How short can wedding vows be?

There is no legal limit on how long your personal vows can be, but most couples aim for one to two minutes. That is about 100 to 200 words. Any longer and you risk losing the moment, any shorter and it may feel rushed. The legal words are separate, so your own vows are an addition, not the whole ceremony.

Think about how your vows fit into the whole service. If you are having a civil ceremony, the registrar will guide the order. If you are having a religious ceremony, the minister may have set vows, and your own words might be a short addition. In Scotland, you can have a longer ceremony if you want, but keep your vows focused.

A good length is around one minute per person. That is about 100 to 150 words. It feels longer when you are nervous, so practise aloud. If you have more to say, save it for a letter or a speech. If you have less, that is fine too. The most important thing is that your vows sound like you, not like a poem you found online. Your guests will remember a sincere short vow far more than a long one that feels rehearsed.