How long should a rehearsal dinner toast be?
A rehearsal dinner toast should be 1 to 3 minutes long, about 130 to 390 words at 130 words per minute. Hosts, often the groom's parents, can take the full 3 minutes; guests and wedding party members should stay closer to 1 or 2.
That's 1 min to 3 min, or roughly 130 to 390 words at 130 words per minute.
Why this length works
Rehearsal dinners are smaller and looser than the reception, and they often have more toasts: the hosts, the couple, members of the wedding party, sometimes grandparents or old friends. Short toasts keep the evening relaxed and leave time for everyone who wants to speak.
The setting also gives you more freedom. With a smaller crowd of close family and friends, a story can be a little more personal than it would be at the reception. That is a reason to make it sharper, not longer.
How to structure a 2 min rehearsal dinner toast
Welcome or introduction
~40 words
18 sec · Hosts welcome everyone and thank them for coming; guests say who they are.
A story or memory
~115 words
54 sec · One story about the couple, or about the person you know best.
The couple and tomorrow
~65 words
30 sec · A line about what they mean to each other and the day ahead.
Toast
~40 words
18 sec · Raise a glass to the couple, or to everyone who traveled to be there.
Tips
- If you are speaking at both the rehearsal dinner and the reception, save your best story for one of them and do not repeat it.
- Hosts should speak first and can then invite others, which keeps the toasts from turning into a free-for-all.
- This is the place for the slightly more personal story that would not suit 150 guests, as long as both families would be comfortable hearing it.
- Keep it light. The couple has a big day tomorrow, so this is not the moment for heavy emotion or long advice.
- If you are hosting, welcome the other family and the out-of-town guests by name. It may be the first time everyone has shared a table.
Common mistakes
- Giving the same speech you plan to give at the reception.
- Letting toasts run so long that dinner goes cold or the night runs late before the wedding.
- Sharing a story that embarrasses the couple in front of grandparents or new in-laws.
- Going off script after a few drinks with an unplanned roast.
Example opening lines
- “Thank you all for coming tonight. Before tomorrow gets formal, we wanted one evening where everyone could just eat, laugh, and get to know each other.”
- “I'm Ben's uncle, and I've been told I have two minutes. Ben, you know that's a stretch for me.”
- “Tomorrow there'll be a schedule, a photographer, and a microphone. Tonight it's just us, so I'm going to tell the slightly longer version of how these two met.”
Time your speech
Paste your draft to check its length at your pace, then rehearse it in the teleprompter.
Or type a number of words
Speaking time at 130 wpm
2 min
260 words · about 1 page double-spaced
| Pace | Time |
|---|---|
| Slow 110 wpm | 2 min 22 sec |
| Presentation 130 wpm | 2 min |
| Conversational 150 wpm | 1 min 44 sec |
| Voice-over 160 wpm | 1 min 38 sec |
| Fast 180 wpm | 1 min 27 sec |
| Reading aloud, average 183 wpm | 1 min 25 sec |
| Silent reading 238 wpm | 1 min 6 sec |
Measure your own pace
Paste a script above (Words → time), press Start, read it aloud at your normal delivery, then press Stop. Nothing is recorded; this only times you.
Rehearse it
Open your script in the free teleprompter. It scrolls at the words-per-minute pace you choose and can record an audio take.
Frequently asked questions
Who gives a toast at the rehearsal dinner?
Usually the hosts go first, traditionally the groom's parents in the US, followed by anyone the couple invites: wedding party members, grandparents, or close friends. The couple often thanks everyone at the end.
Should the best man speak at the rehearsal dinner?
He can, but keep it to a minute or so and make it different from the reception speech. Save the main stories for the wedding.
How many words is a 2-minute rehearsal dinner toast?
About 260 words at 130 words per minute. A 3-minute toast is about 390 words.