Courtship is a period when partners develop a romantic relationship and get to know each other better before tying the nuptial knot. The amount of time necessary for courtship is a bit of a puzzle. Some people argue that the longer couples spend dating before marriage, the better the outcome of their marriage in the long term
Studies suggest that there are as many marriages breaking as those being made each day. About 50% of all marriages end in separation or divorce. This can be scary for people looking to commit, and there is no easy way to wish it away.
On the brighter side, however, the other 50% do thrive for a lifetime. You just need to look out for the signs of a successful marriage, which in many cases are present in the relationship, even in the dating phase. But for one reason or another, they are ignored.
How Long Should Couples Date Before Marriage?
Truthfully, there is no specified amount of time dictated as adequate for people to court before they commit to marriage. This is mostly because every relationship is unique, and there are no rules that can universally apply to every situation.
There are a variety of factors each couple will consider before determining whether or not they are ready to tie the knot, depending on the circumstances surrounding their relationship.
Longer Dating Periods Correlate With Longer Marriages
There is evidence that couples that date for longer periods before marriage have lower divorce rates. For example, a 2015 study in the journal Economic Inquiry, found that couples who dated for one to two years were 20% less likely to later get a divorce than those who dated less than a year, and couples who dated for three years or longer were 39% less likely (Romm 2018).
Many separated couples often give reasons, such as lies, disrespect, abuse and infidelity, as reasons for separation. Most of these reasons point to the fact that people often commit before fully understanding their partner and, therefore, the nature of the relationship they are involved in. To learn more about how to tell if your relationship is moving too fast.
Longer Relationships Equal Greater Understanding
The longer couples stay together, the more likely they are to understand each other. The longer you stay with someone, the easier it is to discover that they are self-centred, disrespectful, sexually unremarkable and have a life full of secrets and habits that you simply can’t live with.
Not all relationships are meant to last a lifetime. You just need to open your eyes to the signs and evaluate the kind of relationship you are involved in and whether or not it is likely to succeed. Do this before you commit to marriage.
Get Past the Honeymoon Phase
The first few weeks or months of a relationship are often filled with skyrocketing passion and romance, and everything feels right. (Perhaps it’s from this stage that the saying ‘love is blind’ gets its origin).
Deciding to get married at this early stage of the relationship is likely to backfire in the long run. This is because your judgment is clouded by passion and admiration for this person. You simply can’t see the bad things even if they are right there in your face.
Even when you see them, the love you feel for this person gets you thinking that they can change for the better. No person is indeed perfect, but you must understand that old habits die hard. If you are lucky to notice a habit that pisses you off while you are still in courtship, it will likely be around for a long time.
