How to shorten a wedding speech that is too long

To shorten a wedding speech, time it aloud, work out how many words you need to lose, then cut whole sections rather than trimming every sentence. Extra stories go first, then long thank-you lists, then anything you say twice.

Work out how much to cut

Start from a number, not a feeling. Read the speech aloud, standing, at the pace you will use on the day, and time it. Then compare it with your slot.

Bridebook's delivery guide says we talk at about 220 words a minute day to day, and advises: "In your speech, aim for 120 and allow for pauses to breathe." VirtualSpeech gives 100 to 150 words a minute as a comfortable pace.

Words to aim for, at 120 words a minute:

Slot	Words at 120 a minute
2 minutes	about 240
3 minutes	about 360
5 minutes	about 600
7 minutes	about 840

So if your draft is 1,100 words and you have five minutes, you need to lose around 500. That is not a trim; it is two or three whole sections. Our guide to how long a wedding speech should be gives the usual slot for each role.

If you have not been told your slot, ask the couple how many people are speaking. Bridebook's short speech guide says speeches are generally 5 to 7 minutes, but if there are many speeches or the couple has asked for brevity, aim for 2 to 4.

What to cut first

Work down this list until you are under your word count. The order is our own advice: it keeps what guests remember and drops what they will not miss.

1. Extra stories. Most long speeches have three or four stories where one or two would do. Keep the one that shows the person best, and the one about the couple together. Bridebook's advice is to "be selective in their storytelling."
2. The thank-you list. Naming every supplier, relative and helper adds a minute fast. Bridebook says that "in a time crunch, focus on saying one big thank you to everyone." If you are the speaker who must thank people, our list of who to thank in a wedding speech shows who is usually covered and by whom.
3. The run-up to the story. "So, it was 2014, a Tuesday I think, and we had just moved into the flat on..." Start at the moment that matters.
4. Repeated points. If you say they are kind, then tell a story that shows it, then say it again, cut one of the three.
5. Lists of qualities. Five adjectives in a row take time and stick less than one example.
6. Inside jokes. If only three people in the room will laugh, the other ninety are waiting.

What to keep: your name and how you know the couple, one story, a line about the couple together, a wish for their future and the toast. Bridebook's short speech structure is the same five steps: introduce yourself, thank everyone for coming, address the couple, share a hope or wish for the future, and toast.

Cut sections, not words

Shaving a word here and there makes a speech denser, not shorter, and it is harder to say aloud. Delete whole paragraphs first. Only edit sentence by sentence once you are close to your target.

Two checks after each cut:

• Does it still make sense? A story that refers back to a deleted joke will confuse the room.
• Does it still sound like you? Read the new version aloud. If it feels like a list of headlines, you have cut the connecting lines; put a few back.

Do not speed up instead

Reading faster is not shortening. Bridebook advises pausing for applause and laughter "rather than continuing through it", and a rushed speech loses those moments. If the timed version is still too long, cut again rather than planning to talk quicker on the day. Country House Weddings also warns against speaking too fast. A speech that only fits at speed will feel rushed.

Before and after

This is an example written for this page; the names are invented.

Before (about 75 words): I've known Ellie for twenty years. We met at school, actually in Year 7, in Mrs Patel's form, and I remember it really clearly because it was raining and I'd forgotten my coat, and Ellie, who I'd never spoken to before, just handed me hers. She didn't even know my name. And that's Ellie, really. She's kind, she's generous, she's thoughtful. She's always been like that. Always.

After (about 35 words): On my first day at secondary school it was pouring, and I'd forgotten my coat. A girl I'd never spoken to handed me hers. That was Ellie. She hasn't changed.

The story stays. The date, the form tutor, the adjectives and the repeats go. The "after" version takes about 20 seconds at a steady pace instead of 40.

If you want to see what a finished one to two minute speech looks like, our short wedding speech examples give one for each main role.

Start from the right length

Answer five questions on theweddingspeech.ai and see your free speech preview. Then time it aloud against your slot and cut from the list above if you need to.