Opinion: How long you should date before getting engaged

You’re head over heels in love, but there’s just one small issue. You’ve only known each other for a few months, if not weeks. Wedding bells are ringing in both of your ears, but that’s crazy, right? Your brain tells you that you must wait, but your heart… your heart wants to beat faster so that you can begin your eternal journey. So, is your heart telling you a deeper truth, or is your love drunk?

There is no magic formula, even though everyone, your parents, extended family, and friends, will have an opinion on the topic, from “You’re jumping in too soon!” to “It took him way too long to propose—are you sure?” Just you can tell when you’re ready to move on.

And in most cases, this will happen within a year… You want some issues to arise so you can see how you deal with them as a team. For me, the variety of interactions that lend themselves to compatibility is more important than the length of time.

Consider all of your mutual experiences when you wonder if it’s too soon to start talking about marriage with your partner.

Have you ever faced big life obstacles as a couple? Have you seen them at their most affluent and their most impoverished? Have you taken the time to study their families and history? Do you have a good understanding of their strengths and weaknesses?

There is no time limit for gaining this knowledge. You will easily learn a lot about someone if you spend a lot of time with them. You might also date anyone for months.