He may not trust his partner's desire to marry him at first, so he waits to see if anything changes in the relationship. Whatever the reason for the delay, men usually know whether or not they have discovered "the one" after around 6-7 months of steady dating under ideal conditions. Women tend to take longer to decide. The time between deciding that you want to get married and actually walking down the aisle can be a very long process for both parties. In fact, studies show that most marriages start with two people who were never really meant to be together in the first place! Sometimes circumstances are too great to overcome, like when one person is sick or injured and needs the other's help. Or maybe one person has family obligations that keep them busy all the time. No matter what the reason, it's important to be honest with yourself about where you stand in your relationship. If you're not sure yet if marriage is right for you, don't force the issue. Give yourself some time to think about it and see how you feel later. Sometimes things change quickly; if that happens for you, then go for it! Finally, remember that everyone else's marriage isn't exactly the same as yours. What might work for others wouldn't work for you. Only you can know if your marriage will survive these tests.