How long have you been “in waiting”?

[PrincessNatalie]

I am interested in how long we have all been patiently waiting In my case I experienced my first bout of LIW-itis in April this year, which is when I realised I was "ready" and I have been trying to be patient ever since.

I will admit that it was much worst at the beginging when I did not have a time line. Since the timeline discussion its just felt like annoying waiting, without so much emotional/confusion and angst.

So how long have you been experiencing LIW-isit?

 

[Jessie702]

I have been a Lady in waiting for almost 2 years, and had a few bouts of LIWITS...and its been bad. I think this is the finale stretch of waiting for me, and i will admit, its much worse than in the beginning.

 

[AdanaEsq]

I've known for months that I want to marry BF. We've been together about a year and a half. It looks like I'll be waiting another year or more. I don't feel patient at all. We're supposed to go to Hawaii for my birthday next year and if he doesn't propose before then or on the trip I will be very disappointed.

 

[vanilla87]

I've been a LIW for about a year now... MOst of the time i do ok but i certainly have my moments. Thank Godness BF understands my frustrattions and is happy to talk about it!!

 

[mochamamasita]

I've been waiting forever . *sigh*. I've felt ready to marry him ever since I graduated from college three years ago. Unfortunately, he didn't feel ready until this year. Now I'm just waiting for him to save up enough money for the ring. Hopefully he'll have enough money saved by next year so that we can get engaged. Now that I'm 25 though, I actually think that it's better that we're waiting and that we didn't get engaged right out of college.

 

[brittany0613]

My BF and I have been together for 2.5 years, but we've known for a long time that we wanted to marry each other, so as far as that goes, I don't remember exactly when. But we bought a house together in January, so I'd say that made it pretty darn official. Then we started ring shopping a few weeks ago, so that solidified it 100%. I never really experienced LIWitis until we started looking at settings and doing diamond research. Ever since we started ring shopping, I've been trying to be really careful about what all I talk about so I don't seem naggy about it. lol

 

[Indylady]

No idea..hmmn. Maybe a year?

 

[UnluckyTwin]

Since March of this year, so about 8 months. March was our first anniversay. He had said flippantly one day a couple of months earlier that he thought a good timeline was to get engaged after a year and married after two, so when March rolled around, I increasingly expected it. At the time, I was very anxious about it because I thought he'd ask me to legally marry him and I didn't want to legally marry for a host of reasons, so I dreaded the whole ring, down on one knee, "will you say yes?" thing because I wasn't ready to say no to him since I loved him dearly. I went crazy looking for signs that he was going to do it, and then the night of our anniversary we went to the most romantic place ever and he didn't do it, so I figured that he wasn't going to, and I brought up why I didn't want to legally marry. That conversation went very well, much to my relief, and we agreed upon having a non-legally-committing ceremony to exchange vows and rings in front of our family. When I asked him the timeline for that, he and I both agreed to do it when we have enough money to pull off the ceremony/party without using credit cards. So I'm still "in waiting" but given that we both have several years of grad school left, I don't expect anything any time soon and so I do not get LIWitis (only the occasional pang of jealousy when I see everyone else getting married and buying houses and doing the adult stuff that we can't do yet).

 

[MayFlowers]

Hmm...I'm going to say about a year and a half. We had been talking about marriage since before that, but I always knew we were too young. Then last summer, I went on a family vacation without BF and it was the longest amount of time we had ever spent apart. It was really hard on BF (I had lost of distractions like sleeping on the beach to help me survive) and when I came home, he couldn't stop talking about getting married. That was when he suggested we go ring shopping. He had just gotten a "real" (i.e. career) job and was working two jobs to save money. I thought for sure we would be engaged by this past April, but it didn't happen!

I signed up to be on the list about a year ago and I have had some crazy LIWitis here and there. But, right now, I really think it's going to happen early next year. BF said we will be engaged soon! But "soon" to him may be three or four months. So, I'm in the home stretch!

 

[CourtLynB]

Hmmm, at this point in time I'd say around a year-ish. We've past the two years, talked about marriage a lot. He let me try on rings at Tiffany's in NYC after Christmas. (We live on Long Island and went to see the tree). We went to see our jeweler in March and he got some pricing and specs on stones.........then started dragging his feet.

Now I know he has the money saved up, he's been doing things, and I've been trying not to nag. He said not before Christmas, then soon, but still not before Christmas. We are going on a cruise at the end of January, so maybe then. But we are going with my parents, so I have no idea.

I find that the bouts of LIWitis hit the hardest when two other girls in my office got engaged after being with the BF's shorter than I've been with mine. One got engaged in August and she was really obnoxious about it. The other one was in September. Of course, at the time, my BF and I were on vacation with friends to the Outer Banks, NC, which would have been a perfect time.

Now he's off buying me Christmas presents. I don't want presents, I want the ring!!!!

 

[maebelle]

We've been dating a little longer than three years, and I know I've wanted to marry him "in the future" for about a year. It's only the last 6 months I've started to get really ring crazy

Hopefully we'll have time soon to go look at rings, he keeps asking what I like, but we definitely need a trip to the store. I also have my favorite gem cutters linked on my computer so he knows where to get a fabulous, sapphire for my center stone. I think I've only got 6 months tops to go!

 

[heyme]

I've been with my boyfriend for 4+ years now. I've been "waiting" for over 2 years now. I've known I wanted to marry him just several months into the relationship, but for the past 2 years or so (and increasing as time goes on) I've been looking at rings, etc. and going crazy!!

 

[DuckLovingVegan]

I've been with my SO for over three years. I've known since about six months into the relationship I wanted to marry him. I've been a LIW and ring crazy since about a year ago ok maybe a little longer . Although I have a bit of a wait were trying to save up for a house well mostly him. I have to wait until I graduate next dec and then get a job. I would like to be engaged in two years we talked about getting a house the earliest is 2013 but he knows I won't do that unless I'm engaged. A girl can only dream.

 

[speechie]

Have been together for about 7 years and I've been ready for about 2 years, butI didn't think about it much until I moved to a new state to be with my BF/ started a new job and everyone wants to know "OMG why did you move here? Why aren't you married? You've been together how long?" Now I'm very self conscious about it.

 

[mmi]

I think I may set a record. I've had LIWitis since 2.5 years into our relationship, and we've been together for 6 years. I maybe have two more years to wait as well, depending on some things. My sanity will be tested.

 

[Steel]

DH and I dated for about 4 years before I got a ring. He had a big thing about not having a long engagement and I had a big thing about buying a house with a man who had not 'formally' committed to me. It took us approx another 3 years to get hitched (I was all fussy about not getting married in an odd numbered year - yes, I'm embarrassed to admit it now ). So I completely understand the frustration of LIW'itis....

Good luck to all!

 

[mariewest]

SO and I have been together almost 4 years, after the first year SO made a comment about "this is the year I'm going to propose." That was New Years Day 2008, and all through that spring he kept saying things like "sooner than you think," and asking me what type of ring style I like, etc. Then by that August he said that he was having some car trouble and needed to put his money into that. Since then he hasn't said much except that he doesn't have the money and that I need to "chill out." Ever since he first brought up proposing, I've been "in waiting," so that makes almost three years.

 

[PrincessNatalie]

SO and I have been together almost 4 years, after the first year SO made a comment about "this is the year I'm going to propose." That was New Years Day 2008, and all through that spring he kept saying things like "sooner than you think," and asking me what type of ring style I like, etc. Then by that August he said that he was having some car trouble and needed to put his money into that. Since then he hasn't said much except that he doesn't have the money and that I need to "chill out." Ever since he first brought up proposing, I've been "in waiting," so that makes almost three years.

This would drive me nuts! Freaking BOYS!

 

[manderz]

My fiance and I will have been together for 8 years this Christmas, and just got engaged this summer. I feel like I was ready about 5 years ago, so I'd have been "in waiting" about 4 1/2 years. It will be at least another 3 years before we get married.

 

[inflorescence]

Hello all! Im new to this forum, I came across it looking for, "hints that he is going to propose, how long do men normally wait before proposing... etc etc."

After reading a few topics I decided to join and vent!! haha...

My boyfriend has been making several hints for the past 3 months that he "wants to spend forever with me, when we have children, when we get married..." I overheard him saying over six months ago that he has been waiting to travel Europe because he wanted to do it with the women of his dreams...(One of the only places in the world he hasn't been) So a few months ago he asked me to join him in a six month adventure to Europe.... hmmm interesting eh? We have been talking about getting married, and we both know its what we want... but I still don't get my hopes up too much, because who knows how long he is going to make me wait.... but I went to my girlfriends wedding a few weeks ago and he came.... I caught the flowers... his response "I can't wait to tell my parents"... He is constantly making hints towards proposal and marriage, but then sometimes say getting married is awhile away.

So our flights are booked for Europe, we will be in London for Christmas this year, and then Paris for New Years (his request) and has said he has made the plans for our entire day.... I am thinking he might, but I may be getting way ahead of myself?

What do you think? He's 27... I'm 24... we have been dating for a year and a half and have lived together for six months. He is very romantic, so he might just be planning a romantic New Years. I don't want to get myself all worked up thinking he is proposing and then him not that night and me lose out on the romantic evening... cause I will get myself all hyped up, well who wouldnt?!?!?! I'm going to PARIS for New Years.. lol.... So anxious.. I can't stop thinking about it..lol...

Thoughts?

Thank You

xox

 

[Magpie09]

I've been in waiting for about 10 months. LIWitis didn't really hit me hard until this month as I just came back from a month long holiday with my boyfriend. There have been 2 engagements and 1 wedding this year from our close group of firends therefore putting us next on the 'when are you getting' married list. The hardest part is the knowlegde that we plan to spend the rest of our lives together, have kids and all the rest but not being able to tell others. Sometimes I just want to share all the great things we plan to do and that I found THE guy but it seems a little out of place to do so without being engaged first.

I'm guessing the engagement won't come for another 1-2 years, although I remain hopeful that he will surprise me sooner

 

[Superfashionista]

We've been together for almost 8 years. We've been off and on for the beginning years of our relationship due to distance, age, and other variables. However, we've been going strong now for the past two and a half years. I am VERY ready and hope that he propses for my Birthday, which is also on Christmas. I am trying not to get my hopes up only to be disappointed and especially since he told me he wouldn't propose on Christmas. (In the back of my mind I am hoping he is telling me that to trick me so I will not expect it!) I've already picked out the ring this past March and he's been paying on it. I am getting a little impatient..... Hopefully, this will be a WONDERFUL Christmas/Birthday for me!

 

[captainmcgee]

I have known since very early on that my SO was the one.

But my LIW-itis set it big time about 5 months ago. Then we begun to look at some rings while we were O/S, that set me off more. When we came home we began to look and then we bought the stone and now it is almost finished (next week ahhhh).

I would have to say that I joined PS when my LIW-itis begun to get worse. It is still going and I imagine it will be getting worse once I actually have the ring in my possession and my SO is hiding it and deciding when.

I know it is soonish well hopefully the next 6 months but it is going to be so hard!

Xmas or NY would be fantastic as it is the only time he has off until one weekend off at easter and then no time until october 2011.

 

[MBKRH]

I have been in waiting for six years as of new years day. Of course, in the beginning, it wasn't a big issue. But now that I'm 28, and all my friends are married or engaged, the bug's bite has grown into a nasty itch that no amount of scratching can satisfy.

Then, to make matters worse for me, my coworker proposed to his gf on the 17th. They've been together 5 years, I believe. Then, an aquaintence was proposed to the next day. Her and her bf have been together for 7 years.

So, needless to say, the past week I have been a jealous, angry, spiteful b*tch. I've been cross with my bf, obviously not saying why. Then, he has the audacity to tell me " I got your present but you'll probably hate it." It's probably another damn bottle of perfume or something. GAAAAHHHH!!!!!!

 

[Glitz]

I knew 100% that he was the one for me after 3 years, we went through a tragic loss together. The situation was one where we both could have walked away from each other and started new, instead we stuck closer together and came out of the whole mess better than before. Although I knew then that we would be married, it wasn't until around last New Years when I actually felt ready for marriage and this is also when we started talking about our marriage/engagement/ring! I would say that I have officially been a LIW for 1 year.

 

[pinkstars]

I'm not officially on the list, but I'll play! I've been with BF for over 6 years and started looking at rings because my friend worked at a jewelry store 2/3 years into our relationship. I would say that I've felt ready for the past two years. But I have no idea when BF will be ready, it might not be until after he's done with school, which at the earliest could be 4 to 5 years from now.