How to Practice Your Wedding Vows Out Loud (A 7-Day Plan)

Writing your vows is the hard part. Practicing them is the part people skip — and then regret.

You don’t need a coach, a speech class, or a week off work. You need seven short sessions, each with a specific goal. By day seven, you’ll know your vows well enough to deliver them without reading every word, and well enough that nerves won’t derail you.

This plan assumes your vows are already written. If they’re not, start with our free vows template first, then come back here.

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Why out-loud practice matters

Silent reading is not rehearsal. When you read in your head, you skip over:

• Breathing — you don’t run out of breath silently
• Pronunciation — you gloss over words that are hard to say
• Emotion — your voice doesn’t crack when you’re reading in your head
• Timing — silent reading is 2–3x faster than speaking

The first time you say your vows out loud should not be at the altar. It should be in your car, your shower, or your living room — ideally at least a week before the ceremony.

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The 7-day plan

Day 1: The cold read

Time: 5 minutes
Goal: Hear your words for the first time out loud

Open the practice wedding vows teleprompter, paste your vows, and hit Start on Slow (100 WPM). Read along with the scroll. Don’t try to perform — just read.

Pay attention to:

• Words that feel awkward in your mouth
• Sentences that are too long to say in one breath
• Lines that hit harder than you expected

After the read-through, open your vows and make quick edits. Swap any word that felt clunky for one that flows better. Break any sentence longer than 20 words into two.

Day 2: The edit pass

Time: 10 minutes
Goal: Tighten your vows for spoken delivery

Read your vows out loud again — this time without the teleprompter. Just your text on a phone or printed page. Mark three things:

1. The opener — your first sentence. Can you say it from memory? You should be able to. Starting with eye contact instead of looking down changes the entire energy.
2. The peak — the most emotional line. Underline it. This is where you’ll pause and breathe on the day.
3. The close — your last sentence. Like the opener, try to memorize it so you can look up as you finish.

Day 3: Pacing practice

Time: 5 minutes
Goal: Find your natural speaking speed

Go back to the teleprompter and try Medium (130 WPM). This is close to conversational speed. If it feels rushed, stay on Slow for another day.

Focus on matching the highlight. When the word lights up, that’s when you should be saying it. If you’re consistently ahead of the highlight, you’re rushing.

Note your total time. For most vows (150–250 words), you should land between 1:00 and 2:00.

Day 4: The mirror run

Time: 5 minutes
Goal: Practice with an audience (even if it’s just you)

Stand in front of a mirror. Read your vows out loud at Medium pace. Watch yourself.

This feels ridiculous. Do it anyway. You’ll notice:

• Whether you look down the entire time (try to look up at the “mirror partner” three times)
• Your posture (stand tall, both feet planted)
• Your hand movements (are you death-gripping the paper?)

If your teleprompter has mirror mode, use it — it simulates reading while facing someone.

Day 5: The recording

Time: 10 minutes
Goal: Hear what your audience will hear

Prop your phone up and record a full read-through. Play it back immediately.

Listen for:

• Pace — are you rushing through the emotional parts?
• Volume — can you be heard clearly? Most people speak too quietly
• Filler words — any “um,” “uh,” or “like” sneaking in?
• Flat spots — sections where your voice goes monotone

Do one more take addressing whatever you heard. You don’t need to be perfect. You need to be aware.

Day 6: The dress rehearsal

Time: 5 minutes
Goal: Simulate ceremony conditions

Read your vows standing up, holding the paper (or phone) you’ll use on the day. If you’ll have a microphone, hold something mic-shaped in your other hand.

Apply the 3-breath technique:

1. One breath before you start — slow, deliberate
2. One breath at every paragraph break — pause, breathe, continue
3. One breath at the emotional peak — stop, look up, breathe, then say it

Time yourself. This should be within 10% of your Medium-speed teleprompter time.

Day 7: Let it rest

Time: 0 minutes
Goal: Trust your preparation

Do not practice on the day before your wedding. You’ve done six sessions. Your muscle memory is built. Over-rehearsing the night before leads to a performance that sounds rehearsed rather than felt.

If you feel anxious, do one thing: read your first sentence out loud once. That’s it. You know the rest.

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What if my vows are too long?

If your vows take more than 2 minutes at Medium pace (130 WPM), they’re probably over 260 words. That’s not a dealbreaker, but you’re entering territory where the audience’s attention may drift.

Rules of thumb:

• Under 1 minute — punchy, modern, works great for couples who aren’t big on speeches
• 1–2 minutes — the sweet spot for most ceremonies
• 2–3 minutes — fine if every sentence earns its place
• Over 3 minutes — consider trimming unless your ceremony is very short otherwise

The teleprompter shows estimated reading time as soon as you paste your text. Use it as a gut check.

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What if I cry?

You might. That’s fine. Here’s the protocol:

1. Stop talking. Don’t try to push through while crying — it produces sounds no one can understand.
2. Breathe. One slow breath in and out.
3. Look at your partner. They’re probably crying too. That’s the moment.
4. Continue when ready. The room will wait. No one is timing you.

Practicing out loud before the day makes crying less likely — not because you feel less, but because your body has already processed the emotional response to these words. The third or fourth time you say them, the tears are more manageable.

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Quick-reference schedule

Day	Task	Time	Tool
1	Cold read on Slow	5 min	Teleprompter
2	Edit pass + mark opener/peak/close	10 min	Text editor
3	Pacing practice on Medium	5 min	Teleprompter
4	Mirror run	5 min	Mirror + mirror mode
5	Record and review	10 min	Phone camera
6	Dress rehearsal with 3-breath technique	5 min	Printed vows
7	Rest	0 min	—

Total time invested: ~40 minutes across a week.

That’s less than one episode of television, and it’s the difference between vows your partner remembers and vows that were a nervous blur.

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Start now

Paste your vows into the free practice teleprompter and do your Day 1 cold read. Five minutes. That’s all it takes to start.