# POLL: how long were you dating before you got engaged?



## Rachel1786 (Nov 14, 2010)

Please only married or engaged people answer. I'm just curious what the average is. My boyfriend and I have been together nearly 8 years, we have a son and a house together and I'm starting to give up on the idea of marriage :lol:


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## busysmurf (Feb 16, 2012)

started dating Nov '97 
engaged Nov '99
married Oct '00
First rug rat Mar '03


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## Maple (Jan 10, 2012)

We were dating about 2 years before we got engaged, and married about a year after that. Saying this, it was a bit of a different situation than most will face as I was here on a work permit and at the time getting more than 2 years was unheard of... so we had to bite the bullet and decide what we wanted to do. 

To be honest, I wouldn't ever get married again. IMO, all it is, is an expensive day out and a piece of paper that complicates things should it not work out. I love my husband and my family, but now that I'm a bit older I now have a different outlook on things.


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## redpony (Apr 17, 2012)

First marriage was 2 years. Second was 3 months!, lol, but we had known each other for 8 years and were older.


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

I'm going to answer, even though I am now divorced.

My ex-husband and I started dating in September of 2002, were engaged January 2003, and married June 2003. We moved in together May of 2003.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Rachel1786 (Nov 14, 2010)

I'd just like to get married before I'm 30, and I'm running out of time lol, I'm 27. When I told him I was pregnant he asked if I wanted to get married(real romantic *eye roll*) I told him I didn't want to get married just because I was pregnant, we had been together a bit over a year at that point, and I was just a few months shy of my 21st birthday. I wanted to get married for the "right" reasons...a lot of good that did me, marriage hasn't been brought up since


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

Then bring it up. Tell him the way you're feeling and why.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

Dated less than a year and this year will celebrate being married 34 years.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Clava (Nov 9, 2010)

6yrs , been married 18 yrs now.


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

Hubby and I did all the DON'TS for dating and marriage.

We met in a bar, moved into together after two weeks, engaged in three months, married in under a year and next month we will be married for 4 years....happily! Not saying that it has been all unicorn farts and sunshine but we are very much in love even though there are days we don't like each other. (Today happens to one of those days...LOL!)


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

Oops, I voted wrong. 

Met 2005
Engaged 2008
Married 2010


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

Dated for 3 months - including the 6 weeks I was out of the country. Had a mandatory 90 day engagement, because I was in the US Air Force, and the USAF had too many problems with guys marrying Filipinas whose name they didn't know.

But I knew hers, and we've now passed 26 years of marriage. 3 kids, 3 grandkids (one more in the oven), 2 dogs and 3 horses.

With son & granddaughter and a very rare southern Arizona snowman on 21 Feb:


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## RiddlesDarkAngel5 (Jun 2, 2009)

My husband and I met in January of 2008, got engaged December of 2009, and got married June 18, 2011. 

Were celebrating our 2 year anniversary in a couple months


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## Jake and Dai (Aug 15, 2008)

My hubby and I met in early November, moved in together in January and were married by the next August. It was the 2nd for both of us so we just knew. He told me he was going to marry me on our 3rd date. I laughed.

7 years so far and going strong!


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## doubleopi (Dec 27, 2011)

Started dating Nov 2009
Engaged Feb (14th, he's so romantic:wink 2011
Married May 2011


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## LadyFire (Dec 30, 2012)

My husband and I met when we were both 4, I'm a few months older than him. Started flirting around age 14, dated off and on through high-school, but were always best friends and loved horses. Well after a bad breakup we didn't talk for a long time and then suddenly we had been dating seriously for almost a year (maybe more I have no sense of time) he asked me to marry him, it will be a year June 24th. I love him to death. 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## nvr2many (Jan 18, 2011)

Met in Jan. 2010, engaged Mar. 2011, Married June 2011. Will be two years this June. Not our first marriages.


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## Nightside (Nov 11, 2012)

Met in middle school, so '03 maybe? 
Dated in '05
Broke up in '07
Didn't talk or keep up with each other at all after that. I was/am paranoid about who cuts my hair and drive an hour and a half one way so a friend of the family does it in her salon. She was still working on someone so I went to the shoe store next door to kill time. He was the assistant manager. This was August 09.
We were pretty inseperable friends after that, he spent weeks at a time at my house with me, again, driving an hour and a half one way. He changed jobs and moved in with a friend of mine
We started dating in March '10, despite the fact that I was leaving for the military in early May.
I proposed to him through a letter from bootcamp in late June.
When I graduated, I paid for everything to make sure he moved with me, against everybody's better judgement/advice/etc. 
Got married in September of '10.

Sorry that is so long but it took some splaining to do. I guess not many people marry their middle school sweetheart. Even then he said he wanted to marry me but I was too concerned with having fun being independent. )
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Married close to 34 years. Knew him all my life, grew up together, started school together, was my first & only b/f. Lived together for 2 years, and engaged during those 2 years. Still crazy in love with him, but somedays I could kill him!


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

Engaged after about 9 months. (I was very drunk at the time) 

When I took the b/f home for the first time my mother asked if I was sure. I truthfully told her that I was 100% positive that I would never marry him! 
Being engaged to him served a purpose. He was very brow beaten by his domineering father and being with me for about 2 years taught him to stand up to his father and to be what he wanted and not what his father thought he should be. 

Once this was achieved we split. He married a flat mate of mine and they ended up very happy, still wed and with five children and heaven knows how many grand children!

Never wanted children and never wanted to be wed so remained single.


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

I'm not actually sure how long we dated. We met, he found out I was too young and dropped me like a hot potato. We met again years later, dated for a couple of months (? - definitely much less than a year). That time I took off. Then he called me up a few years after that and it was the kicker. Married within about 4 months I'd say.

If you're looking for marriage and you have 8 years, a child and a house under your belts, I'd say marriage isn't too likely, but is that maybe only because it's not high enough on either of your priority lists? Do you have a commitment? Is that enough? If so, great. If not, talk.


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## strawberry paint (Jul 5, 2012)

First got to know my husband in Oct '89. 
We started dating in 'Oct '09
We got engaged in Oct '91
Got married in May '92

The girls came March '03. Yep...I was in no rush to have kids whatsoever.


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## JoesMom (Jun 19, 2012)

Met hubby in Oct 1975, got engaged February 1976 and we were married September 24th of 1976. We will celebrate our 37th anniversary this year.

After 8 years of living together you may need to address this subject to him again in a manner that lets him know you really want this.


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## Faceman (Nov 29, 2007)

Mrs. Face and I met in January of 1975. She was a Geophysicist and worked for me at Chevron Geophysical, and then at Compagnie Generale de Geophysique, both in Houston. I was married at the time, but we traveled together a lot (no hanky panky) because her volleyball tournaments were sometimes held in the same towns as my tennis tournaments, so we got to be pretty good friends. The day after my divorce in February of 1979, she came to my place to console me and cook me dinner. She never went home...we were married in July of 1980 because I had to wait a year for an annulment of my first marriage from the Vatican.

This was us almost 34 years ago...I was almost 32 and she had just turned 26. I still look the same, but she has aged a lot...:rofl:


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## Horsecrazy4 (Nov 24, 2012)

Met hubby Sept 2003. Engaged Feb 2004. Got married May 2005
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

We started dating in Oct of '04, engaged July of '05, married April '06.


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

Hmmm. I am jealous of the people that knew their "better half" since childhood. I think that would be awesome. We were married in less than 9 months after having met. DH was the first person I dated that wasn't interested in horses. I am not sure what that has to do w anything, other than a "few" felt this meant the deck was stacked against us. Well, almost 20 years later we are still married. 

For all intents and purposes the OP is married. But, for whatever reason I just can't really imagine _dating_ someone for years on end before marrying. I suppose that is b/c the only reason I can think of for doing so personally is if I could only tolerate the other person's company in small doses.


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## TaMMa89 (Apr 12, 2008)

I and the more handsome half got engaged approximately after 1½ years of dating and 2mo after moving in together.


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## Rachel1786 (Nov 14, 2010)

I'm really surprised how many people were engaged(or married) before even a year of dating, I guess it wouldn't have been too far off if we had gotten married when I found out I was pregnant, we were together 1 year and 4 months at that point. A "cousin" of mine(my dad's second wife's neice, he's now divorced but still close with her) I detest the girl, but that's another story. She got pregnant after being with a guy for 4 months and then got married. I had a point to go with that, but I'm sick and now I can't remember lol. 
My one friend, Anthony and I went to her first wedding(she got married when out son was a month old). We had been together longer then her and her fiance. She got divorced and back in August we attended her second wedding, She only married him because they had a baby together. She loves him, but she had a lot of second thoughts about marrying him and I think she should have waited. I love my friend dearly, I've known her for about 6/7 years and I just want her to be happy and there were some major warning bells going off and sometimes I really worry about her. 
IDK maybe I'm hesitant about marriage too, seems like so many people get divorced, if I never get married I can't get divorced. BUT then again, I already have my wedding dress picked out(and have for years) so what does that tell you


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## HowClever (Feb 16, 2010)

We met in August of '07. Started dating April '08. Engaged July '10. Married October '12.


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## Roadyy (Feb 9, 2013)

I met my first wife through my cousin and we dated for 6 months, moved in together, got engaged after a year and a half when she was 7 months pregnant. Divorced 7 years later.

Met my second wife at a bar, moved her and her 11 yr old son in with me and my 2 oldest daughters 8 months later, she became pregnant with out daughter after 2 years and got married when our daughter was 2. We have been married 11 years this coming August and I see many more years to be added to it even though I can't stand her....some of the time...lol

I figure it isn't worth trading her known issues in on unknown issues to learn all over again. I have had her in training for the last 2 years so I guess she will be ready for the long haul in another 20 once our 12 yr old daughter is out on her own. i say that knowing my 21 yr old daughter and her 2 yr old son recently moved back in with us.. haha


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## SEAmom (Jan 8, 2011)

We dated for 1.5 months before we said we wanted to marry each other. Officially engaged after 7 months together. Married 1 year 4 months after that. We've been married for almost 1.5 years now and are very happy...most of the time. 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## RusticWildFire (Jul 6, 2008)

Met August 2006
started dating September 2006
moved in officially August 2007 (but he was at my place most of the time between 06 and 07)
Engaged 1/3/2013. 
Wedding to be 9/2013


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

Rich and I met on New Years Eve 2006/2007. He asked me to marry him 6 years to the day after that - this past New Years.


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## OutOfTheLoop (Apr 1, 2012)

Me and mine met in October of 2009. We "hung out" and officially started dating in April 2010. He proposed December 2011, and we still havnt set a wedding date. 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

"Engaged"... Hehehe.... I got married in less then a year...


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## Jake and Dai (Aug 15, 2008)

Me too Val.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Rachel1786 said:


> Please only married or engaged people answer. I'm just curious what the average is. My boyfriend and I have been together nearly 8 years, we have a son and a house together and I'm starting to give up on the idea of marriage :lol:


My husband and I dated for 4 years, moved in together for 4 more and then got engaged. We'll have been married for 22 years in Nov.


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

We dated for 6 months before moving in together and got engaged 3 years after that. We've now been together 17 years and still not married.


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## OutOfTheLoop (Apr 1, 2012)

OutOfTheLoop said:


> Me and mine met in October of 2009. We "hung out" and officially started dating in April 2010. He proposed December 2011, and we still havnt set a wedding date.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Oops, that was 08 not 09, I'm worse than a man lol.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

Darrin said:


> We dated for 6 months before moving in together and got engaged 3 years after that. We've now been together 17 years and still not married.


Okay Darrin, I am putting you on the spot :twisted:, why haven't you married the girl?


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## WSArabians (Apr 14, 2008)

JustDressageIt said:


> Rich and I met on New Years Eve 2006/2007. He asked me to marry him 6 years to the day after that - this past New Years.



That slow poke. LOL


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

COWCHICK77 said:


> Okay Darrin, I am putting you on the spot :twisted:, why haven't you married the girl?


Call her up and put her on the spot, she's the one that is holding off. Actually she's afraid to fully commit due to the problems her parents have had through the years. Her mom is one unhappily married woman.


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

WSArabians said:


> That slow poke. LOL


Ha!!!! You're telling me hahaha. Guess he wanted to not be a broke student when he asked me..
And yeah super slow compared to a lot of the people here :shock: - I don't think I even farted in front of him for a year and a half!!!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

Darrin said:


> Call her up and put her on the spot, she's the one that is holding off. Actually she's afraid to fully commit due to the problems her parents have had through the years. Her mom is one unhappily married woman.


The answer I get for _assuming_ that the man was putting it off


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Darrin said:


> We dated for 6 months before moving in together and got engaged 3 years after that. We've now been together 17 years and still not married.


As long as both people are happy who cares if they are married or not! 

(Male) friend of mine was in a same situation: lived with the woman (with the kid). He wanted to marry, but she didn't (because of her previous experience). Not sure what happened eventually (as I lost contact after moving from there).


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