I think when you find the right person, you just know. Sorry for the lame answer.

It just felt right. We complemented each other. We have similar values, raising kids, finances, etc. But we are slightly different politically and types of vacations, etc. we’ve been married 25 years.

When I met my husband for the first time. I just knew. Over 20+ years now.

Anonymous wrote:We dated for years but it was only when we wanted kids that we decided that marrying made sense.

Same. We were together 14 years but didn't marry until we decided to have a kid.

Anonymous wrote:Wait- people are ready for marriage before they meet the right person?

I never even thought about marriage until I met DH. We both knew after the first month that we'd get married. I've always known I was going to get married, same with DH. We're responsible 1st borns who always had our ducks in a row.

Of course there are people who are ready to get married before they meet the right person. It’s like saying you’re ready to go to college before you know where you’re committing. Or you’re ready to purchase a house before you actually put in an offer. It means you’re of a certain state of mind and ready for the next step in life.

Wait- people are ready for marriage before they meet the right person?

I never even thought about marriage until I met DH. We both knew after the first month that we'd get married. I've always known I was going to get married, same with DH. We're responsible 1st borns who always had our ducks in a row.

I was “ready” to move in that direction by 23/24, but I wasn’t in the right relationship yet. I’d been in relationships in high school, college and after, some serious and some casual. When I hit 23.5/24, I felt like Id dated enough -good and bad - and knew what I wanted long term in life and a relationship. I had many good years in college and my early twenties focusing on myself and having fun with my friends. I met my husband at 24.5 and we got married when I was 27. I still had some anxiety about the finality of the commitment when the time came though!

I think if I’d been in the right relationship sooner I would have been okay getting married around 25, but not before then.

Most of my friends got married around the same age.

I was in my mid-30s and met a guy at a conference who was not my type at all, but when I saw him my brain said: husband. It was weird.

He really, really was not my type and I kept turning him down - and he kept telling me he saw us getting married.

Finally at some point I was like, ok I guess we're going to get married. We've been together 17 years now.

But how I really knew was that we were willing to deal with each other's sh**, you know? Like work through the not fun stuff and not blow it all up. Not always easy but overall worth it, I think.

Anonymous wrote:After about 8 years of marriage

When I met somebody who I couldn't even imagine breaking up with.

*earlier years included international moves, babies, issues with ILs etc so there was a lot to handle

I was ready for marriage, screened people family, friends and matchmaker recommended, ai didn't like some and some didn't like me, I liked him and he liked me and families liked each other, few dates forward, we committed, got engaged and married within a year. Decades later, no major regrets, would do it again but both think we could've handled earlier years even better.

I've been married 20+ years and still am not sure I'm ready. Honestly, my husband was ready and I didn't want a life without him.

About a year into dating. I was 23. Married two years later.

From 22 and on, I was ready. I just met some horrible men. Didn't get married until 32 but that was the absolute right person for me.

We dated for years but it was only when we wanted kids that we decided that marrying made sense.