# Guys: How long did you date your girlfriend before marrying her? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 18, 2011, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-how-long-did-you-date-your-girlfriend-before-marrying-her/593222 "2011-08-18T21:19:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![OneMissedPost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e7dd6/32.png) [@OneMissedPost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneMissedPost)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-how-long-did-you-date-your-girlfriend-before-marrying-her/593222/1 "2011-08-18T21:19:58Z")
Just curious, how long did you date your girlfriend before marrying her? ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-how-long-did-you-date-your-girlfriend-before-marrying-her/593222/2 "2011-08-18T21:28:38Z")
We lived together for nearly 5 years before we got married. 16 years later, we’re still happily married and have 3 kids. So there. ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-how-long-did-you-date-your-girlfriend-before-marrying-her/593222/3 "2011-08-18T21:35:41Z")
No offense, but the poll options are are pretty darn terrible. Moi: something like 3 years. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-how-long-did-you-date-your-girlfriend-before-marrying-her/593222/4 "2011-08-18T21:37:02Z")
We lived together seven years and never would have married except she needed health insurance. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-how-long-did-you-date-your-girlfriend-before-marrying-her/593222/5 "2011-08-18T21:40:01Z")
Our first date was New Year’s Eve of 1990. We got married May 15, 1993, so almost 2 1/2 years. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-how-long-did-you-date-your-girlfriend-before-marrying-her/593222/6 "2011-08-18T21:47:05Z")
I met her at the end of August, 1963 and we were married in mid-March, 1964, so I had to choose between 5 months and 10. Forty seven years later, we are still together. Three kids and 6 grandkids. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-how-long-did-you-date-your-girlfriend-before-marrying-her/593222/7 "2011-08-18T21:50:42Z")
> [@neuroman](#): > > No offense, but the poll options are are pretty darn terrible. > > Moi: something like 3 years. Yeah; I’m picturing folded arms and foot-tapping. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-how-long-did-you-date-your-girlfriend-before-marrying-her/593222/8 "2011-08-18T21:52:01Z")
Are you measuring from first date to engagement, or first date to wedding? Once you’re engaged you’re not really dating anymore, I guess, although you can still go on dates. Me: First date to engagement: just under 2 months First date to wedding: 9 months Edit: no option for less than five months? ---
**Author:** ![Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dread_pirate_jimbo/32/3897_2.png) [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dread_Pirate_Jimbo)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-how-long-did-you-date-your-girlfriend-before-marrying-her/593222/9 "2011-08-18T21:52:54Z")
I proposed on our one-year anniversary and we got married jusy shy of a year-and-a-half later, so I went with “about two years.” ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-how-long-did-you-date-your-girlfriend-before-marrying-her/593222/10 "2011-08-18T21:54:00Z")
Firstly, **neuroman** ’s right - the poll options for this sort of thing ought to be ranges, something like, \<6 months, 6 months - 1 year, 1-1.5 years, 1.5-2 years, \>2 years. (I’d give a longer time horizon, with options at least out to 5+ years, but these kinda reflect the choices you gave in your poll.) Secondly, why are you interested in only how often Doper **guys** dated their girlfriends? A more general question (ie any heterosexual relationship, to exclude the fact that until recently, homosexual relationships could not result in marriage) would give you basically the same information, unless you have reason to believe that Doper guys averaged a significantly different amount of time than Doper gals. Thirdly, do you mean dating, or all time in a relationship until the point of marriage? I do not generally include my engagement in the period I think of as ‘dating’ Mr. GilaB. FWIW, we dated for 7 months and were engaged for 3.5 more. But I haven’t voted, 'cause I’m not a guy. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-how-long-did-you-date-your-girlfriend-before-marrying-her/593222/11 "2011-08-18T21:55:23Z")
These poll options are cracking me up. Why 5 months and 10 months? But then again I am a girl so I don’t get to answer this poll. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-how-long-did-you-date-your-girlfriend-before-marrying-her/593222/12 "2011-08-18T21:58:42Z")
> [@Beadalin](#): > > These poll options are cracking me up. Why 5 months and 10 months? Into the third trimester, or after delivery. Duh. Our first date was _Star Trek: The Movie_ and our twenty ninth anniversary was a few months back. So a bit more than two years. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-how-long-did-you-date-your-girlfriend-before-marrying-her/593222/13 "2011-08-18T21:59:43Z")
First date to engagement: six weeks Adding the engagement in pulls it up to about five months, but I don’t think you’re “dating” once you’ve actually set a wedding date. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-how-long-did-you-date-your-girlfriend-before-marrying-her/593222/14 "2011-08-18T22:00:47Z")
About four years. We lived together for about half of that time. Our 21st anniversary is the week after next. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-how-long-did-you-date-your-girlfriend-before-marrying-her/593222/15 "2011-08-18T22:04:04Z")
Lived together for 5.5 years\* before getting married. First date to engagement: 3.5 years. Engagement: 2 years. So 5.5 years. \*We moved in together the day of our first date. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-how-long-did-you-date-your-girlfriend-before-marrying-her/593222/16 "2011-08-18T22:10:11Z")
Met in 2002, proposed in 2003, married in 2004. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-how-long-did-you-date-your-girlfriend-before-marrying-her/593222/17 "2011-08-18T22:38:46Z")
I’ve been “dating” my girlfriend for 12 years, and we have no plans to get married. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-how-long-did-you-date-your-girlfriend-before-marrying-her/593222/18 "2011-08-18T22:41:42Z")
First time around, my ex and I dated for about 2.5 years before getting married. This time, it will be exactly two years from our first date (although the first date lasted five days, so we get to fudge that a little). 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-how-long-did-you-date-your-girlfriend-before-marrying-her/593222/19 "2011-08-18T23:49:05Z")
Let’s see, first date June 26, 1990. Proposal = January, 2005. Knot tied on June 4, 2005. So what are we looking at,…a skosh under 15 years. You didn’t ask but one beautiful daughter later and still going strong today. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-how-long-did-you-date-your-girlfriend-before-marrying-her/593222/20 "2011-08-18T23:51:58Z")
We dated off and on since high school, and lived together for several years after I got out of college before we got married…about 7 years if memory serves. Been married over 25 years now. Try before you buy is my motto… -XT [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-how-long-did-you-date-your-girlfriend-before-marrying-her/593222.md?page=2)