If I was the older partner, and I truly cared about my younger partner, I think I would make them wait until I thought they were really ready. The first time I was engaged, I was 17 years old, and planned on marrying him when I was 18. I felt completely sure that it was what I wanted to do. However, the whole thing fell apart before I turned 18. As devastated as I was right after we broke up, when I look back now I thank my lucky stars that we didn’t get married!