The ceremonies that I officiate are typically 25 to 30 minutes. This tends to be a sweet spot. It’s long enough to let you soak it in and be present for your ceremony so it doesn’t whiz by, but short enough to keep your guests engaged the whole time.
The biggest variables in how long your ceremony will be are:
- How many people are processing down the aisle and how far of a walk it is 🙂
(really! walking slowly down the aisle takes a while!) - Whether or not you’re sharing personal vows aloud during the ceremony
- Whether/how many other family or loved ones are participating in any way
When a couple is sharing vows during the ceremony, I always adjust my remarks accordingly to make sure we’re on track for timing!