Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's two-year courtship is sparking a social media debate about engagement timing. When should a proposal happen in a relationship?

The singer and NFL player announced their engagement in a joint Instagram post on Aug. 26. The couple began dating in 2023, after both Swift and Kelce previously ended each of their own past long-term relationships.

On social media, many Swifties celebrated the singer finding love after years of singing about relationships. Others, though, emphasized the length of the couple's relationship.

"Taylor Swift being with someone else for over 5 years and then meeting the right person at 33 years old, dating for just 2 years, and getting engaged, shows it's not about the length of time but about the right person, and that there is no timeline for finding the one, and that your person may come when you least expect it," one TikTok user wrote.

Expert says every relationship is different

However, the appropriate timing for getting engaged is different in each relationship, Nari Jeter, a licensed marriage and family therapist and associate teaching professor at Florida State University, told USA TODAY.

"I don't think two years is too long. I don't think it's too short," Jeter said. "I just think if you approach it with intention, that is really what's gonna be the measure of should you move forward into engagement in this relationship."

'The standard': Social media weighs in on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's relationship timeline

Isaac Rochell, a content creator and former NFL player with more than two million TikTok followers, said in a video that Kelce "set the standard" for proposal timelines.

"If your girlfriend is a Swiftie, you've been dating your girl for like longer than three or four years, you're on notice," Rochell said. "Travis Kelce proposed after two years. My boy just set the standard. So I would just get ready for your girl to text you and say, 'Hey, by the way, two years is long enough - if Travis can do it, you can do it.'"

Rochell's wife, Allison Kuch, echoed his sentiment in another TikTok video hours after Swift and Kelce announced their engagement.

"It takes Travis Kelce only two and half years to propose to Taylor Swift. Why did my husband wait six and a half? That's weird. Do you even love me?" Kuch said.

Commenters were quick to debate what the "standard" amount of time is for an engagement, while others compared their own relationship timelines to that of Swift and Kelce.

"Honestly 2 years is plenty of time. At their age you know. It’s not like they’re early 20’s. They’re mid 30’s. Date someone for all the seasons. You know after that," one person wrote.

Another person wrote, "I feel like 2/2.5 years is the perfect amount of time. Enough to get to know each other but not long enough that one person is left wondering if you’re serious."

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's engagement shows that they're 'not willing to settle', expert says

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's public professions about their relationship, including him attending her concerts and her being at his games, were a positive sign about their seriousness towards each other, Jeter said.

"That to me signals that they really wanted to see how each other fit into their respective lives. Like Taylor needed, I think, really to blend in with Travis's life and vice versa," Jeter said.

Jeter also emphasized both of their past relationship history and well-established careers as contributing factors.

"I look at them and I'm very proud that they've waited about two years to date because that sends the signal that they're not willing to settle," Jeter said. "They are willing to take the time to look at, 'how does this person fit into my life? Are we a good fit together?'"

Expert says to have 'uncomfortable conversations' before getting engaged

Jeter said there are many factors that play into whether or not a couple is ready for an engagement, such as religious background or career goals.

"Very career-oriented people, with prioritizing their career, they don't feel the urge or the push to get engaged or married as quickly," Jeter said. "I see a lot of people who date for six or seven years before they ever get engaged. That's very common."

Age also influences the timeline for an engagement. Research shows people are getting married later in life rather than settling down in their early twenties as in past generations, Jeter said.

"I think that's one of the great parts of being a young person today," Jeter said. "There was all this pressure before to get married, have kids, move forward with your life and I think now we're more open to — you can have a happy and fulfilled life with friends, with a career, with lots of different kinds of relationships."

For couples who are considering marriage, Jeter recommends communicating about each other's needs in the relationship.

"You have to have those really uncomfortable conversations, and if you can't have them with each other, go to a couple's therapist," she said. "Because some people, again, their need for engagement or marriage might be about some anxiety or attachment issues, or on the other side of things, someone resisting taking that next step might have some commitment fears."

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce dated for 2 years before getting engaged. When should you?

Reporting by Melina Khan, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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