We’ve all done it. The high school pact you make with your best guy friend that goes a little something like ‘If we’re both still single by the time we’re <insert age>, then let’s get Married’. Well, Fairies, we were prepared to go to the ends of the earth to find real-life examples where they ACTUALLY got hitched – and it turns out it’s more common than we thought.

The best news? A lot of the time, it worked out.

Here are 7 of our favourite real life examples.

1. 7 Years, 0 Regrets

We left our spouses around the same time (not for each other) and decided to share a house. We got to taking one night and decided we each had all the things the other was looking for, plus we got along really well. We were in our mid-thirties by then and sick of the dating scene, so we just laid it out like a business arrangement. What started off as an “arrangement” eventually evolved into something extremely serious and passionate. We’ve been together now for almost seven years and married for almost one. We are extremely in love and I have zero regrets. – 1throw9away79

2. Happy Endings

She was the loud, popular, social butterfly, I was the awkward sheltered kid. By way of sheer luck and proxy we became very close friends in high school–nearby lockers, nearby seating, I had a car and could drive her home, that sort of thing. Like I’m sure many of you have experienced yourself, I couldn’t not crush on her something fierce, but I obviously wasn’t going to make the move on someone so far out of my league and ruin our friendship.

I forget exactly how the conversation came to be, but at one point she brings up how we should totally get married if we’re both still single by the time we’re 30. Obviously she’s joking or she’ll find someone way before then, so I sheepishly agree and forget about it. I even set her up with a friend of mine and they where great together. Graduation comes, she moves to the other side of the country (military parents got reassigned), and we effectively drop out of contact like so many other high school friends.

Two years later I make a Facebook page (waaay behind the curve like anything else in the social realm), we get back in contact, and she starts unloading on me about her failing relationship with the guy I set her up with. Apparently the long distance wasn’t working too well and he had become distant to the point of outright ignoring her. Sucks and I’m disappointed in my friend, but I’m happy to hear her voice again and being her shoulder to cry on again works just fine.

But then the conversations get longer. Like, phone calls that last from midnight to six AM and texts first thing in the morning-long. And then she brings the pact back up. And then she tells me the relationship with the friend is effectively dead, and she’s tired of waiting for him. And then she says she loves me, she’s always had a thing for me, she just didn’t want to say anything for fear of ruining our friendship.

We were together for three years long-distance, only ever seeing each other during holidays and long breaks, before I graduated college and moved across the country to be with her. We’re getting married in October, five full years before the pact would’ve happened. – BattleStag17

Image from Nastasia and John’s Wedding. Photography by Aljosa Videtic

3. The Birthday Bride

We were both never single at the same time, but always best friends. Made a pact in high school that, if at 30 we’re both single, we’d get married. We stayed friends after graduation, and at 25 we started hanging out more and more. We fell deeply in love, and on our 30th birthday (yes we have the same birthday) we were married. Life couldn’t be better! – nrain

4. Girl Code Broken

My best friend of 10 years said to me one day in a group conversation that if we weren’t with anyone by the time she was 30( she was 25 at the time) that we would have to be together. As beautiful as she was/is i never made a move because i used to date her female best friend, so i thought the “girl code” would halt my advance. Sure enough, once she said that, i was like “hold up, she’s possibly into me?!” I made the move! Six months after that conversation, we got married. It was a fairly easy transition. Currently married for 3 years with 2 children. Im loving every moment of it. – BioKlean911

5. Promises

Not a pact but a joking promise: My best friend and his girlfriend had been dating for several years. When I asked why he hadn’t proposed (I didn’t know they were having problems). I told her, jokingly, remember, if he didn’t marry her in a year, I would. We were friends, never dated, never kissed, nothing. 1 year later we were walking down the isle. Can’t stress how big of a surprise it was for both of us when we got together. That was 2 kids and almost 24 years ago. Our oldest starts college this fall. Best thing is, we’re the way we were when we were just friends, being married hasn’t changed much. – emmettfitz

6. Besties

Me and my best friend at 20 said if we were still single in 10 years we would get married. That “best friend” and I accidentally fell in love and he’s my fiancé now. We’re 23. We skipped a few steps… – SparklyPizza

7. Cross Country

My bf and I made such a pact about seven years ago. We met online and were friends, and over the course shared our misfortunes of broken hearts and bad relationships, and made such pact that by 30, if we were both single, I’d move the 2000 miles and be with him. I jumped the gun, and had moved here at 28, and two years later we are engaged and I couldn’t be happier. Maybe not the story of a long marriage one would hope, but I don’t regret my decision in the least. – mybrokendelilah

Image from Natalia and Andrew’s Wedding. Photography by Evoke Photography.