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9 years, 1 house purchase, 1 wedding, 1 toddler and 1 impending baby into a relationship that started at age 18 I say YES. But I don’t think young love can always last, I think it hugely depends on the people you ae when the relationship starts and the journey your life takes. You either grow together or grow apart, and I was just very lucky that my husband and I grew together. I do feel slightly regretful sometimes that I didn’t have the same swinging early 20s as a lot of my single friends but I would not change what I have for the world.

There are exceptions to the rule but I think it’s extremely risky to settle down young. So many risks, in fact, that I personally wouldn’t go there! If my first major relationship had been the final one, my life would be a disaster by now. Then a few years ago I thought I had found the man I was going to grow into an old hag with, until (at 29) realised he still had the long term commitment goals of a 19 year old and I would be waiting a long time for him to catch up with me. Now I think when I do meet someone who is a fit, it will be a really GOOD fit, because I know who I am, the direction I’m going in, and what to expect from a give/take commitment. Insight I honestly would not have had ten years ago.

Well, I’ve been with my boyfriendhusbandpartner since we were 18, and we’d decided we were forever by the time we were 22, and set a date for when we would get married (at 30) when we were 26. and we did get married last year. So I will say unequivocally, yes, it can.

I’m not saying it always does of course, but we were lucky enough to grow together. we have both changed loads since we were teenagers, and we have a lot of independent interestes and friends, but we never lost sight of each other. If I was single and I met him now, I would get together with him all over again.

P.S. Your comment about puking made me think – why do we all not feel comfortable gushing about love?? It’s almost like it’s socially unacceptable to do so…

I met my boyfriend at 15 and we have been together for 10 years now. Every year, our relationship has grown and changed as we have. We’ve certainly rode the relationship roller-coaster over the years, but on the whole I feel we have been extremely positive influences in each others lives. We were ‘school sweethearts’ and supported each other through college and stood by each other when we attended different universities. When everything around us was changing, even our own personalities, we found a constant in our loyalty to one another. We have lived together for 2 years now, after a long time spent saving for a deposit. The past 2 years have been the happiest of my life so far.

As someone who has for many years been classed as being in a ‘long-term’ relationship, I have been asked for advice more times than I can remember, and I always feel like I have no advice to offer, other than: happiness in our relationship is interdependent. He is my best friend and the best human being I have ever met. I genuinely feel like I have become a better person by knowing him. For me, romantic love is three things: trust, respect and lust.

This is a hard subject for me, I’ve been through 4 bad/wrong/unfortunate relationships in a row in the last 3 years, and each one has left me feeling a little more worthless and a little less confident that I’ll ever find true love that goes both ways and lasts. I had a great relationship when I was 23-26, but it petered out as neither of us felt ready for forever with each other in the end. That was the last time anyone’s ever cherished and adored me as much as I did them, and we’re still friends now. And over the last 5 years I’ve watched all my friends from every single group I’ve had over the years settle down and get married, and while I know I can’t see what’s going on behind the scenes, I can’t help but feel it must be me, because why else would I be literally the only one left? I’ve been blitzing the positive affirmations and generally been feeling more positive in the last 6 months (temporary blips aside), but your story at least gives me hope, even if we’re the same age and you’re a little ahead of me… I’m sure the right one is there somewhere! Thanks for this and love to C x

I think it can last depending on the individual’s, however I think people now give up to easily. Instead of working through troubles people seem more inclined to separate or divorce.

I’ve been with my boyfriend since I was twenty and we have been together for four years. We recently brought our first house. I have never been happier we are just so well suited.

But I see couples around me that are rushing to this stage when they have only been together for a couple of months and I can’t help but doubt the relationship. I have a few friends that married young and they are now divorced. I think it can last so long as you put the effort in! xx

Umm, looks like I can’t do maths, that seven years and not nine!

I definitely think young love can last. My boyfriend and I started dating when we were both 18 (he was still in college) and, nine years later, we’re getting married this summer. I guess you could say though that we started off as young love and developed slowly. It was six years before we bought our house and moved in together, mainly because of uni and getting jobs, and the fact that we only lived three miles away from each other so we saw each other all the time anyway! We couldn’t have been homeowners at 21, but maybe if we had then we might have got engaged earlier – who knows?

The trouble with long-term relationships when you’re young is all the growing you have to do. At 16, you still have so much growing up to do, and while you may love the 16-year-old them, the people you grow into may not be so compatible.
It can work though, I think. It just depends on the people involved.
My first serious relationship began when I was 15. I was young, we both were, but I do think we were in love. We split up after four years. It may not have worked, but I have no regrets about our relationship. I learnt so much about me and relationships, and I wouldn’t have grown into the person I am now without him, even if that person wasn’t suited to being in a relationship with him after all.

I think so. I have been with my boyfriend Mark for 6 years (today in fact!) and we got together when we were 16. I think it totally depends on the person but we have been through so much together (good and bad) and I really can’t imagine being with anyone else.

Maria xxx