How long should wedding vows be?

How long should wedding vows be? Aim for one to two minutes each, which works out to roughly 150–300 spoken words. I have officiated about 80 ceremonies and that range is the sweet spot — long enough to feel personal, short enough that guests stay with you.

A few practical tips:

• Read them out loud with a timer. Written vows always run longer than you think.
• If you have more to say, move the extra material into a letter you exchange privately that morning.
• Match lengths with your partner. A 30-second vow followed by a 4-minute vow feels lopsided on video.
• One funny line, one specific memory, one promise. That structure basically writes itself and lands every time.