How long had you been seeing each other before you said, “I love you”

[onlyconnect]

Just curious. How long, and when one of you said it, did the other immediately say it back?

Me and DP had been together for 3 months, he said it first and I said it back- I'd been thinking it for a couple of weeks anyway.

Looking back, it obviously wasn't love in the true sense, just very intense infatuation. It did turn into love though.

2nd date. He said I've fallen in love with you, having reached for my hand. We haven't really been apart much since. That was 37 years ago. Still love each other.

I think he said it after a couple of weeks. But he proposed after 6 weeks.

My DH said “I think you are starting to love me.” after a couple of weeks and proposed after 3 weeks. We got married 8 months after our first date 45 years ago.

Wondering this too. We're just over 3 months in. I'm sure I love him and I think he feels the same from the care I can sense. But I'm scared to say it. I'd rather he said it first but at some point I think it's just going to burst out of me.
He's got a lot going on at the moment and the last thing I want to add to his load is pressure to say it back when he's not ready.

My last relationship crashed and burned after a love bomber said it to me after 2 weeks.

ThatAquaRobin I’m three months in too. He has said it but I feel a bit skeptical. I haven’t said it back but want to. I’m skeptical because I’m struggling to tell the difference between love and obsession and wonder if/ how he knows.

I thought some instances of very romantic early declarations might appear in this thread. It’s lovely to hear.

3 months. We wrote it on napkins in a crowded restaurant (I think I love you!). Still got them somewhere. 25yrs ago.

It burst out of me after 3 months (during sex). He didn't respond and I thought maybe he hadn't heard (I was glad). Two weeks later he referred to me saying it, he had been mulling about it all that time. I can't actually remember when he said it back! But four years in we say it to each other all the time now.

Men often feel it before women.
In my last relationship he said it after 3 months and it took me about 9 months.

I've been in love 3 times (I'm 50). I've always been the one to say it first and I've never been wrong. My partner has always said it back (eventually!)

I don't know if it matters. They are just words. "I love you" is not a promise, it's not a "forever". You can analyse it till the cows come home, it doesn't change anything. If you want to say it, then say it.
I say it to my friends, my cat, my yoga teacher. I love each one of them in a very different way.
It's not that deep.

These days he would be swiftly dumped for showing that kind of arrogance two weeks in!

3 months, met in uni, he blurted it out whilst on a drunken night out. Then the next day made me a meal and lit loads of candles in the garden and told me again sober ha. Together 14 years and getting married in June. I love him dearly.

6 months in. I said it first but I knew he felt it. Seems we took a long time compared to others.

Whilst DH first said it 37 years ago, what's nice is that very night before he closes his eyes, he reaches for my hand and tells me he loves me and when he wakes ul, he dkes the same. It's nice.

He told me after about 6 weeks I think but he said he knew from our first date. Been together 18 months now. I remember I did say it back but wasn’t really sure if what I was feeling was love as it was calm and safe, rather than fireworks- I know now that is how love is supposed to feel.

8 months in. I told him first. He didn’t say it back, made me wait 2 weeks the sod! We’re 5 years in and engaged. Say it all the time and very happy.

3 weeks, he said it first. I had known from first date. Still going strong over 11 years on!

He said it three weeks in. Can't remember when I did! Many years on still married.

We said it after 8 days. Moved in after 3 weeks, married after 6 months. Just had our 12th wedding anniversary. We say it everyday to each other and I can't imagine life without him.

Probably about 48 hours. We have been together 37 years, married 35 this year.

6 months. We'd both been feeling it for a while, but I wanted to be sure it was actually love and not infatuation.

Crap...erm, he has been dead 7 years but, think it was when he resuscitated my dressing gown from being drab and concrete like to soft n fairylike. We had just got back together after 9 years on a break after he cheated. So, 11 years. I don't think he ever said it back, although he did the hoovering, dishes & had a cuppa coffee waiting for me coming home from work. So love was shown in gestures rather than saying it. Rescuing my bathrobe from near death did it for me though.
Been a widow since 2019 & I've no plans on having another one

I really can't remember but we were engaged after 11 weeks and married 4 months later. That was 37 years ago!

I honestly don’t actually know as been together going on 18 years now. But we didn’t consider ourselves ‘boyfriend and girlfriend’ until about 3 months in. Not that either of us was seeing anyone else and we spent 6 nights out of 7 together from the day we started dating. We just didn’t really define it.

We were definitely quite serious and knew we’d get married eventually by 6 months, so must have been somewhere between 3-6 months. I’m sure we would have both said it.