Did you get married at the age you planned?

Summerl30

I wanted to get married at 24 and I got married at 23.  

I don't really care about the age now, but I am glad I got married when I did.  It was a stage in our life that we had nothing (I am actually planning my sister's wedding for next year...I got married 9 years ago).  Everything we have today we built up together from scratch.

I do enjoy the wedding planning.  My sister is not really into details, so she is happy that I am so excited about it all.  She planned to get married much younger.   When we were young, we always wanted a double wedding (we are 15 months apart and BFFs) and to have kids together.  I already have 3 kids, so I know she is disappointed about that, but it will be nice that she will haev 3 babysitters when she'd like to go out after she has kids!  She will be 32 when she gets married.

jmu510

i will be 23 and my FH will be 25. i always though that i woould find my husband in college and thats what happened but i kinda though i would be a little older and start my family right away but i think i like getting married now and waiting a little while to have kids. some times though i feel like im to young to be getting married

kysnowbird

Ditto to SarahPLiz... I got engaged at 25 to the guy I had been with for three years. Unfortunately, he wasn't the one for me (cheater), and I thank my lucky stars that I didn't end up with him. So I thought I was going to be married at like 26.

Fast forward a few years, I got engaged at 29 (will be married at 31).

I'm extremely happy that I am getting married now. It gave me time to realize that I deserve the best of the best, which is who I'm engaged to now.

d1anaw

I got married the first time at 23. I got legally married the second time at 53 and the ceremony will be at 54. Obviously I thought at 23, I wouldn't be gettting married again. At the time I did get married, many people my age got married earlier, except those who went to college, often waited until they were finished. If I were going to start back today, I'd say wait until at least 30 for a whole host of reason. I didn't expect to be getting married again at all, but I will say it was worth the wait. There is no substitute for life experienc.

gundy21

I will be getting married about one month shy of turning 38.  Not what I thought would happen (thought I would be married around 30), but very happy.  I know who I am, know I can stand on my own, buy a house, car, and pay of student loans on my own, and now know who I want to spend the rest of my life with.  No regrets!

Dancerppf

I thought i'd be married by 30. I knew i'd travel the world, hang out with my fabulous friends and continue my education. Marriage wasn't for me in my 20's. So while i've been with the same guy for the past 5 years, we get married next August and i'll be 34. I would've been fine getting married any of the past 4 years so i was sad for the past 2 years. But in my 20's i would've been sad the party was coming to an end so fast.

emaggi1

When I was in high school and college I expected to get married in my mid-twenties. Currently I'm 28 and getting married in 2 months. I think it is the perfect age to get married and I'm so glad that I waited till now and spent my 20's learning to be independent, making my own money, and making my own decisions without having to answer to or consult a spouse. I think staying single for a while makes you a stronger person. Now, I've thrown in the towel. Can't fight love anymore. It found me and gave me a big sparkly diamond that I just couldn't refuse!

MrsfutureGonzales

At what age did you want to get married? I wanted to get married at 25, have a good career and have plenty of single life and experience.
At what age did you get married? 18 (almost 19), granted it was much much younger than I originally planned for but when you meet the love of you life, you "go hard or go home". 

Happy? Sad? Thoughts? I am very fortunate to have found him so young, I have read many stories on people being in their 2nd and 3rd marriages and other about finding their loved one at a much older age. I know he is the one for me, I may not have had much single life as I though I was going to have but I choose to grow with him instead of growing apart from him. I am not the least bit sad, he makes me very happy as do I. I am sad for the people who don't understand why I got married. We do get looked at funny all the time because we are married so young, but I know in my heart we are one of the few that get married so young and last a lifetime. We met in high school (I was a soph and he was a senior)and didnt date until I was out of high school and done with my first year of college. We kept in contact that whole time (he was in the Navy) After a week of us dating we decided we couldn't live another second without each other. He said he didn't want to lose me. And I married my best friend.

WolfX

I was never one to plan for things like this but I expected mid to late twenties. (25-29)
I turned 21 this years and im getting married in December this years.
Early many are saying but I met my FI when I was in High School and we have been toghether ever since, he is quite a few years older and does not want to be an old man when we get married.

als738

I thought I would get married around 24 or 25 and have a kid 2-3 years later.  But I'm getting married next year and I'll be 34.  I just didn't meet the right person till I was in my 30s.  However, I already have a house, a degree and a career so I feel like I have accomplished something in my life.  I do feel behind compared to my friends, but someone once told me you can't compare yourself to others because you will always come up short.  Everyone has what they need and you have what you need. 

Fee437

Not at all! I thought I'd be in my late 20s or 30s... and I ended up getting married the day before my 19th birthday. And I get dirty looks and judgment for it all of the time, but I wholeheartedly believe that it was the single best decision of my life, and I wouldn't have changed that for anything.

ccsissy07

I'll be married at 22 after I graduate with a bachleors degree. I knew I wanted to be married by 25 so it's working for me. My fiance and I have been dating for almost 7years so it's not something that we rushed into because of an imagined deadline. But my life seems to be on track.

kincaid7

Well,  When I was younger, I planned on being married by 23 and having children by 25. But I think as we get older and have different ambitions in life, that changes. I am 35 and I will be getting married next year. I will say at one point I definitly thought I would be married before now. I had hoped that by 30 I would be married, But now that I have met my future husband, I can definitely say it was well worth the wait.

MrsfutureGonzales

We have to be that much stronger in our marriages I believe because we are so young and we don't have our lives put together. We have to learn to put them together side by side and learn more compromise than older marriages. Yay for us youngsters!

Emilyhoupt

I always thought  I'd get married at about 24...
Im getting married at 21 now & turning 22 six days later....
its a lot different than i thought but i am VERY happy about it.

people can say what they want about us being young but the people who know us know its the right thing.

katie&keith

By no means am I getting married at the age I had planned. I am getting married at just 19. I know that sounds shockngly young, it does to me as well. However, I have never been more ready. We're also buying a house. And I think that if I, singelhandedly, am prepared to make a 20 thousand dollar down payment then I am probably ready for marriage as well. We planned to wait two year (until I am done with college; I graduated high school early so I am already a junior). However, then I remembered my day. He passed away when I younger. My mom and my father had the perfect relationship. It was like they walked out of a Nicholas Sparks novel. When he was dying, I asked him if he would have done anything differently. He said instead of waiting until they were done with high school, he would have married her at 18. He said because they felt compelled to go in the order in which society expects, he missed out on what potentially could have been an extra 4 years of marriage. So with that, I marry with confidence. I have never been so sure of anything in my entire life. And I am not just going to postpone this. A year ago, I was planning on never getting married, living in Boston, and being a professor at Boston College for English Lit. Well. That is exactly what I am still doing. Except with my best friend at my side. I am so thrilled. I would marry him right now in a paper sack dress with a twist tie wedding band. But. I have already spent a hideous amount on my dress

TopazAngel

I always hoped to get married somewhere in my mid-twenties. I actually find it kinda weird that it looks like it will turn out that way--I'll most likely be 26 when we tie the knot.

We're like jelenny and her honey, though--we're doing everying back-asswards! Cohabitate, buy a house, have a baby (I'm sooooo pregnant. Come out, child!), get engaged (we want to stalk the custom ring people and beat them up for being so slow), finish college for me, get married, finish college for him. Also he owns a biz while in undergrad.

I think our weird ordering drives my mom nutso. Thank goodness she at least TRIES to be tactful.

Labradors2

I always knew I would not get married young.  I would be early to mid thirties.  I met my future husband (in just 58 days) when I was 34.  That was 11 years ago.  I'll be 45 & he'll be 40 when we marry in October.  I don't regret waiting or not having children.  We have a very good life.

karla&carlos

I always wanted to get married between 27-30 years old and have kids before my mid 30's. I'm 27 now and will be 27 on my wedding day. I think its the best time in my life for me to get married not because of my age but because i feel i have found the person to share my life and have a family. My FI and i have been together for 8 years, we met in college and have grown to be very responsible adults together. I no longer care if we get married before of after 30 since we have been living together for a few years and already feel and act like a married couple.  I'm happy to be getting married at 27 becasue i feel that i have given my self and him the opportunity to make an adult consciuos decision. We know that the marriage will have a strong foundation.

As for having children...i can wait a few more years. I want to make sure i have done enough in my career to be successful and afford to spoil my children and give everything they need.

I have noticed that this generation's adults are getting married earlier and having children earlier, but also have a higher divorce rate.

hschiff

I'm glad to see so many brides who thought they'd get married later in life.  I'll be 24 when we get married (I'm 23 now) and my friends/family all seem to think thats too young.  My parents were married at 28 and I thought I would be married at that age too.  But I met my perfect match at 18 so plans be damned.  I can't wait to be his wife

a.lemma4

When I was younger, I wanted to be married at 25 or 26. I will be 24 when we tie the knot in May, FI will be 26.

I'm so ecstatic! I realize now that it doesn't matter what age you get married, as long as you are with the right person. FI and I have been together for 3 and half years. I always knew he was the right one for me, but we wanted to wait until we both graduated college and had stable jobs. As soon as that fell into place, he asked me to marry him :-)

Sarawalls

I always said I would get married before I was 30.  I turned 30 in July.  The wedding is in September.  Close enough.  :-)

elfygirl99

I always thought that I would be married around 25.  My parents got married in their early twenties, but waited to have kids until they were almost 30.  They ended up getting divorced.  I thought that I would need a little more time to find the right person.  I have.  I met my FI when we did a show together the summer after iI graduated college.  I will be married when I am 26 , he will be 30.  I think it is the perfect time for us, albeit we have done things a little backwards.  We already have 2 adorable puppies and recently bought a house together. 

repjr

I always thought it would be by the time I was 30.  Mainly because I was very career focused and there were so many things I wanted to do, like work abroad, and that didn't lend well to marrying any earlier than that.  I was close, at age 28, but that man passed away the day before my 29th due to along battle with cancer. 
And then, it took some time to heal and then I met the most wonderful man who makes me feel wonderful and whole.  And who loves me and all my foibles :-)

Oh.  I just turned 33.  I don't feel this "old".  I wish I had met FH earlier, but such is life and so are the cards that I was dealt with.  It's better "late" than never in my opinion.  The next stop is kids.  THAT I hope fo within the next 2 years, if we are so blessed!

Future Mrs Scott

I  always wanted to get married between the ages of 25-27 because I thought I would be finish with school with both degrees, living on my own, and making my own money. However, I'm 23 and will be getting married this November and can't wait! I have my bachelor's degree and currently working on my Master's degree. Although its not how I've "planned" it, I wouldn't have it any other way. My future husband came into my life when I wasn't expecting him or looking for love. So, ultimately I believe that God always knows whats best for me!!!

JloveB

I thought I would be married around 25 at the latest, I wanted that...but now I am 28 and will be married at 29, and I am happy that it is later in life.  I feel I am now at the perfect age to start a family, and I am mature enough to appericate it.  I've had my fun and partied hard with the girls. Plus I am happy I am with a guy I truly love not someone I settled on for the sake of us being in a relationship a long time or just so I wouldn't feel alone.

midnightkitty

I thought I would have gotten married at age 22 right when I graduated college. I've been with my fiance since we were freshman in high school and went to college together.

I thought he would propose Aug. 2008 right when I graduate college, but that didn't happen. I also thought I would land a job right after college but that didn't happen. I thought he would propose Dec. 2008 when he finished his undergrad..but he didn't. I always thought we would be married Dec. 2010 when he was suppose to finish his masters. It really broke my heart and he said it just wasn't time yet. 

I figure he wasn't going to propose until I landed a good job. So I had a ton of pressure trying to find a job. I still don't have a real grown up job. I worked as a cashier until recently and I am an AmeriCorps member (like domestic Peace Corps. pretty much a paid volunteer and i make next to nothing). 

He finally proposed in March. We are getting married June 2011 shortly after I turn 25.  He thinks its might be  too soon. He would rather at least one of us be working a real full time job before we get married. He graduates with his masters in May 2011 so he may have a job by then, I might get a job by then.. who knows.  And we live together now and we have enough for rent, food, and the essentials so we make enough to survive and maybe we will just keep living like that for awhile after we are married. Just because we are married doesn't mean we have to buy a house and have everything together. What the past 2 years has taught me is anything can happen and it take it as it comes. 

Thanks to anyone who read all of that! 

mejix

Im 27, I always thought I would marry in my 30s. I wanted to have more things done before I got married, travelled more, lived abroad, but you don't choose when you meet the love of your life and didn't want to risk losing him.

lyounan

I think I'll be the youngest one here. I chalk it up to the fact that I was always the mom when we played house as kids. I grew up pretty quickly, my siblings and I had to when our dad died as kids. I've known how to keep house since I was young and I've always wanted to get married young. I've been thinking about married since I was 15 and when I was 18 the opportunity presented itself. I'll be married in December at age 19 which is what I always wanted. I always said 19 or 20 and kids at 22 or 23 to give hubby and I a few years to ourselves. I realize it's not typical, but it's amazing. And for those of you with question, no, I'm not going to be a housewife (though there wouldn't be anything wrong with it if that's what I wanted). I'm heading towards a PhD and I work 50 hour work weeks as of now. 

Albireo

I'm getting married at 33.

Honestly, I never 'planned' to get married at a particular age. When I was a teenager, when most girls were overcome with hormones and their boy-chasing games started to get serious, I didn't care. At that time I hoped I would never get married, but when I'd been friends with E for a few years I realized I wouldn't actually mind. We started dating and eventually planned to get married.

I don't have kids but I don't want any. Yes, most of our friends our own age have kids. Kids are invited to the wedding.

I don't have a house, but more and more people are living in apartments longer and not buying houses. That used to be a poverty-line thing but it's creeping up into the middle classes. I wish I had my own house but it might not happen for a few years yet.