Quickie weddings or long engagements?

I loved loved loved reading all these stories. I'm 21, my boyfriend is 28. We met 3 years ago, it was just a casual relationship. He moved to the UK, we lost touch. Reconnected in January and have been together since. He still lives in the UK but we constantly talk about getting married, kids, basically planning our future.

The romantic in me is dying to get married, be his wife live happily ever after. But, I know it'll be smarter to wait until I'm sorted out, we're actually living together awhile (to make sure we don't hate each other lol). Plus, he has children so it's not just about us, it's about how this will affect them. I'm giving it 2 years for a proposal and the only reason we'd be engaged for a long time is if we were saving for the wedding.

I was dating my husband for 2 years and was engaged for almost 2 years and we have been married for 2 years and we just had our daughter 10 months ago

I always think that the "Long Engagements" are just opportunies for each person to chicken out/change their minds, maybe find someone better in the meantime. Maybe end old business with their EX. I think some guys give a ring, just to satisfy their lady, and NEVER set a actual date... Or they set a date 5 years from then... Why? Ooooh... So they can do all the planning and spend lots of money, and experice the Bridezilla effect. One thing I never wanted to do. Not sure why so many women have to turn all Bridezilla and spoil themselves to the extreme... And wish for many many gifts. Isn't it about LOVE? Isn't the GIFT the other person committing to you? Being there for you until you die?

We dated for 2 years. He asked on exactly our 2 year anniversary... Made the DATE later that month, and 8 months later, had a small NON-Showy wedding on the beach. With just the immediate family, and without Bridezilla situations... My dress was rented not bought new.. This way I wore a dress that was extra fancy (One that was very expensive to buy new) and we kept it simple... I think its more about the marriage, than spending buttloads of $ for soley one day... We did have a reception later that year with 75 ish people, in a fairly nice place. We were both working, and were lucky to get two days off to get married. And later that year when our work was slow, we had the reception. Aug 23rd this year will be our 4 year wedding anniversary... And Dec this year we will have been together for 7 years. WaaahWow! This is our first and only marriage for both of us. And we are proud parents of two Poms....

I always think that the "Long Engagements" are just opportunies for each person to chicken out/change their minds, maybe find someone better in the meantime. Maybe end old business with their EX. I think some guys give a ring, just to satisfy their lady, and NEVER set a actual date... Or they set a date 5 years from then... Why? Ooooh... So they can do all the planning and spend lots of money, and experice the Bridezilla effect. One thing I never wanted to do. Not sure why so many women have to turn all Bridezilla and spoil themselves to the extreme... And wish for many many gifts. Isn't it about LOVE? Isn't the GIFT the other person committing to you? Being there for you until you die?

This exactly.

Started dating at 17 (he was 21), engaged at 18married at 19. We will be celebrating 15 years of marraige in October and have 3 beautiful children (13, 11 and 6) to celebrate with us!

Technically my husband and I were only engaged for 12 hours before we got married. We had everything planned out for us to get married... even though he had't "officially" asked. He asked the night before we got married. We were together for 7 1/2 months before we finally got married. We're still newly webs though. Married only 6 1/2 months.

Awwwwww congrats to the sweet love stories!!!

Myself and that guy were datng 3 years and engaged for one year, we lived together for about 60 days before things began to unravel. Fortunately we parted as friends. but I highly reccommend testing the waters and use a year of engagement. Unless the sky opens and elvis comes down and says that person is the one.

Love is a grand feeling. Make love make sense too is all im saying.:flowerforyou:

My husband and I met in April, moved in together in September, got engaged in October, married the next April. We've been married for 5 years and have a wonderful 4 yo daughter.

I've been with my s.o. for six years last February, we have lived together most of this time, we have a beautiful four year old, we're not married, but we are each others. I don't see a line separating engaged and married I guess(other than a few things like the ymca not letting us sign up as a family). We plan on getting married, but it's going to be more of a celebration of our love, than the beginning of the rest of our life, we're already living our life together. Our daughter will be my flower girl and it's going to be at the Scarborough faire, going to have a blast and I do admit that I'm looking forward to our honeymoon ; ) and I totally think people with a child/ren are more apt to appreciate a honeymoon lol.

We've been dating + living together for 5 years. Not engaged, not married. We own a home together, share expenses, share finances, share families. The only difference between us and a married couple of a piece of paper. So why bother? If it ever saves us on taxes, we might do it. But until then, I don't see why we need a ceremony or a certificate to prove that we're in this for the long haul.

Well, I'm scared to be married, which is why we're doing a common law thing in Canada, but I'll have a ring from my great-grandmother to wear for about 6 months this Christmas before we have a celebration then we're moving to Canada.

Been together over 3 years as of now, and we'll be "married" (common law) just past the four year mark.

Been living together for the past year, and before that, we lived together during the summers and winters I was home from school (I went to uni in a different country, did the LDR thing for 2 years before we both got sick of it and I moved back to my homestate)

Someone said before, you can love 'em, doesn't mean you still don't want to strangle him! And I find that's so true! He's my best friend and lover and most awesome person ever but I still want to throttle him when he bugs me AGAIN about putting the ice tray in the "right" spot in the freezer. OCD much, honey? haha ;P

Met briefly at a party in the UK. Kind of kept in touch for a while. I went to visit friends in the UK and we hit it off. One month later he was moving in with me in the US. 3 months later he proposed, couple weeks after that we got married. Will be 15 years next year!

I met my husband and started dating 6 years ago. Five years ago, he proposed, but we decided to wait until we were a bit more financially stable. We finally married on October 13th of this year.