What is the proper length of time that you should date before you get engaged?

2 years minimum and you should be at least 30 years old.

Until you are very sure (not absolutely sure, that you can never be) that this is the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. Try to evaluate how they react to adverse circumstances that come their way. How they behave under stressful conditions is a clue to their inner strengths. If they just fall to pieces or get violent, or do things that are very foolish have second and third thoughts. You want someone you can depend upon through all circumstances, thick or thin. Find out their ideas about money, how much will they REALLY need to get by on, do not skip this step, evaluate it.

When you are dating people always show their very best sides, that is normal. You need to see the weaknesses and strengths. This sounds very clinical and cold and seems to leave out love. Love comes first and is blind, but marriage is the eye opener. There is someone who will be perfect FOR YOU , choose carefully, avoid a lifetime of pain for you and any children you may have. God Bless you and best wishes. But only you can find the answers to these questions that for self protection you should ask. Then pop the question before she gets tired of waiting, and somebody else beats you to her!

Some say at least a year but i dated for five before we got engaged because we wanted to make sure that number one it is what we really wanted and number two that we had a job to support ourselves.

Put it this way, you should go with the person for at least two years, so that you know them well enough to get engaged.

You shouldn't ask a question like this. There is no "proper" length for this kind of thing. You should get engaged when you and your partner are ready.

8 years

Its all in the equation e=mc^2.

If your energy = the mass of your partner multiplied by the square of the speed of light, then you can go out. You can't miss this point though. So you need to constantly watch your energy and his/her weight as c is constant.

I would say 4 years actually, but out of those 4 years, live together for a year, so you know exactly what to expect.

theres no time limit when he or she is the one you know right away so if u feel that that person is the one i say go and propose but at least date for about a month or so just so u know the person good enough k hope this helps :)