When we start to fall in love with someone, everything feels surreal and magical. It feels like you’re on top of the world, and the bliss will never end.
This is what we call the honeymoon phase and unfortunately, it does end. In the following article, I’ve discussed how long the honeymoon phase in a relationship lasts.
By the end of this article, you should have gained a better insight into what it is, how long it lasts, and how to surpass it.
If you are short on time, here’s a quick summary
How long does the honeymoon phase last in a relationship?
The honeymoon phase is the early stage in a couple’s relationship and it usually lasts from 6 months to 2 years and is marked by lots of laughter, intimacy, and romantic dates.
What is the Honeymoon Phase?
The honeymoon phase is that initial period of a relationship when you and your partner are just crazy about each other. You’re in love, excited to be with this person, and want to spend all your time together.
During this phase, excitement and happiness are prevalent, along with passion and bliss.
You should look at it as the stage where you don’t see any flaws in your partner or even be blinded by them being so wonderful.
Some people call this “rose-colored glasses syndrome” since you see everything as better than it actually is.
It’s also referred to as the “love goggles phase” because these glasses can make someone appear more attractive than they really are.
The 6 Stages of a Relationship
1. Dating
The dating stage is the first stage of a romantic relationship. It can last anywhere from a few weeks to years.
This stage aims to learn about your partner and their interests, values, and personality and find out if you are compatible with one another.
During this stage, you should talk about likes, dislikes, and anything else that comes up. You also talk about your life experiences, including both family and friends.
2. Formation
The formation stage is when you and your partner decide to confirm a relationship.
You are now officially a couple, after having decided that there is enough chemistry between you to warrant exclusivity.
At this early stage, the relationship could go either way. At this point, it’s still new and uncertain whether the two of you will be compatible long-term.
This is where you’ll spend most of your time getting to know and understand each other.
3. Honeymoon Phase
The honeymoon phase is when you just start dating, and everything is perfect. You and your partner can’t keep your hands off of each other.
You want to spend every free second with them, showing them off to all of your friends, family, and anyone that will listen. And they want to do the same with you.
However, this phase of a relationship doesn’t last forever. If it did, it wouldn’t be special at all.
The honeymoon phase will eventually come to an end, and both partners need to be prepared for what comes next.
Otherwise, one or both people in the relationship will feel disappointed when the real world sets in.
In order for a long-term relationship to begin developing past this stage, both partners must realize that life isn’t always perfect.
So they need some space from each other from time to time as well as realistic expectations about what their partner can provide for them daily outside of physical affection (e.g., emotional support).
4. Trust
The fourth stage of a relationship is trust. Here, you’ll learn if your partner is trustworthy and whether you can trust them. Trust can be built on transparency, honesty, and communication.
You will see how well your partner follows through with their promises, keeps secrets, or acts on their commitments to you.
Trust is not just about believing in your partner but also believing in yourself when it comes to making the right choices for yourself and setting boundaries within the relationship.
Trust allows you to be vulnerable and feel safe with each other.
5. Commitment
Commitment is a choice to love and accept your partner, even when you’re not on your best behavior.
It’s a choice that has far-reaching effects – if you make it, you pledge to stay with each other through thick and thin.
While it’s exciting and fun, it can also be challenging. If you decide not to commit, or one partner decides not to commit, the relationship will change or end.
Though a commitment is often considered essential for romantic relationships (and marriages), research suggests that the success of a relationship is not determined by the presence or absence of commitment but by the quality of devotion.
6. Life Building
This is the time in your relationship when you are ready to start building your life together.
You’ve determined that you work well together in all areas of your life and you can see a long, happy future with this person.
You could decide to get engaged or married, which means it’s time to look at homes and figure out how you want to build your lives together.
Now that you’ve been living together for a while, it might be a good time to think about whether either of you would like children.
If so, then planning for the next stage of your relationship should include finding out if either (or both) of you would like to stay home and care for children and thinking about when and how many children you would like to have.
How Long Does the Honeymoon Stage Last?
The honeymoon phase of a relationship is an exciting time. You’re getting to know one another, and you feel like you can’t get enough of each other.
The excitement of dating a new person can last anywhere from a few months to a year or more. Honeymoons are not the same for everyone.
For some people, the honeymoon lasts longer than others.
Some couples “high” off the rush of love will last for two or three years, while others are so eager to commit that they move on before it ends naturally.
Although, the average honeymoon phase for every couple is between 6 months to 2 years.
Since each relationship is different and moves at its own pace, it’s hard to say how long the honeymoon period will last for you personally.
Why Does the Honeymoon Phase End?
The honeymoon phase occurs when you first meet someone and can’t get enough of him or her.
Suddenly, the person you’re dating is great, witty, smart, and perfect in every way. The honeymoon phase usually ends when the infatuation fades and the newness of a relationship wears off.
So what causes this? It’s human nature to want what we can’t have, and couples who are in a long-term relationship are often not doing as many fun or romantic things as they did when they were first dating.
This could lead to partners feeling like their relationship has become routine or even stale.
They will also feel like they see less of their partner than they used to because they might be working more hours or doing other things that take time away from them spending time together.
Why Do People Fall Out of Love After the Honeymoon Phase Ends?
As you’ll eventually learn, love takes work and effort. To keep the flame alive, both partners have to be willing to invest their time and energy into maintaining a healthy and intimate relationship.
Only then can they work through the challenges that threaten to drive them apart.
Although it seems like the honeymoon phase erased all of your problems, the end of this period will highlight issues in your relationship more than ever before.
It’s easy for some couples to fall out of love after the honeymoon phase ends because they never learned how to build a more mature and grounded relationship.
After being swept away by the passion and intense feelings at the beginning of a courtship, it’s easy for them to assume that everything will continue along this path forever.
But once reality starts setting in, they become disappointed or even disillusioned with their partner.
And instead of learning how to navigate normal ups and downs together (as any couple inevitably will), they assume there must be something wrong with their partner.
How Do You Get Past the Honeymoon Phase?
The best thing to keep your relationship strong after the honeymoon phase is to be affectionate. Cuddling, holding hands, and kissing are just a few ways couples can stay connected.
Be sure to keep the lines of communication open so that you don’t end up feeling disconnected from one another.
Share your thoughts and feelings as well as stay in tune with your partner’s needs by listening closely when they speak.
Make it a point to laugh together every day, whether sharing funny stories or making each other laugh with jokes or silly faces.
Laughing together can help strengthen your bond and keep things light in stressful times. However, it shouldn’t be forced, as your partner should also be your best friend.
Schedule time for date night on a regular basis, whether it’s weekly or monthly – whatever works for the two of you.
Additionally, make plans separately with friends or spend time alone doing things you enjoy as an individual to continue growing and learning outside of the relationship.
Lastly, it’s also essential to take care of yourself mentally and physically by eating right, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep each night, and making time for self-care like yoga or meditation.
If you can’t take care of yourself, then you can’t take care of your relationship.
How to make the honeymoon phase last?
It’s worth remembering that the honeymoon phase is a state of mind, so you and your partner’s ability to keep your sense of youthful playfulness and curiosity will ultimately help bring those honeymoon feelings back.
Conclusion
The honeymoon phase might be the most exciting phase in a relationship, but surpassing it also means that your feelings are not infatuation or attraction – but real, genuine love.
Studies suggest it might only last between 6 months to 2 years, but moving past that phase doesn’t mean the end of your relationship; it’s only the beginning.
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