How long did you date before you got engaged/married?

[ItalianAngel]

Hello all,

I'm sure this question probably has been asked before..

I was curious to know how long you and your spouse dated before you got engaged and how long after that did you get married?

Also if you could go back and do it over again, would you have done anything differently (spent more or less time in the dating and/or engagement period)?

I'm looking forward to everyone's answers!

blessings,
~Michele

 

[GodrockDJ]

We dated for a year and a half before we got engaged. Then our engagement was 7 months. Personally we knew not too long into dating that we wanted to marry each other, but my hubby had to save $$$ for the ring! But that was fine as we had a great amount of time getting closer in our relationship.

 

[HeatherJay]

We dated for 2 months before getting engaged (meaning, he gave me the ring and asked me to marry him). We got married 2 months later.

So, the time we met until the time we married...4 months.

We knew within just a few days that we loved each other and wanted to spend forever together. I wouldn't do anything differently. We both knew how we felt and there was no need to wait. We're celebrating 10 years of marraige in May.

To be honest, I don't see the point in long engagements, but to each his own.

 

[~Nikki~]

We dated for five weeks before my hubby proposed to me. We were married three and a half months after that.

I don't like the idea of a long engagement. Makes things a bit too tough IMO...

 

[FairyLights]

13
always with him, even before I met him.
two body and one soul.

 

[JulySheMustFly]

We dated for 4 years before we married. BUT three of those years were before we could even legally get married without parental consent. He proposed exactly a month after I turned 18.

 

[felinity]

We "dated" from a distance for about a year before we got engaged. In that time, we spent about 4.5 weeks together, but we spent a ton of time chatting online. We knew we wanted to marry one another after the first week we spent together in person.

We got engaged on 3 January, 2006, then got married on 15 July, 2006, so six and a half months.

And now we've been married for almost eight long and wonderful months.

 

[fuzzymel]

Engaged after 6 months married after a year and a half (a year after engagement). To be honest I dont know why we took so long. I didnt want a big wedding and he did.

 

[GolfingMom]

Dated for 4 years, engaged for 1 1/2 years.

 

[Epoh99]

I'm never really sure what to say when asked this question because my hubby and I don't know when we started dating. We were best friends and together all the time. Not sure when it turned into dates instead of just hanging out as friends.

I do know how long we were engaged though and that is 9 months. We didn't have a big wedding or anything. He had had the ring for awhile and couldn't wait to give it to me even though he knew I wanted an October wedding.

What would I do differently? Hmmmm... nothing really. We didn't let anyone influence what we wanted to do and when we wanted to do it. That way everything was done how we wanted it done.

 

[LynnMcG]

Four years

 

[tiredwalker]

We dated for 3 1/2 months before he proposed, and we were married two months later. We will be celebrating our 5th anniversary this year.

 

[jessesgirl]

2.5 months before he proposed and married a month after that.

 

[JustBeachy]

Not really sure how long we dated! We met when I was 15 and he was 16, became friends, dated for a few months the next summer, dated for a few more months when I was 19 then again when I was 20, which is when we got engaged. We were engaged for about 8 months...so I know that number for sure! I would guess our total dating time was about 12 - 18 months.

 

[Asherz]

We dated about eight months before we got engaged, and then we were engaged 10 months before we got married. We are celebrating our first anniversary on Sunday!

 

[rainbowpromises]

We dated for two weeks, then had no contact for a year.

Then we dated for 2 months. I returned a month and a half later. We were married 10 months after that.

 

[Assisi]

We dated about 2.5 months before we decided to marry each other, but we were young students with no money to support ourselves. We announced our engagement about 3 years after that and we were engaged for a year. We had to wait until my husband had graduated and had a job.

Although I probably wouldn't have waited quite so long in ideal world, I wouldn't have gotten married straight away even if we could have. I think it's a good idea to take some time dating and enjoy being young together. There were so many advantages to having to wait. We got to know each others families sooo well, we were able to help out in youth at our church in ways only singles can, we got to set an example of chastity more effectively than we could have as a married couple. We got to know each other very well, and really plan our marriage. People are always commenting on how good, strong and loving our marriage is, and I attribute it to our courtship. We were so well prepared for everything we've encountered in marriage because we had the time to do it thoroughly.

It was difficult to be together for so long without being married (especially because we didn't announce our engagement!), it seemed like everyone had it easier than us. Those difficulties have set us up for marriage, and now we seem to be the ones people come to for advice and help.

If you were asking my advice...I'd say make a formal engagement after 18 - 24 months, then get married quick smart.

 

[Amélie Unbound]

We met online in spring 2001, met in person in spring 2002, and got married in autumn 2004. We never really got engaged. From the time we met in person, we knew we belonged together and talked about one day getting married. We wanted to wait until he'd finished his PhD and had a job though. One day soon after that had happened, he told me to go ahead and book the church.

 

[TieDye]

I'm sure some people won't like this . . .

We dated (officially) for two weeks before getting engaged.

We were dating for a couple days short of 2 years before getting married.

And no, I wouldn't change any of it at all. Except maybe I would have liked to met him sooner, so I'd have had even more time with him before that.

 

[HeatherJay]

I'm sure some people won't like this . . .

We dated (officially) for two weeks before getting engaged.

LOL, did you read the majority of posts here? I think you're in good company when it comes to those with short engagement periods, lol.