December. The holiday season has long reigned supreme when it comes to the most popular months to get engaged—and we can't say that we're surprised. December brings with it feelings of thankfulness and love in the winter months.
In the US, nearly 40% of engagements happen in the two-and-a-half months between Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day, according to a survey of 18,000 people. December, in particular, is the peak month for getting engaged – with Christmas Eve a particularly popular date.
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In the past, Christmas Day easily the front runner for the most popular day to get engaged. But in 2020, Valentine's Day took the top spot as the most popular day to get engaged—possibly because in 2020, it took place before COVID swept the U.S. And, of course, Valentine's Day is a holiday that's all about love.
Most couples date for two or more years before getting engaged, with many dating anywhere from two to five years. Once the question is popped, the average length of engagement is between 12 and 18 months.
This might not come as a shock, but there's no exact timeline for when you should get engaged. You may hear some "love at first sight" couples say you can get engaged after a few days, while experts may say wait three to six months.
When Is Wedding Off-Season? In contrast, winter is considered the off-season for weddings. Only 11% of weddings took place between December and February last year, making it the least popular season to get married. February is the least popular month for weddings, accounting for just 3% of them in 2022.
Autumn and spring the time to wed
November (spring) and March (autumn) are the most popular months to get married, each hosting 12% of Australia's yearly marriages.
As a result, prices tend to be higher during peak hours, when demand is highest. Weddings peak in March (fall) and November (spring), and Saturday is by far the most common day to get married, followed by Sunday. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, June and July have the lowest wedding rates.
In the first month of 2023, couples should look to get married on January 15, 18, 25, 26, 27, or 30. February is also filled with lucky days (including Valentine's Day!). Those looking to get married that month should look to February 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 16, 22, 23, 27, 23, 27, and 28.
According to relationship therapist Aimee Hartstein, LCSW, as it turns out, the first year really is the hardest—even if you've already lived together. In fact, it often doesn't matter if you've been together for multiple years, the start of married life is still tricky.
“The ideal age to get married, with the least likelihood of divorce in the first five years, is 28 to 32,” says Carrie Krawiec, a marriage and family therapist at Birmingham Maple Clinic in Troy, Michigan. “Called the 'Goldilocks theory,' the idea is that people at this age are not too old and not too young.”
From the mid-1970s until 2018 there was a steady and ongoing increase in the median age of men and women at first marriage. This upward trend halted between 2018 and 2020 but continued again in 2021. In 2021 the median age of men was 30.8 years, and women 29.4 years.
The median duration of marriage to divorce for divorcing couples over the last decade (2011–21) was between 12 and 12.2 years, and the median duration of marriage to final separation was 8.3 to 8.7 years. In other words, it took 3–4 years from separation for divorcing couples to finalise their divorce.
For couples who decide to move in together, just over half of them marry within five years. Within that same time period, 40 percent of couples split up. Roughly 10 percent of them continue to live together without being married.
The most common birthday in Australia is September 17th! The least common birthday (you may have guessed it is) is Christmas Day, the 25th of December. If you are inclined to count leap years in the mix then the 29th February is the least common birthday, but only because they occur once every 4 years.
After 10 to 15 months together most couples will move in with each other and get engaged after a year and a half. Ben said that a relationship timeline will always be unique to the couple and what feels right for them.
While research shows the average length of engagement for most couples in the United States is between 12-18 months, you shouldn't let this influence your decision. Some couples have shorter engagements and others wait closer to two years before tying the knot.
After about seven months together, couples have a general idea of how each other work and may have already said, "I love you." Think about it this way: Someone who has only dated around and hasn't been in a committed relationship before may absolutely consider seven months to be a long-term relationship.
The truth of the matter is that there is no right or wrong length of time to wait to get engaged. Some couples wait six years before making it official, while others date for just six months—it all depends on your unique circumstances.
The honeymoon phase is an early part of a couple's relationship where everything seems carefree and happy. It usually lasts from six months to two years and can be marked with lots of laughs, intimacy, and fun dates.
A promise ring, sometimes known as a pre-engagement ring, is given in a relationship to signify commitment. Whilst for many young couples a promise ring means a vow of an engagement ring to come, others may simply use it to show their loyalty and devotion to their partner.
Engagement season is when most engagements take place; typically, between Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day (coinciding with the holiday season). December is the most popular month to get engaged, with Christmas Day, Christmas Eve, and New Year's Eve all getting a lot of attention.