Is 5 years too long to be engaged?

A five year engagement is completely fine. The law only sets a minimum notice period, not a maximum. In England and Wales, your notice is valid for 12 months, so you would need to give notice again if your wedding falls outside that window. In Scotland, notice is tied to the wedding date, so a long engagement does not cause a problem. In Northern Ireland, notice is also per wedding, not per engagement.

A long engagement can be a practical choice. It gives you time to save, to decide on the guest list, and to book a venue you love without rushing. It also gives you time to enjoy being engaged, which is a lovely stage in itself.

What matters more than the length is that both of you feel happy with the timeline. If one of you wants to marry sooner, talk about it openly. If you are waiting for a particular life stage, such as finishing studies or a job move, that is a good reason too.

Just remember that if you give notice too early in England or Wales, you may need to do it again. Check the current rules on GOV.UK before you book anything.