How Long Should You Date Before Marriage: 2024 Statistics

Updated on Jul 2023

If you want to find out about the average dating time before marriage and if the question “how long to date before marriage?” doesn’t leave your head, this article is for you. In our search, we have collected recent information regarding marriages and relationships. Here you will be able to find a lot of interesting and useful information that helps people build strong relationships that develop into marriage. 

We assure you that after reading our article you will understand how long should you be together before getting engaged, how long to wait for proposal in 40s, and even how many relationships before marriage you should have. 

How Long Should You Date Before Marriage

How Long Should You Date Someone Before Getting Married?

As you may realize, there are a lot of different opinions on the average time to date before marriage. However, in this search, we’ve collected opinions of different experts regarding the length of dating, and also some important points to which you should draw your attention if you’re interested in the average length of relationship before engagement, the average age to get engaged and average number of relationships before marriage.

Trust Is Crucial

Before moving on from dating to marriage, you need to understand that trust is the basis of your relationship. There is no chance that your marriage will be long and prosperous in case you already have some trust issues with your partner. So if you’re wondering about the average time dating before engagement, the first thing which you should be thinking about is the level of your trust. Because couples that don’t have any issues in trust can create a family immediately without wondering about the average time dating before marriage.

how long to date before marriage

Living Together – First Step to Successful Marriage

Average time to propose mostly depends on the fact if people lived together before marriage or not. So if you want to create a family as soon as possible, the best way to do that is to start living together. During the time that you will spend together, you will be able to understand your couple and find out if your relationship has a future.

Unfortunately, a big part of couples who married at an early age usually ends in divorce. That happens because the couple didn’t even have time to live together and get closer in everyday life. So the question: “when do couples get engaged?“ will be the wrong one. The question that matters will sound like “do I know this person well?“. And you can find out this only after a few years spent under one roof. 

Imagine Your Elderly 

If you want to find out how long people date before marriage and understand if you’re ready for this step, just imagine yourself in a few decades. The point is that you can create a successful marriage only with a person with whom you will not have to pretend. Be sure that if you try to be better than you, your marriage will fail sooner or later.

The average length of dating before proposal doesn’t really matter when you’re with a person with whom you will be happy to meet your elderly. If you can be yourself all the time with this person, then most likely, you will not have to think about how long should date before marriage. 

What Is the Ideal Length Of a Relationship Before Marriage According to Experts?

We understand that despite any pieces of advice, people still will be asking their friends “how long did you date before getting engaged?” or something like, “how much time should I spend on dating? ”. Of course, we are not able to tell you how long to stay in a relationship without marriage since it will not be right. However, that doesn’t mean that we’ll not be able to help you in this matter in some other way.

That’s why in this section, we’ve collected the opinion of three different experts regarding the average time to date before engagement. We do hope that this section will be really helpful for you and that you will find out about the average relationship length before engagement. So let’s find out the typical.time people date before being engaged.

average time before engagement

Up to One Year

In the question of the average time to get engaged, we’d base it on the research of professor Ted L. Huston who studied couples for almost fourteen years of his life. Due to observation, the professor made a conclusion that couples that dated for less than 18 months, usually ended up divorced. So if you were wondering about the average relationship length before a breakup, mister Huston says that usually, couples who dated less than a year will break up after seven years of marriage. 

From One to Two Years 

Based on the research of another expert, the author of the popular book “Dancing with Fire: A Mindful Way to Loving Relationships” John Amodeo, dating from one to two years is a perfect average length of dating before engagement. The point is that during this period, you will have time to learn enough information about your partner so you will be able to decide if this relationship has a future. 

average relationship length

More Than Two Years

Based on the research of Emory University, the average dating time before engagement of three or more years is a perfect choice for creating a happy family with strong family bonds. The research tells us that couples who dated for more than 3 years had divorce rates that are 39 percent less than for couples who dated for two or fewer years. So if you are looking for a marriage that will last not a few years but all your life the average length of a relationship should at least be three or even more years. 

How Long Should We Date Before Getting Married: a Survey of Married Couples

“How long do people date before getting engaged?” This question might appear in the head of every person who wants to create a union of married adults. We understand that when it comes to the question of love, successful marriage, and family, people always want to find out some stories based on actual experience and not only on the length of dating before marriage statistics. 

That’s why in this section, we have collected some real-life stories that will help you to understand this pretty easily. So do you want to know how long do people date before getting married? As we already promised you at the beginning, our research will include not only some facts and statistics but also real stories about real family life. Keep reading to find more details on how long do people date before marriage.

average time to date before marriage

Hot American-Mexican Couple

Patrick met Juanita on his Vacation in Spain. As he will remember later: “I noticed her right away, and I felt some spark between us, I looked into her eyes and understood that she is the one”. After just a few months of dating, Patrick and Juanita got married. When did we ask Patrick about how long do you date before getting engaged in the U.S.? He answered: “I met Juanita and already knew that I will marry her. However, in America people usually have few relationships before creating a family. I myself never wondered about the average time to date before getting engaged, probably that’s why we get married so fast.” 

Passionate British-Spanish Marriage

Our next couple has been dating for around a year, however, still they ended up getting married to each other. Rosa and Logan met each other at London university. Rosa has been studying literature and Logan’s exact sciences. 

It’s worth mentioning that the average time before engagement in Britain is much longer, so Logan provided a long courtship to Rosa. When we asked Rosa about the average length of dating before engagement in Spain. She told us: “In my country, the average relationship length before marriage is much shorter, so girls usually don’t have time to enjoy the romantic period. However, Logan is a true romantic, who took care of me like a princess, and that’s why I never doubt that I will marry him. ”

average age of engagement

Mysterious Scandinavian-Asian Union

If you want to know how long do relationships last before creating a family this story will be interesting for you. Felix and Meilin met each other in China, a country where the average age of engagement is pretty high. When we asked Meilin about her relationship with Felix, she told us the following: “He was pretty shy at the beginning, and he was afraid to make the first step. However, I found that really cute, and I really liked him, and by the way, the average relationship length before marriage in China is pretty long, so I didn’t want to rush him. 

As a result, Felix and Meilin were together before the wedding for three years, during which they lived together, met each other’s parents, and caught up as married adults.

How Long Do Women From Different Countries Prefer to Date Before Marriage

Do you want to find out how long does the average relationship last in different countries? That’s why in this section, we’ve collected basic information regarding the average length of relationship before marriage in Europe, Asia along with North and South America. So after reading this section, you will be aware of how long do couples date before getting engaged in these parts of the world. But do not think that this type of information will not be handy for you, because you will be able to use this knowledge towards your girlfriend from some of these countries. 

The most popular regionsAverage duration of a relationship before marriage
EuropeReady to get married quickly, dating from 7 to 14 months.
AsianGirls take a long time to get ready for the wedding, dating from 18 to 32 months.
Latin America RegionPre-wedding relationship lasts medium, couples meet from 12 to 21 months.
Scandinavian CountriesIt very much depends on the country. Swedish and Icelandic women get married the fastest: 9-12 months, and Finnish women take the longest: 14-19 months.
dating to marriage

Europe 

When do people get engaged in Europe? To answer this question, it’s worth mentioning that Europe includes many countries, with different cultures, people, and mentalities. For example, women in southern Europe in countries like Spain and Portugal do not wait until the average engagement age and get married pretty quickly, usually, most couples in Europe get married pretty fast.

Asia 

How long does the average couple date before getting engaged in Asia? To answer this question, let’s consider some of the main and the most popular Asian countries in the world. Let it be China, Japan, and Korea. Of course, every one of these countries will have its own unique features and cultures. However, each of them is united by the fact that here you will not be able to marry quickly. The length of the relationship is pretty long here, and there is also no chance of delaying marriage in these countries.

North and South America

Both countries of North and South America have an average length of dating before a wedding. So there will be no strict rules if you will be dating a girl in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, or Argentina. In this case, everything will depend on your girl, as her attitude toward your relationship will decide how long dating before engagement awaits you. However, usually, women in these countries want to know how long to get married they should wait, so keep that in mind. 

Determining the Optimal Length of a Relationship Before Marriage

This study examines the factors that influence the optimal length of a relationship before marriage. The study considers a range of variables, including individual and couple characteristics, relationship quality, and external factors such as family and cultural expectations. The study also examines the impact of the length of the relationship on marriage outcomes, such as marital satisfaction and divorce rates. By identifying the key determinants of a successful and lasting marriage, this study aims to provide couples with valuable insights and guidance on when to consider marriage.

It depends on the couple and their individual circumstances.

This is a popular answer because every couple is different and there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. Some couples may feel ready to get married after a few months of dating, while others may want to wait several years before making that commitment. It's important for couples to consider their individual goals, values, and lifestyles before deciding when to get married.

At least one year.

This answer is popular because it allows couples to get to know each other well before making a commitment. A year is long enough for couples to get a good sense of each other's strengths, weaknesses, and compatibility, but it's not so long that they become complacent or lose the sense of excitement and romance in their relationship.

Two to three years.

This answer is popular because it allows couples to fully establish themselves as a couple before getting married. During this time, couples can work on building a strong foundation for their relationship, including things like financial stability, communication skills, and shared goals and values. This can help ensure that they are ready to take on the challenges of married life.

When they feel ready.

This answer is popular because it emphasizes the importance of each individual's feelings and experiences. Some couples may feel ready to get married after a few months of dating, while others may want to wait several years before making that commitment. It's important for couples to trust their own instincts and feelings, and to communicate openly with each other about their readiness for marriage.

Pros and Cons of Getting Married After a Short or Long Courtship

If you do not want to read articles about the average length of relationship before breakup for the average dating time before second marriage, we urge you to read this section. Here we have collected the main advantages and disadvantages of the wedding after a long and short courtship, so you will not have to search and study this information all by yourself. 

Advantages of Long Courtship

In this section, we’d like to tell you about the advantages of a long courtship before marriage that most couples will face after a long relationship. 

Better Understanding of Each Other

Couples who dated for ages have a much better understanding of each other. Usually, these couples have already gone through a lot of things and difficulties. That helps them to feel comfortable and easy around each other. 

Confidence in Partner

When you already date the same partner for ages, you can totally tell that you are confident in your spouse. After years of being a couple, you know all things about each other, and as we all know trust is essential in every relationship. 

Disadvantages of Long Courtship

Unfortunately, there are some things that might disappoint you during the long courtships. And to prevent you from disappointing us we have collected some in this section.

average relationship length before marriage

Decreasing Passion

Unfortunately, you should be ready that your passion will decrease with the years. And that’s normal, however, some people may find it really disappointing. 

Everyday Problems

When you start living together, you should be ready for a lot of arguments that will appear on a regular basis. But do not worry, this is a regular problem that happens to everyone. 

Advantages of Short Courtship

Here you will find out some of the pros and cons of marriage after a short courtship.

Romantic Phase

In case you will marry your spouse after a short courtship, you can count on a long romantic phase. Unfortunately, usually, people marry each other after their romance passes away and that does not make their relationship better. 

Better Chance to Know Each Other

If you marry your partner after a few months of dating you will still have a lot of chances to know him or her much better. When you are getting married after a few years of dating you usually know every detail about the person.

how long to wait for proposal in 40s

Disadvantages of Short Courtship

Here you will find out the disadvantages of marriage after a short courtship. 

Lack of Understanding 

When you marry a person after a few dates, there is a chance of encountering misunderstandings. Unfortunately, it’s a regular thing for people who create a family after a short courtship.

Financial Safety

If you want to marry a reliable person, a short courtship is not the best way to do that. You will never find out everything after a short date, especially when it comes to such important things as finance. 

Conclusion

Marriage is an important step in the life of every person. However, every important step may cause a lot of questions. One of them is the average dating time before marriage. Of course, this is a very important point but you should understand that both long and short relationships may lead to a happy marriage. And the only thing that matters, in this case, is your love for your partner and not the length of your dating.

To find out more information about the length of dating before marriage, watch the video:

FAQ

What is an average dating time before marriage in the USA?

Women in the U.S. want to create a career before marriage, that’s why the average length of dating in America is longer than in other countries.

What is the average time of dating before getting engaged?

Usually, people date for around a couple of years before they get engaged. So you can focus on this number.

How long to date before marriage in your 20S?

There is no clear answer to this question since you should rely on your feelings. However, if you feel that your spouse is the love of your life, you can get married even after a few dates.

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