers, or a friend asked to say a few words, makes more of an impression with a short, warm speech than a long one.
How to turn words into minutes
Divide your word count by your speaking pace. At 130 words a minute, 650 words takes five minutes. Most people speak somewhere between 110 and 150 words a minute when they read aloud, and nerves usually push you towards the faster end.
| Words | Slow (110 a minute) | Relaxed (130 a minute) | Quick (150 a minute) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 300 | 2:44 | 2:18 | 2:00 |
| 500 | 4:33 | 3:51 | 3:20 |
| 650 | 5:55 | 5:00 | 4:20 |
| 800 | 7:16 | 6:09 | 5:20 |
| 1,000 | 9:05 | 7:42 | 6:40 |
A word count only gets you close. Laughter, pauses for effect, a toast and the moment it takes to find your glass all add time. Leave a little slack, perhaps half a minute, and time yourself reading the whole thing aloud at least twice, standing up, at the pace you would use in a big room.
Why shorter is usually better
Nobody leaves a wedding complaining that a speech was too short. The room has often been sitting for a while, some guests have had a few drinks, and the kitchen or the band may be waiting. A tight speech also tends to be a better one: when you only have five minutes you keep your best story and lose the ones that need explaining.
Short is not the same as slight, though. Two minutes of real feeling and one specific memory will mean more to the couple than seven minutes of filler. Aim for the bottom half of your range, and earn the top half only if the material is genuinely strong.
Planning the total for all the speeches
A wedding rarely has just one speaker, so the total matters as much as any single speech. Three speeches of six minutes each, plus introductions and toasts, is already over 20 minutes. Many venues like the speeches to stay under about 25 minutes, especially when they fall between courses.
- List every speaker and give each one a target, not just a maximum.
- Add a minute or so for each handover and toast.
- If the total is too long, shorten the slots rather than dropping a speaker at the last minute.
- Tell every speaker their target in writing, a few weeks before the day.
How to cut a speech that runs long
Most first drafts are too long. That is normal. Cut in this order and you will lose the least.
- Lose the opening throat clearing: the jokes about being nervous, the dictionary definition, the line about how you were asked.
- Keep one story per point. If two stories show the same thing about the couple, keep the better one.
- Group the thank-yous. Thank the suppliers together, the families together, and the wedding party together.
- Remove anything that needs a backstory. If you have to explain it first, it costs twice the time.
- Shorten the ending. Say what you wish for them, then raise your glass. Do not wind down three times.
What to do if yours is too short
Do not pad it. If your speech runs two minutes and you were given four, check that it does the basic jobs: who you are, one real story, something sincere about the couple, and a toast. If it does all four, a short speech is a perfectly good speech. If it is missing one, add that, not extra jokes.
How to time your speech properly
Counting words gets you close; timing gets you the truth. Do it properly at least twice in the final fortnight.
- Print the speech in the format you will use on the day, whether that is pages or cue cards.
- Stand up. People speak faster sitting down and reading from a screen.
- Start a timer and read the whole thing aloud, at the volume you would need to reach the back of the room.
- Pause where you expect a laugh, and count two seconds before carrying on.
- Stop the timer after the toast, not after the last paragraph.
- If you are over your target, cut words. Do not plan to speak faster on the day, because nerves will speed you up anyway.
Signs your speech is too long
- It has more than two stories, or one story that takes more than two minutes to tell.
- You thank people by name who could be thanked as a group.
- There are two or three places where it could end, and it keeps going.
- You find yourself skimming a paragraph when you practise because it bores you. It will bore the room too.
- Your target was five minutes and the timer says seven. Trust the timer.
Where Toast fits
When you start a speech on Toast you choose a target of 3, 5 or 7 minutes, and the draft is written to that length. The draft shows an estimated speaking time, and the rehearse page has a timer against your target with a speaking pace you can set between 90 and 170 words a minute, so you can check the real length before the day.