This thesis addresses the way young middle class couples view love, loyalty, friendship and the process of building a life together. The research was based on interviews with nine couples and explored the variety of values and personal views that are used to structure contemporary romantic relationships. Our research used concepts from sociological and anthropological debates about the construction of the self in order to identify the approach between the experience of dating and the conceptions of friendship and marriage. According to the analysis of our empirical material, this study identified a conception of the experience of dating that blends a more conservative and romanticized view with more individualistic and pragmatic views. Finally, we hope to understand in a better way the social and cultural characteristics of contemporary relationships in the Brazilian society.