Dear Annie: Is it OK to get engaged at 17? For some context, I am currently 16, and so is my boyfriend. I am graduating high school in 2025 at 17, and my boyfriend is graduating in 2026 at 18. I have always been one to want to get engaged young. Though it is unconventional, I still feel it is right for me.
My boyfriend and I have been together since we were 14. We genuinely do love each other, but we are afraid of what our families would think. Our idea is to hide it. We would have a small engagement, just us, with minimal costs spent on the ring due to the fact that I don’t care about diamond size, but I do care about the intention behind it. We would not tell anyone and have it be a secret between us. Then around junior or senior year of college, we would have a second, larger engagement with family and friends involved. He will be my forever no matter what.
What are your thoughts? — Love Wins
Dear Love Wins: Young love is so powerful, intoxicating and exciting. While I can tell you and your boyfriend are eager to get engaged, I would be willing to bet you are seeking approval like this because, deep down, you know it’s not the right thing to do. Anything in life you have to start “in secret” or “hide” should be a sign to you that it is not right.
If you two are meant to be together forever, like you say, there’s no harm in waiting until you’re older and really ready for this ultimate level of commitment.
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