When two people are in love, it's natural for them to begin considering marriage. They start thinking about what life might be like together. Some couples approach it casually while others obsess over the idea. Eventually, one partner may propose marriage to the other. If the other partner agrees, they become engaged. At that point, the expectation of both partners (along with their friends and families) is to get married sometime in the future.



Getting engaged is a major step forward for any relationship. In this article, we'll describe what it means to be engaged to your partner. We'll also provide a few tips regarding the engagement ring and how to deal with friends' jealousy.



What Being Engaged Means



Western societies have followed the same approach to getting engaged for generations. Two people date for awhile until they decide to spend their lives together. Once a marriage proposal is offered and accepted, a date is usually set for them to be married.



Being engaged means preparing for a lifetime spent together in marriage. Any thoughts of pursuing other relationships are tossed away. Doubts regarding the level of commitment, trust, and intimacy between the partners should be resolved. In effect, engagement is a preparatory stage before marriage.



Knowing For Sure



So, how do you know that the person to whom you're engaged is the one you'd like to spend the rest of your life with? It's largely a matter of examining your goals. Besides enjoying the satisfaction of being in love with each other, you'll need to understand how your goals fit in with those of your partner. For example, if you want to have children and raise a family, it's important that your partner wants the same.



The En