You meet, you date, and you have fun. You go out together and you look forward to seeing each other when you are apart. You start to spend more time with one another and less time doing things you used to do separately. Is this the point when your relationship begins to get serious?

When do relationships cross that threshold from not serious to serious? When do they become committed relationships instead of just dating? And is there really just one definition of becoming serious?

A lot of people think that the labels of girlfriend and boyfriend are considered being in a serious relationship while others think that the words "I love you" need to be said before the relationship is set in stone. Depending on how you view it you may have a very different opinion on this subject than your next door neighbor. But there are some signs that occur in every relationship that indicated it is becoming more serious and that it is moving towards the next step.

Some signs of crossing the threshold into a serious relationship are:

Plans Have Moved Passed the Day by Day Plans

In the beginning of the relationship you don’t make solid plans with each other. You phone one another up and see if a night at the movies is in order, or possibly a night at the bar.

But later in the relationship you start making plans in advance with each other like how you want to spend your vacation together or where you should go for the holidays. If you find that plans are no longer on a day by day basis then you have started moving into a more serious relationship.

Friends and Family Are Introduced

No one wants to introduce someone they are casually dating to their mother or other family members. Why risk the embarrassing stories that will be told from them? Plus there’s no need for making them uncomfortable by forcing them try to impress your loved ones over supper.

But once the relationship starts to get serious introductions start to be made to the family and friends. It’s a way to show your family how great the person you are dating is and also to give your boyfriend or girlfriend an intimate glance into your life. This is a sure sign of becoming more serious.

Talk about the Future Together Has Started

In the beginning of the relationship you don’t talk about your future house, kids, pets, cars, or vacations together. You focus on your separate plans and enjoy one another's company.

But once you start to become serious in the relationship then you start to make plans together for the future, like where you would like to travel together or where you would both like to live and what kind of house it should be. Bottom line: If you are talking about your future together then you are planning to have a future, and that’s pretty serious.

No matter what your definition of serious in a relationship is these 3 signs of commitment are obvious signs that your relationship has passed the initial non-commitment stage.