HOW LONG SHOULD TWO PEOPLE DATE BEFORE MARRIAGE?
Because everyone’s situation is different, the answer to how long two people should date before marriage isn’t cookie-cutter. Additionally, two people should date as long as needed to accomplish the goal of dating.
The goal for dating should be to be in a long-term commitment; marriage. Dating is simply a tool to work towards marriage and should never be used just “because” or to “pass time,” as this isn’t helpful to anyone.
A healthy timeframe to date someone before marriage is 6 months to 2 years.
Anything longer than this can create complacency and sexual temptation which often prolongs a bad relationship also.
But real quick! Did you know that according to research, it takes a man 6 months to know if he wants to spend the rest of his life with a woman?
….…not 6 years.
….…or 16 years rather.
…… 6 months!?!
Let this be a sign for you if you ever believed the hype that you must spend years on top of years “getting to know” someone before marrying them. A man will know within 6 months if he wants to spend the rest of his life with you. Allow me also to add that I know this to be true as I’ve experienced this firsthand.
My husband and I were engaged within 6 months, married within a year, and faithfully married for almost 11 years now! God is GOOD! But, back to what I was saying.
The Talk: How Often Should Two People Talk Before Dating? Find out here!
Dating over 2 years with no progress towards marriage can create complacency. And what I mean by this is the relationship will stagnate and lack excitement as this is when the “infatuation stage” fades.
During this time, women begin longing for a long-term commitment with their partners only to find out that “marriage” was never one of their goals. When truthfully, both partners’ relationship goals concerning marriage should’ve been discussed during the first few dates. Questions like
“What are you looking for out of a relationship?”
“Is marriage one of your goals?”
You know, those types of questions. By the way, if a man doesn’t mention marriage as one of his goals or give you a timeframe for how soon he sees himself married, RUN!
You got questions, I have answers. Email them to jordanbeaugard@gmail.com
