How long did you date before you got married?

dana316

We had a whirlwind romance...and knew pretty much immediately that we were in it for the long haul.

We had our first date in February (then he had a brain fart and got back together with his ex girlfriend for awhile)...then had our 'real' first date in JUNE, got engaged in AUGUST, and married in MARCH. 

Nobody thought it would last, but we're going on 11 years of very happy marriage.

 

smilee

Dated 9 months before we got engaged, but had a year and 2 month engagement. 

browneyedgrl4282

We started dating in April of 06, engaged November of 06 and were married (eloped) in March of 07...best kept secret for a LONG time we had a "big family" wedding in March of 09 since certain people didn't consider us married until it was done in church...BLAH!

sasa625

We dated for a year before getting engaged, but we pretty much knew right away that marriage was in our future. We then waited 17 months to get married because I wanted to be done with school before we got married, and I was in my last year of grad school when we got engaged.

I think when it's right, you just know it!

lmc5004

started dating Nov 2002, became exclusive May 2003, engaged April 2008, Married May 2009

So yes, we dated for a LONG time before getting married but it was because we were so young. We got married a year after I graduated college. 

epphd

Dated for 3.5 years, engaged almost one year.  We were in grad school when we met so it's not like we could have afforded to get married sooner anyway... plus DH had some issues with marriage after watching his parents' dysfunction during his "formative" years   It's been almost 8 years now that we've been married and so far, so good!

Carrie25

We dated for 9 months, then were engaged for 5 months.  It was pretty fast, but we pretty much knew from the get go.

JessandJeremy

We started dating in August 2002, engaged January 2004, married in August 2004.

17 months of dating before marriage

6 month engagement

We just celebrated our 7th anniversary on August 21st!

Cassian

We dated for 5.5 years before getting engaged. Got married after 6.5 years together. We had a lot of growing up to do and were lucky enough to grow together rather than grow apart. We did break up I think 4 different times in the 5.5 years, but it never lasted long. We have been together almost 10.5 years now.

mikiesgirl70106

Started dating in April 2003, engaged in September 2005, married July 2006. Reason for our long dating was he was still married when we met... Very much separated from the ex-wife and couldn't afford a lawyer to divorce her till 2004. Best Sweetest Day gift ever was his divorce paperwork...

KYRN

Started dating in January 2000 (I was 16), got engaged January 2003, got married Sept 2005.

krissybegs

We dated for a year and a half before getting engaged and had a year engagement. It will be 7 years in October.

meechrobi

Met January 2000, engaged August 2002, married November 2003.

alchris

We were good friends for 5 years, then dated for 6 before getting engaged, then engaged for 1.

And seriously nothing was going on in those first 5 years...nothing!  The thought of dating him didn't even cross my mind, let alone getting married and him being the father of my children.  Crazy!

sliz

Dated 2 yrs. Engaged for 1. Celebrated 6 yrs of marriage on August 21.

Smudges*Mom

We were married after dating for 7 months. Yup, fast!

Now for the explanation for why we moved so quickly (with the support of our family and friends). We met online while DH was deployed to Afghanistan. We traded emails (and talked once a week) for 11 weeks before DH redeployed. We had our first date at the end of October. In March/April, DH learned that he was getting orders to move to a remote post in Cali. He proposed on May 1st. Because his orders/paperwork was in the works, we were married by a Justice of the Peace in late May. DH got a call the day before our JOP asking if he had any dependents (a spouse or children--they needed to be included on the paperwork). His response was, "Today, no. Tomorrow, yes.". We had a wedding celebration with our family and friends in early August. Two days after the celebration, the movers were at our apartment packing us up to move from VA to CA.

We recently celebrated our 5th anniversary. We've survived infertility, frequent separations, five moves and a deployment.



ETA: The night of our first date, I knew he was the one. I was 34 years old and had kissed enough frogs to know this was my prince. I was right!

GypsyEsq

Met and started dating in January 2002, dated until May 2004, then long distance dated until February 2005.  From February 2005 until July 2010, lived in sin Married last July at our daughter's first birthday party.  All told we were together for 8 years before planning a wedding but will have been together for 10 this January.

Sarafuss

Dated 2 years and 7 months before we got engaged and had a 6 month engagement.

So together for 3 years and one month before we were married.  Our 5 year anniversary is on Saturday! (2 year wedding anniversary is in September).

marcuej

We dated only 11 months before getting engaged.  Then we were engaged for 11 months before getting married.  We're celebrating our 4th anniversary next Friday!

chocolatechip06

Dated for 1.5 years before we got engaged and got married 13 months later.  Knew we were serious and discussed marriage very soon after we started dating but DH waited to propose until he knew where he was going to grad school.

Our 5 year wedding anniversary was in May and our 8 year dating anniversary is September 7

TxJen1972

Met in July and married that next September.

efhoping2010

Dated 14 months before engagement and then married at 19 months   I think if his parents had accepted our being together we would have become engaged and married much sooner.  His parents and brothers almost did not come to our wedding.

schmoodle

Dated four months before engagement (and all was long distance so only saw each other every 2 weeks or so) but had a 16 month engagement.

kthappy76

dana316:

We had a whirlwind romance...and knew pretty much immediately that we were in it for the long haul.

This too.  I moved in w/DH after 11 mos, we bought a house and got engaged at 1 yr, and got married 9 mos later.  So <2 yrs from 1st date to wedding, and getting ready to celebrate 5 happy yrs.

mrsolsenk12

"Met" (online dating site) March 2003. Talked via email/phone for 2 months. First date May 2003. Engaged January 2004. Married August 2004

So dated 8 months and a 6 month engagement.

MIL was a hypocrite and told us we were getting married too gast. Her and FIL met in March and were married in Sept. of the same year! Didn't understand why ours was s problem. 

emmyloustu

7 long years!! I was only 17 when we started dating and DH actually proposed for the first time when I was a freshmen in college, but my parents kinda freaked out and asked us to wait. His pride was a bit hurt, but they were right and in the long run, I am glad we waited, even though he made me wait and wait and wait the 2nd time around!

xtencornfield

Dated 4 years before getting engaged (lived together for 2 of those years before getting engaged and owned a house together for over a year before getting engaged). Another 1.5 years before we got married. If I had to do it again, I would have gotten married the spring following our engagement instead of waiting 1.5 years until the next spring rolled around.

amberleeb

We started dating May of 05 got engaged May of 06 and married in December of 06.

kme930

Met: October 2002

First date: January 2003

Engaged: November 2005

Married: September 2006

Bel4780

Dated for 4 years before engagement, was engaged for exactly one year and have been married for 4....made it passed the 7 year itch!

MonkeysGirl05

We first met in April of 1997 but didn't start dating until Feb 2000. We were engaged in March of 2004 and married in May of 2005.

So, we dated 5 years before we were married.

LIAngel

Met in May 2002. Engaged May 2003. Married November 2004.

LVBlvd

We dated for 2 years then were engaged for 1 - so 3 years total.

vandelay

Dated 7 months before getting engaged; 6 months engagement.  Given my age, we wanted to get started on the babymaking as soon as possible.  Yeah, that worked out.

Radler

Dated for 7 years (we met when I was a college freshman!) and we are about to celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary. 

crystalgirl

We were a whirlwind, too. Met in late August, started dating in mid September, engaged in mid November, married in early June.

And we were both 18. To say that most people thought it wouldn't last is an understatement. DH's friends would greet him with, "Are you still married?" Lovely. Any time I would meet someone new in college, I'd have to deal with the absurd shock reaction... "You're MARRIED?!?!" Like I had five heads. Idiots.

Yeah, here we are 17 years later... Take that, haters!

naflmj

7 years...we met when I was 18.

BoilerSuz

I guess by comparison we were quick!  1year almost exactly from first date to a chapel in Vegas. My grandmother started asking when the wedding was the first time she met him after we'd been dating for 6 weeks.  We dated for 7mo before we got engaged then were engaged for just under 5mo when we got married.