Mid-October marked the one-year anniversary of the Buttons’ first date. Ah, so if you begin to do the math you realize… Mr. Buttons and I have only been together for a little over a year at this point, and we’ve been engaged for 6 of those months. So yes… we dated for only 8 months before he proposed!
I suppose you could say that we had a whirlwind romance, but nothing about it was rushed.
From the very start, Mr. Buttons and I clicked. Conversation came naturally, we share core values, and we were fortunate enough to have a lot of time to spend together because of our work schedules. Marriage came into consideration quicker than I would have normally expected, but it felt right, and we both knew that we’d found each other for a reason. And hey, when you know… you know!
In comparison to many of my friends/acquaintances’ relationships, I realize that this is a rather brief amount of time. I have had a good deal of skepticism pass my way since our engagement was announced, and I do try to take it in stride. My favorite is when people congratulate me/us and comment how much they can tell that we are in love, etc… and then they ask the inevitable question…
“So, how long have you two been together?”
“Just a little over a year now…”
A look of confusion/surprise crosses over their faces, and I typically hear something like, “oh…wow!” or, “you didn’t waste much time, did you?”
Sigh.
So, this begs the question…how long is long enough to “know” that someone is the person you are meant to be with? Is there a specific amount of time that must elapse before you officially are bequeathed with the ability to determine this? Is there a little alarm clock that suddenly “goes off” in your head to let you know that enough time has passed, and you are officially allowed to consider marriage? I think not. Some couples are together for years before a proposal, some just a few months. My parents had a shorter courtship than Mr. Buttons and I did, and they have been happily married for years! And, on the flip side, I know other couples that were together for years before they were married, as well! That is the beauty of life, right? At least, I’d like to think so! Love comes in so many shapes and forms, and what is right for one person isn’t necessarily right for others.
I’d like to just throw it out there that I personally focus on how much my fiancé and I are in love, not the amount of time we’ve had together. If you have been with your significant other for years, and you are still as madly in love as the first time you met, that is fantastic! Or, if you have only been together for a short time and you are still feeling the butterflies… that is wonderful, as well! I know I still get them when I see Mr. Buttons.
So… here’s to love, in every way, shape, and form it comes in! Enjoy it.
How long have you been with your SO? Did anyone else have a whirlwind romance like Mr. Buttons and I did?
I think it just really depends on the person. Both my husband and I were together for 6 years before we got engaged, but we are very “think over everything” before you act kind of people. We knew we’d get married after about a month of dating, but we just both needed to sort out everything before we could make that decision.
One of his best friends met and married his wife in 6 months time, though. He was just ready to get married and so was she, so when they knew, it just happened quickly.
Ugh. I hate when people do this. I knew I was going to marry Mr. Rainbow on the first day we spent together as adults (we’ve known each other since I was 11). We reunited after many many years and I kid you not, we both just knew instantly. We moved in together after only a month of dating. Don’t let other people’s preconcieved notions of the “relationship time frame” get you down. No one knows your relationship as well as you do.
Although we dated for 3.5 years before we got engaged, I knew I wanted to marry him after more like 1.5. I think you’re right, it depends on the couple.
We got engaged after a year a three months but I knew I could marry him after our second date. People are quick to judge but that’s because they aren’t in the situation. I like your attitude about it.
I think 8 months is not even that fast honestly!! I’d say anything from about 8 mon-2 yrs seems to be “standard.”
I was with FI for a bit over 2.5 years before he proposed so we definitely had a longer courtship, but it worked for us. I did not “know” within the first day, week, month, or even year that I would marry him. To be totally honest– we both had a little growing up to do (despite the fact that we were 22 when we met which is not THAT young) and I believe if we would have gotten married right away we wouldn’t have lasted. But we grew up with each other (maybe for each other?) and now we’re happily engaged 
I friend of mine got engaged after 5 months… I think it was Melissa Joan Hart who married her husband after a short period of time… I believe he said something like, “Once you know you want to spend the rest of your life with someone you want the rest of our life to begin as soon as possible.”
Mr Frenchie and I knew before out 1st Anniversary but waited for him to Graduate school and other life stuff… I didn’t want to but he was doing the proposing 
*raises hand* We did! We were together almost three months when he proposed, and we’d been living together since two. We just knew, it was right for us, and of the few people that insisted this was a bad idea, all supported us except for one. And I don’t talk to her anymore thank goodness. My parents had a similar “whirlwind”, and they’ll be celebrating their 30th anniversary next year so they were totally on board.
FI and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary two days ago, and we’re more in love and happier than we were when we started. We love each other, warts and all, and every day we renew our committment to each other. Take THAT naysayers!
Mr. Mary Jane and I will have been together for two years pretty soon here… and we’ve already been married for almost 4 months! When you know, you know!
My DH and I dated for 1 month before we were engaged, I moved in two month later and we had an 11 month engagement. So, we’d been together 1 year by the time the wedding rolled around! We’ll be married 4 years this March and will be having our second daughter in March too. I love him more than I did on our wedding day and while it’s not always rainbows and butterflies, overall it’s been a very happy four years!
my parents got engaged after 3 months and have now been married for 27 years! it definitely depends on the couple. as long as you have the same basic values and philosophy on life, and, of course, have that “spark”. i don’t think it matters how long you were together before – it matters how long you last after!
We were together for exactly a year when we got engaged, and we got so much crap for it from people in our peer group. It’s died down now, but it wasn’t great in the beginning. And I agree, when you know, you just know!
Yup, another ‘ohhh, you didn’t waste much time’ here!! 11 months from when we met to when we got engaged I never thought it before, but when you know, you know!
It all depends on your relationship. Just because a couple has been dating for 5 years doesn’t make them more ready for marriage than a couple dating for 5 months. It all depends on your situation and the circumstances surrounding your engagement. It should not be to “save money” or any of that. It should be for love and it should be with the right person. BTW, I love your name Miss Buttons! Very cute!
i’m a little slow-to-warm-up to new people and new situations. it took me some time to transition from being a fun single chica to being someone’s girlfriend. it’s also taken me some time to adjust to becoming a fiance. some people embrace quick changes and some like to stop and smell the roses…all of them. but variety is the spice of life. you ought to be proud and comfortable with your relationship and not be caught up in other people’s standards.
I agree that it’s based on the couple. Once I decided I wanted to date my FI (long complicated story) I knew we’d be together forever. We were together for almost 2.5 years when he proposed but it doesn’t really matter cause we’ll be together forever no matter what.
I adore how love works in different ways for different people One of Mr. Buttons’ friends (and one of our groomsmen) proposed on New Year’s eve last year, and they were married on Valentine’s Day…shortest engagement period ever!
I think it is totally dependent on the couple. My FI and I dated 6 months before we knew we wanted to get married. We didn’t get engaged until after we were dating for a year though, only because of life getting in the way. I knew I wanted to marry her after two weeks of dating. Don’t allow other people’s reactions to discourage your beautiful relationship.
Oh man. I hate answering that question… we’ve been together 15 months… and have been married for almost two… so yeah, he proposed two months after we started dating and we had a year long engagement. But, I dated the guy before him for 5 years, and never felt this way about him. When you know, you know!
We got engaged after two years and three months, but bought a house together within six months of knowing each other.
It took us another two years before getting married. So, now we’ve been married two months, together for four and half years, and lived in our house for four years. Crazy.
Mrs. Buttons, Clearwater, FL Age and Occupation: 24, "Working on it" Fiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Financial Services Engagement Date: June 13, 2009 Wedding Date: May 2010 Venue: Carlouel Yacht Club About Me: I'm a self proclaimed perfectionist and a professional nomad (seriously, I've lived in TX, WI, MI, FL, NC, and now VA!). I love wine, cooking, curling up with a good book (nerd alert!), spoiling the furbaby, and of course, the wonderful Mr. Buttons! We are planning a lighthearted and whimsical wedding (with a good deal of DIY projects) in Clearwater, Florida, but from a distance of 800 miles away! We are looking forward to sharing our day with our family and friends, and most importantly, starting our lives together as husband and wife!
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