We were very serious pretty much from the beginning after being set up on what was basically a blind date by our respective college roommates who were interested in each other.
We were talking one night after a couple of months together and just looked at each other and said at almost the same time something along the lines of “You know we’re going to get married, right”. In my heart we were engaged at that point since it was just a known thing between us. We also knew we wanted to wait to get married until we both finished college in two years for me and one more for her since it would be difficult to be in the same city together during that period.
We got engaged officially about a year and a half later. I did a very cute thing with a series of Tigger (my pet name for her) dolls each holding one word of the big question that ended with one holding the ring and me on one knee. My timing and the way I did it was a surprise that she adored, but we had long before talked through everything and knew exactly where were heading.