The data shows that a 6-month engagement, on average, leads to a long-term marriage. That does not mean it has to be exactly 6 months. It could be 9 months, 4 months, or somewhere in between. I have friends who dated for just a few weeks and have been married for 40 years. There are always exceptions. But statistically speaking, a good, fully engaged, present-in-the-same-city engagement that lasts around 6 months has the highest probability of resulting in a successful marriage. | Dave Ramsey