There’s something special about getting asked to speak for a wedding. How long should a wedding speech go for? Well, that’s something that you aren’t going to necessarily know how to move forward with. If you’re interested in trying to make the best speech, it’s imperative that you look into a few notes that will help you figure out the right length for a speech, so that you’re not too longwinded.
Look Into Wedding Speeches From The Past
Online, go and look for online speech videos. Time them. You’ll find that some are short, and some that are long. You want to go something that is not too complex, and something that is not going to go too far. A speech can be simple, a few seconds in length or it could be ten minutes or more. You don’t want to bore the crowd, but you don’t want to keep things so short that it’s much more of a toast than a speech. There’s a happy medium, and by looking into speeches from the past, you’ll be able to get inspired to create something that is just the right length for what you’re going to be dealing with.
Start Writing First
Before you set yourself up for a limited time frame, or a limit in words, make sure that you start writing first. Write as much as you can. That’s right, don’t hold back. Write at least 500 to 1,000 words in your speech at first. The first draft should be very long. The reason for this is because you want to shorten things a bit over time. Start writing and just let it flow. Once you are finished with your first draft, set a timer on your phone and simply read it out loud. That’s it. Read it out loud and time it, then see how long you talked for. If you went long, then it’s time to cut lines. If it’s not long enough, add a few more lines and repeat the process until you are speaking for as long as you’d like.
Which Is The Right Length?
Is there a right length? That’s something that you’re going to need to consider. In some instances, yes, there is a right length. There’s some that say that the right time frame is no more than 2 minutes, and others say that 5 minutes is a good thing. Others will say that if you’re going to be the only speaker, that 10 to 15 minutes is a good way to go. Bu what is the right one?
Well, the answer to this relies on the wedding party. Ask the bride or groom how long you should speak for. They will give you a time frame, and if they are vague, then go with something shorter than going longer. Too often, people go long and that’s no good. It’s better to go short than long, so on average, try to go for at least 2 minutes of talking and no more than around 7 to 10 minutes overall. That should help you get this done right.