Give Yourself Time to Know Your Partner Through the Good Times and the Bad. As a baseline, Ian Kerner, PhD, LMFT, licensed psychotherapist, couples therapist and author of She Comes First, suggests that one to two years is often a good amount of time to date before getting engaged.

Is 2 years too early to propose?

According to recent data, 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.