How Long Should a Wedding Ceremony Be?
It’s one of the most common questions I get asked: “How long should our ceremony go for?”
The truth is, there’s no set rule - it depends on what feels right for you. But most couples are surprised to learn that wedding ceremonies are usually much shorter than they imagine.
Heartfelt and fun wedding ceremonies
The Sweet Spot
For most weddings, the perfect ceremony length is between 20 and 40 minutes, depending on the style of ceremony you choose. Long enough to include everything meaningful: your vows, legal words, signing and those special moments, but short enough to keep your guests engaged and the energy flowing.
Why Not Longer?
If a ceremony stretches much beyond 40 minutes, guests can start to lose focus, the atmosphere dips and everyone (including you!) is itching to move onto the celebrations. Keeping things flowing means your ceremony feels heartfelt, not heavy.
What Affects the Timing?
A few things will influence the length of your ceremony:
The style of ceremony you choose
Our Love Story: Usually 30–40 minutes. This includes your personalised love story (I aim for around 8 - 8.5 minutes when read aloud), your personal vows (your moment to share your voice with your guests), the exchange of rings, legal vows, and the signing of the certificates. It’s the full, story-driven experience.
Simply Married: Around 20 minutes, with a short introduction about you as a couple – keeping the personalised feel, the exchange of rings, your vows, the legal words, and signing. Short, sweet and still uniquely your ceremony.
Simply Signing: Around 10 minutes. This is the “no frills” option. No story, no extras, just the legal words, exchanging of rings and signing to get you married.
Personal Vows: Short and sweet vows keep things snappy, while longer vows add a few extra minutes.
Readings or Blessings: I don’t generally encourage long readings, as this is often the first thing that disconnects your guests. But if a reading, poem, or blessing is truly meaningful and reflects who you are as a couple, then we’ll make sure it fits naturally into your ceremony.
My Approach
I like to keep ceremonies fresh, engaging, and flowing. Enough time for laughter, a few happy tears, and your story to shine, without dragging on. Think of it as your “just right” moment: personal, meaningful, and memorable, without overstaying its welcome.
Finding the Right Length for You
Your ceremony doesn’t need to fit into a strict timeframe. we will shape it together, so it feels comfortable for you and your guests and still captures everything you want to say.
Get in touch and I can help design a ceremony that’s the perfect length and filled with all the moments that matter most.