9 Signs Your Boyfriend Is Nowhere NEAR Ready To Propose

If you’re a typical girl, you’ve most likely thought about marriage and kids at least once in your life. Come on, you know it’s the truth. If you’ve been dating your man for more than a year, you, your mother, and everyone else around you is probably wondering when he’s going to propose.

As a Matchmaker, I meet women all day long. I hear so many stories of women who say they wasted their time with Mr. Wrong. Sure, they have some great memories from the relationship, but they wish they could get those precious years back.

If you don’t want this to happen to you and you’ve been dating for more than a year, familiarize yourself with these 9 telltale signs that your boyfriend is not ready for marriage and isn’t going to put a ring on it.

1. He avoids weddings like the plague.

When a guy isn’t squeamish about marriage, he’ll be all about attending weddings and he’ll want you to come with him. If your man hates going to other people’s nuptials, that’s a good sign he isn’t ready for his own.

2. He doesn't talk about getting married.

If you bring up the topic of marriage and he changes the subject ASAP, marriage isn’t something he’s thought about. If your man has an aversion to the M-word, he’s subtly letting you know that marriage probably isn’t part of his plan in the foreseeable future.

Likewise, when you’re with other people and the topic of marriage or children is brought up, pay attention to how your boyfriend reacts. Does he quickly change the subject (bad!), or does he ever say things like “when I get married…” (good!).

3. He doesn't plan.

Is your boyfriend allergic to planning? Does he only make plans for the immediate or short-term future? If so, this is a sign your boyfriend is not ready for marriage and getting married likely isn’t a priority. Sure he might be ready to make a date for this week or the weekend, but if he’s hesitant to make plans six months from now, your future together may not be a sure thing in his mind.

4. He always makes excuses.

Men are simple creatures. When they want something, you’ll know. If they’re constantly making excuses about marriage or the future, it’s time to realize that something’s wrong. If he’s too busy and stressed to talk or think about marriage, it’s time to say sayonara. If he has too much going on to focus on buying a ring, your future together isn’t looking so bright.

Any excuse isn’t a good thing. If your boyfriend blames his lack of interest in marriage on work, money, or family, he isn’t eager to walk down the aisle.

5. He says he's happy with the way things are.

Plain and simple, if your man tells you he that he’s happy with the way things are, or he doesn’t want to ruin the special relationship you have, he has no intention of taking your relationship to the next level of commitment.

6. He talks about the glory days.

Pay close attention to what your boyfriend enjoys reminiscing about. Does he make references to how great the last vacation you guys took was? Or does he constantly and longingly tell stories about his college days? If he enjoys talking about his Spring Break '08 or mentions how much he misses going out every night with his friends, he’s probably not mature enough to wed just yet.

7. He has no interest in your future.

When you mention your 5-year plan, if he seems completely uninterested in what you have in mind, he isn’t looking to build a life together.

8. None of his friends are married.

Are your boyfriend’s friends mostly married or mostly single? If he only wants to surround himself with happy bachelors instead of having a healthy mix of single and married friends, he’s not rushing to take things to the next step.

9. He hasn't mentioned starting a family.

Men don’t have a baby clock ticking like women do. In a man’s brain, having a family is a natural thing that will happen one day once you’re married and the time is right. However, if he’s unwilling to discuss having a family one day, he may not be ready to walk down the aisle.

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Carly Spindel is a Matchmaker and relationship expert who has introduced 110 couples. She is passionate about spreading love throughout the country.

This article was originally published at Confessions Of A Matchmaker. Reprinted with permission from the author.