When it comes to dating and relationships, everyone has different expectations. Some people want to see where the relationship goes, while others enter a relationship with the sole purpose of making a trip to the altar. Still others have no intention of ever getting married.
No matter where you fall on the spectrum, you need to be upfront and honest about your intentions, especially if your partner shows signs of wanting to get married and you have no desire to ever tie the knot.
During the dating phase of a relationship, you get to see all aspects of the other person's personality. One of the things you'll notice is how eager your partner is to get married. For people who are not ready to get married or make a long-term commitment, this eagerness may be a turnoff. For those who are looking for a lifelong mate, a high interest in marriage could be encouraging.
Regardless of your intentions, marriage is not something you should ever rush into. Always proceed with caution when the person you're dating is pressuring you to get married before you're ready.
When partners frequently bring up their parents' happy marriage and mention how they were already married by this age, you might be dealing with someone who is overly eager to get married, or at the very least worried about the fact that they are not married yet.
When someone wants to get married sooner rather than later, they may constantly talk about all of the happily married couples they know and how they want that too. When these hints are dropped, it is best to have a straightforward conversation about your marriage goals.
Frequently Visits Home Furnishing Stores
If you and your partner are not living together, but you frequently browse furniture and home decor stores, one of two things could be taking place. First, your partner may just really enjoy decorating and truly have no ulterior motives. Or, the furniture store trips could be a subtle way of getting you to think about making a home together, especially if your partner asks you which items you prefer.
When these trips happen a lot instead of doing other fun things together, this could be your partner's way of hinting at marriage. Rather than making assumptions, ask your partner why they enjoy this type of shopping.
Has Been Engaged Before
If your partner has been engaged at least once but has never made it to the altar, they may like the idea of marriage and engagement and just be afraid of commitment. Or your partner could have realized that the person they were engaged to was not a good fit.
If your partner has had a string of engagements, this is a warning sign. Either your partner has a habit of pressuring others to get married before they are ready, or your partner is not ready for marriage either. Ask about the previous engagements to determine what went wrong and why your partner never married.
Encourages Unprotected Sex
When people are eager to get married, they may have no problem skipping birth control, especially if the relationship is committed and monogamous. But until a couple is married, it is not safe or wise to have unprotected sex. So if your partner is asking for unprotected sex, this is a warning sign.
For instance, your partner may welcome an unexpected pregnancy and see it as a doorway to marriage. If you are not ready for a baby or marriage, be sure to use contraception every time. Pregnancy requires discussion and should not be a spur-of-the-moment decision.
If your partner already knows where the wedding venue should be and what they plan to wear, then they are definitely looking to get married at some point and have given it a lot of thought. While it is normal for people to daydream about their future wedding, talking about it as if it is happening tomorrow is not.
It's also a red flag if you feel like you are just a commodity to help your partner reach their marriage goal. When this happens, eager partners are often more interested in the idea of marriage than they are interested in you.