I am just wondering why you are in such a rush to get married? How long did you actually date this man before you went your separate ways? Because if it was not a long time, then you may not know him as well as you think you do. Marriage is a serious and lifelong commitment. Statistically speaking, the younger you are when you get married, the higher the rate of divorce. I think that this is because people do not really know themselves and what they want when they are young. Most people change a lot in their late twenties. If you will not move to be with him until you are engaged, perhaps he could consider moving out here and getting his OWN place, to decide if this is somewhere he even wants to live. Also, remember that you cannot and would not ever want to force or pressure a man to marry you. You will want him to feel the same way that you do without having to convince him. There is nothing wrong with telling him how you feel, but if you start bringing this up a lot and putting pressure on him, he just might run in the other direction. Make sure that you want to get married because you cannot wait to start your life with him, not because all of your friends are, it seems like the right age, etc... I think that one of you should move to the other's city before you even consider something as serious as marriage. This does not mean that you have to even live together right away, either. Do not jump into something as serious as marriage until you are 100% certain that both of you are ready, otherwise it could just end up in divorce. Good luck.

"We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts we make the world." Buddha

Sorry, I see that you dated for about a year. That is not very long, in my opinion, to know if you want to marry that person. The fact that he did not respond with agreement when you asked him shows that he is not ready to get married. However, it sounds like he really cares about you and if you 2 are really meant to be, it will work out.

"We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts we make the world." Buddha

The bottom line is that he is not ready to get married. Period. Whether you think that it is worth it to move to another country for someone else without a commitment, only you can say, but he sounds like he is backing off.

Anytime you choose to make a big decision without really knowing what is happening in someone else's head, it is a gamble. With your situation, it would be a huge mistake, as he has not been encouraging about continuing the relationship. He is telling you what you want to hear about "love", but nothing about "the future".

I think it is time to move on. He may love you, but he is not ready, and you can't make him ready.

i think you left it vague and open. while he listened to what you said and did say he loved you, you didn't try to get any information out of him so it wasn't really a question. it was a more a statement where you said you wouldnt move to be with him unless you were engaged. you didn't push him any further to find out how he felt about that. I think before you waste any more time in a long distance relationship and talking about a future, i think you need to find out what he's willing to do to make this future happen. you've already told him your conditions, and you need to have that conversation about whether or not it will happen.

Relax and give him time. He may be planning a proposal and doesn't want to feel like it was all your idea or because you pressured him.

If he won't/can't commit, then you need to move on.

If he feels too young to marry, then he feels too young to marry. Consider that he is only 24. Would you have wanted to take such a huge leap at 24? When it comes down to it, people go their own speed, and you can't make him catch up to you. What makes it harder is that there is no way to really see the direction that you are going in...you live in two different places. I see why you want to be engaged, but I still believe being near each other for more time is probably better for that kind of situation. If you can only be together when you are engaged, then you may be waiting for a very long time. If you want the LDR to last a while, this is certainly the way to get it. If you are sure about not wanting to leave London, then don't leave London. Just don't expect that this guy is going to propose to you when he may not be ready. You have a few choices: Stay in London, wait years (potentially) for the engagement. Move to the US, and have a relationship that doesn't need a rushed engagement to continue. Stay in London, and find a guy who will give you what you want right now.

Oh Gurl it's pretty obvious that the guy is not yet ready for what you want him to get involved with.This isn't about his age but he's not interested to the point of not being ready to level up your relationship at the moment.I know a lot of men who doesn't go in for being engaged at the early age especially if the guy happens to be young.Most of them want to make use of their time being FREE and SINGLE.All of us has to pass this but once only in our lifetime.So to speak,your guy hates being tied up at the moment.Or it might be that he's not that into you...cause men do all the first move and do the unthinkable if they're inlove...Don't take your relationship to a closure,don't rush your guy and so yourself..you might end up having NOTHING..God Bless You and your bf.....

This is a road that could lead in any direction. Sometimes the answers are not so clear, and there are many choices you can make. You still have time. You are only 26. Can he assure you if you made a living arrangement together in the U.S. it would lead to more? Is that his train of thought? You may need to make some compromises about your life and that ring to be on the same contintent or risk everything for your ideals.

Oh, I forgot to add that this could be extremely complicated if she is not a US citizen. Unless they are married she may not be able to simply live with him. But I don't have that information based on the comment. Also he would not be able to live and work in London as a US Citizen unless he is sponsored by a company there.

I know that your mind is on marriage, but take a deep breath first, sweetie. If it does come down to marriage with the boy, think about you having to move to US (assuming that you want to move to US, correct?), you need to know how it feels first to live there before committing yourself to him then finding out how much you hate living here in US. Are you ready to uproot your whole life?

I'm not suggesting you move to US without a commitment, I'm suggesting that you check out the living arrangement with your bf. Try getting a break, spend like... a month with your bf or a little less (make it long enough that you would get out of the 'honeymoon' phase in the first week after missing each other like crazy).

My good friend is a Brit and she was engaged for a couple of years but she ended up breaking it off with her fiancee (who's a US citizen) because she finds out that she's not too happy about the living arrangement and his 'circle of friends' and family, etc, she ends up wanting to move him to UK, but he won't because he loves where he lives and his lifestyle. So they were on a 'standstill' for the longest time until she finally saw that neither will budge.
So yeah, check it out for yourself first before even thinking about him asking you for your hand in marriage.

*Unconditional love is a beautiful thing, just be sure to give it AFTER your conditions have been met.*

this doesnt necessarily mean he isnt ready. i would tell him that you dont want to pressure him but at the same time you need to know whats going to happen. dont go back on what you want to appease him. if what you want is an engagement before you move to be together, then stick to your guns (personally i wouldnt move to be with someone either if there wasnt a committment involved) tell him you need to know his thoughts, if he sees things progressing in that direction shortly and if not, then i think you really need to not waste time on something that may never happen (but like i said you need to atleast discuss whats going to happen) maybe he does have a proposal in mind and doesnt want to let you onto his plans. either way, all you need to know is if he wants to get engaged so you can move with him soon-just dont press for a date.

I think the fact that he insist you remember and not question how much he loves you is a good thing. I agree that you should not move for him unless you have a ring on your finger. However, have you ever considered moving to the US for yourself, your career, and just to explore? You are young, and would be able to make friends here very easily, esp. if you have an awesome accent! I personally have done long distance for a year before we moved to the same city. My friends are also doing it, and they are still going strong. It's hard, but you will have a war story to tell your grandkids about how you met, did the long distance thing, etc.

I think you are doing a good job communicating your values, feelings, and principles so far.
Now give him time to think about it (a few months). AFter that you may want to 'take a break' while he figures out what he wants. Chances are you have too much self respect to wait around for something that may or may not happen, and will want to date people who have similar goes/values as you. He just may come around. If not, you're better off b/c may still be a selfish guy who wants to focus on himself and his interests/values, not yours.
Either way, you will get to the point where you will just want to know either way.