Strategy GuidesStrategy
Skyrim Marriage Guide: Steps, 66 Spouses and Perks
Short answer: to marry in Skyrim you must first talk to Maramal in Riften about marriage. Skip that and no proposal option appears, even while you wear the Amulet of Mara. The sequence is: talk to Maramal, get an amulet, meet the spouse's condition, propose, ask Maramal for the ceremony, attend it the next day.
Marriage cannot be undone. The Japanese wiki says there is no divorce and no remarriage. You can marry any of 66 people (including three from Dragonborn), so pick by the kind of condition and whether the spouse can follow you afterwards.
On sources. The steps, perks and candidate tables follow UESP's "Skyrim:Marriage" page (revision of 4 August 2026), checked on 6 October 2026, and names and notes were cross-checked against two Japanese guides. None of this was tested by marrying in game. The August 2026 Steam update notes we could read cover mod storage and Creations fixes, and do not mention any marriage change.
How to marry
- Go to Riften and talk to Maramal about marriage. He starts out at The Bee and Barb and later moves to the Temple of Mara. This starts the quest The Bonds of Matrimony. Owning an amulet is not enough; without speaking to Maramal no marriage option appears.
- Get an Amulet of Mara. Maramal sells one for 200 gold. It also turns up with merchants, in random loot, and from the quest The Book of Love (from Dinya Balu). Any one works. Worn, it cuts Restoration spell costs by 10% and tells NPCs you are unmarried.
- Meet the candidate's condition and raise their disposition. It differs per person (see the tables below).
- Wear the amulet, talk to them and propose. If they accept, move on.
- Ask Maramal to arrange the ceremony, then leave the temple and wait.
- Enter the Temple of Mara the next day. The sources disagree on timing; see "Where the sources disagree". Entering between dawn and dusk is inside the window under every description. Stay in Riften until the ceremony.
- Choose to be bound "now and forever". Then talk to your spouse and decide where they live (see "Choosing a home").
What cannot be undone, and what can
- Cannot be undone: divorce after the wedding. The Japanese wiki says there is no divorce or remarriage. It also says you cannot remarry after a spouse dies (UESP lists a bug where you cannot remarry if your spouse dies, fixed by the unofficial patch).
- Cannot be done: marrying more than one person.
- Can be redone: stopping the ceremony. If you choose "Stop the wedding!" the ceremony halts, but you can talk to your fiancé and hold it again by choosing "It was a mistake. Can we start over?"
- Cannot be undone: answering "I never loved you anyway." According to UESP, you can never marry that NPC again. Other candidates remain open.
- Some races have no one to marry. UESP says there are no Khajiit, Wood Elf (Bosmer), male Redguard or male High Elf candidates (without console commands). Gender does not matter.
Conditions grouped by type
Before the full list, here are the people grouped by type of condition. If you want your spouse to keep adventuring with you, choose someone marked "Yes" under Follower in the tables. A follower spouse can still come with you after the wedding (UESP). A non-follower spouse stays at your house or theirs.
- Hire once (mercenaries): Jenassa, Belrand, Marcurio, Stenvar, Vorstag. The Japanese wiki says hiring costs 500 gold.
- Become Thane: Iona, Jordis the Sword-Maiden, Rayya, Argis the Bulwark, Calder, Gregor, Valdimar. How to become Thane differs by hold and is outside this article. Lydia also requires buying Breezehome.
- Finish the Companions questline: Aela the Huntress, Njada Stonearm, Ria, Athis, Farkas, Torvar, Vilkas.
- Win a brawl: Uthgerd the Unbroken, Benor, Cosnach.
- Persuade them to follow you: Borgakh the Steel Heart, Ghorbash the Iron Hand.
- Everyone else: finish the candidate's favor or a related quest (tables below).
All 66 people you can marry
How to read the tables. "Follower: Yes" means the spouse can keep following you after the wedding. Dragonborn candidates need that DLC. Rulnik Wind-Strider from the Creation Club is also a candidate (UESP) but is not in these tables. Quest names are UESP's English names.
30 women
| Name | Race | Location | Follower | Condition to marry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aela the Huntress | Nord | Whiterun (Jorrvaskr) | Yes | Complete the Companions questline |
| Aeri | Nord | Anga's Mill | No | Her favor: Chop Wood or Delivery |
| Anwen | Redguard | Markarth (Temple of Dibella) | No | Complete The Heart of Dibella |
| Avrusa Sarethi | Dark Elf | Sarethi Farm | No | Her favor: Gather Wheat or Smooth Jazbay |
| Borgakh the Steel Heart | Orc | Mor Khazgur | Yes | Convince her to become a follower |
| Brelyna Maryon | Dark Elf | College of Winterhold | Yes | Her favors in Brelyna's Practice |
| Camilla Valerius | Imperial | Riverwood (Riverwood Trader) | No | Complete The Golden Claw |
| Dravynea the Stoneweaver | Dark Elf | Kynesgrove (Braidwood Inn) | No | Her favor: Dravynea's Frost Salts |
| Ghorza gra-Bagol | Orc | Markarth (Blacksmith Shed) | No | Her favor: Skilled Apprenticeship |
| Gilfre | Imperial | Mixwater Mill | No | Chop firewood for her |
| Hilund (Dragonborn) | Nord | Thirsk Mead Hall | No | Finish Retaking Thirsk, then her favor (Hilund Favor Quest): bring 50 Riekling spears |
| Iona | Nord | Riften (Honeyside) | Yes | Become Thane of the Rift |
| Jenassa | Dark Elf | Whiterun (The Drunken Huntsman) | Yes | Hire her at least once |
| Jordis the Sword-Maiden | Nord | Solitude (Proudspire Manor) | Yes | Become Thane of Haafingar |
| Lydia | Nord | Whiterun | Yes | Complete Dragon Rising and purchase Breezehome |
| Mjoll the Lioness | Nord | Riften | Yes | Complete Grimsever's Return |
| Morwen (Dragonborn) | Nord | Skaal Village | No | Her favor: Skaal Village Dialogue |
| Muiri | Breton | Markarth (The Hag's Cure) | No | Complete Mourning Never Comes (and kill Nilsine as well) |
| Njada Stonearm | Nord | Whiterun (Jorrvaskr) | Yes | Complete the Companions questline |
| Orla | Nord | Markarth (Temple of Dibella) | No | Complete The Heart of Dibella |
| Rayya | Redguard | Falkreath | Yes | Become Thane of Falkreath |
| Ria | Imperial | Whiterun (Jorrvaskr) | Yes | Complete the Companions questline |
| Senna | Breton | Markarth (Temple of Dibella) | No | Complete The Heart of Dibella |
| Shahvee | Argonian | Windhelm (Argonian Assemblage) | No | Retrieve Shahvee's Amulet of Zenithar |
| Sylgja | Nord | Shor's Stone | No | Her favor: Special Delivery |
| Taarie | High Elf | Solitude (Radiant Raiment) | No | Do her favor (Fit for a Jarl) and invest in her shop |
| Temba Wide-Arm | Nord | Ivarstead | No | Her favor: Chop Wood or Grin and Bear It |
| Uthgerd the Unbroken | Nord | Whiterun (The Bannered Mare) | Yes | Challenge her to a brawl and win |
| Viola Giordano | Imperial | Windhelm (Candlehearth Hall) | No | Rat out Revyn Sadri during his favor |
| Ysolda | Nord | Whiterun (Open Market) | No | Her favor: bring one Mammoth Tusk |
36 men
| Name | Race | Location | Follower | Condition to marry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ainethach | Breton | Karthwasten | No | Clear Sanuarach Mine of mercenaries |
| Angrenor Once-Honored | Nord | Windhelm (Candlehearth Hall) | No | Take pity by giving him a gold piece |
| Argis the Bulwark | Nord | Markarth (Vlindrel Hall) | Yes | Become Thane of the Reach |
| Athis | Dark Elf | Whiterun (Jorrvaskr) | Yes | Complete the Companions questline |
| Balimund | Nord | Riften | No | His favor: Stoking the Flames |
| Belrand | Nord | Solitude (The Winking Skeever) | Yes | Hire him at least once |
| Benor | Nord | Morthal | Yes | Challenge him to a brawl and win |
| Calder | Nord | Windhelm (Hjerim) | Yes | Become Thane of Eastmarch |
| Cosnach | Breton | Markarth (Silver-Blood Inn) | Yes | Challenge him to a brawl and win |
| Derkeethus | Argonian | Darkwater Crossing | Yes | Find and rescue him |
| Farkas | Nord | Whiterun (Jorrvaskr) | Yes | Complete the Companions questline |
| Filnjar | Nord | Shor's Stone | No | Complete Mine or Yours |
| Gat gro-Shargakh | Orc | Left Hand Mine / Kolskeggr Mine | No | Clear Kolskeggr Mine for Pavo Attius |
| Ghorbash the Iron Hand | Orc | Dushnikh Yal | Yes | Convince him to become a follower |
| Gregor | Nord | Heljarchen Hall | Yes | Become Thane of the Pale |
| Halbarn Iron-Fur (Dragonborn) | Nord | Thirsk Mead Hall | No | Finish Retaking Thirsk, then his favor (Halbarn Favor Quest): bring 10 stalhrim samples and 15 ebony ingots |
| Marcurio | Imperial | Riften (The Bee and Barb) | Yes | Hire him at least once |
| Moth gro-Bagol | Orc | Markarth (Understone Keep) | No | His favor: Coated in Blood |
| Octieve San | Breton | Solitude | No | His favor: A Few Words... |
| Omluag | Breton | Markarth (Smelter) | No | His favor: A Few Words... |
| Onmund | Nord | College of Winterhold | Yes | His favor: Onmund's Request |
| Pavo Attius | Imperial | Left Hand Mine / Kolskeggr Mine | No | Clear Kolskeggr Mine for him |
| Perth | Breton | Soljund's Sinkhole | No | Clear Soljund's Sinkhole for him |
| Quintus Navale | Imperial | Windhelm (The White Phial) | No | Complete Repairing the Phial |
| Revyn Sadri | Dark Elf | Windhelm (Sadri's Used Wares) | No | His favor: Plant a stolen item |
| Roggi Knot-Beard | Nord | Kynesgrove | Yes | Retrieve Roggi's Ancestral Shield |
| Romlyn Dreth | Dark Elf | Riften (Black-Briar Meadery) | No | His favor: Under the Table |
| Scouts-Many-Marshes | Argonian | Windhelm (Argonian Assemblage) | No | His favor: A Few Words... |
| Sondas Drenim | Dark Elf | Darkwater Crossing | No | His favor: Deliver a note |
| Sorex Vinius | Imperial | Solitude (The Winking Skeever) | No | His favor: Deliver a bottle of rum |
| Stenvar | Nord | Windhelm (Candlehearth Hall) | Yes | Hire him at least once |
| Torvar | Nord | Whiterun (Jorrvaskr) | Yes | Complete the Companions questline |
| Valdimar | Nord | Windstad Manor | Yes | Become Thane of Hjaalmarch |
| Vilkas | Nord | Whiterun (Jorrvaskr) | Yes | Complete the Companions questline |
| Vorstag | Nord | Markarth (Silver-Blood Inn) | Yes | Hire him at least once |
| Wilhelm | Nord | Ivarstead (Vilemyr Inn) | No | Complete Lifting the Shroud |
What marriage gives you
| Perk | What it does | Conditions and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Homecooked Meal | Once a day your spouse prepares a meal. Health, stamina and magicka regeneration rise by 25% for 600 seconds (10 minutes) | You still get it when your spouse is a follower. The meal you receive is always the same item (UESP) |
| Shop income | From the next day, about 100 gold a day builds up (UESP says "100 gold or more") | It accumulates wherever your spouse lives. If your spouse moves in with you they become a general goods merchant you can trade with (that income is separate from the daily gold) |
| Sleeping bonus (Lover's Comfort) | Sleep (even one hour) in a building where your spouse is, and all skills improve 15% faster for 8 hours | A normal bed gives 5% and a bed you own gives 10% (UESP). It stacks with the Mage, Warrior and Thief Stones, but does not appear while the Lover Stone is active or while you are a werewolf |
| Ownership | Taking your spouse's things, or items in containers they own, is not theft if each item is worth 500 gold or less | Not everything in the house belongs to your spouse (see "Choosing a home") |
| Protection | Your spouse becomes a protected NPC | As recorded by UESP |
With Dawnguard, the Volkihar quest "The Gift" may let you turn your spouse into a vampire. The quest is not offered for some spouses UESP lists, such as Farkas, Vilkas, Aela, Jenassa and Stenvar. A vampire spouse behaves differently from a normal vampire in some ways.
Choosing a home
- You can live in your spouse's home or have them move into a house you bought, and you can change this later.
- A spouse cannot move into a free house, a quest reward house or a faction house. Only purchased homes work. A Hearthfire house you built works once it has a bed for your spouse. If you have children, you also need their rooms or beds.
- Check that what looks like your spouse's home is really theirs. Dravynea's "home" is one bed in a room at an inn, shared with others who keep living there, which UESP says makes her a poor catch. To check, follow the candidate to see where they sleep at night, then see whether nearby containers stop showing as theft (red) after you finish their favor.
- If you cannot buy a house early, marrying someone who owns one lets you use that home as a base (UESP).
- A spouse you move into your house will not leave it unless they are a follower. If that bothers you, live at your spouse's home and let them roam (Kamigame).
Where it tends to go wrong
- The proposal option may not appear even when you meet the condition. UESP advises having at least one backup candidate, because the Radiant AI may block a flagged candidate.
- Favors will not progress while a similar favor from someone else is active. Doing another NPC's errand can hide your intended's quest. UESP advises marrying your chosen person as early as possible.
- If Riften citizens are hostile on your wedding day, the quest fails. For example, after you recently attacked a citizen of Riften.
- If a follower of yours dies before the wedding, their body appears at the temple and fails the ceremony (a bug reported on UESP).
- Muiri and Camilla Valerius may lose their marriage dialogue if you kill the other shop staff to let them take over.
- UESP says many players report Lydia missing the marriage dialogue, and that it is unclear whether the official patch 1.5 fixed it for others.
- The "Would you mind cooking something for me?" line can disappear one day (a confirmed bug).
Where the sources disagree
- Lydia's condition. UESP says "complete Dragon Rising and purchase Breezehome"; the Japanese wiki says "become Thane of Whiterun". There is no downside to meeting both requirements, so do both before talking to her.
- Who can be won by "investing". The Japanese wiki says Camilla, Taarie, Muiri, Quintus, Balimund and Revyn can also be unlocked by investing in their shops (the Investor perk). UESP mentions investment only for Taarie. The tables follow UESP.
- When you can buy the amulet. Kamigame says the purchase option does not appear unless an NPC already likes you enough; UESP only says Maramal sells it for 200 gold. If you meet a candidate's condition first and then visit Maramal, both descriptions work.
- Ceremony time. Kamigame says "from 0:00 to 24:00 the next day". UESP says Maramal's line about dawn to dusk is not accurate and the ceremony starts any time after midnight once a whole number of hours has passed since you asked. Arriving late counts as failing, so leave yourself margin.
Summary
- Talk to Maramal first. The amulet alone does not unlock proposals
- The amulet costs 200 gold. Stopping the ceremony can be redone, but answering "I never loved you anyway" means you can never marry that person
- No divorce and no remarriage (Japanese wiki). Line up a backup candidate before you start
- You can marry 66 people. Conditions are: hire, Thane, Companions, brawl, persuade, or a favor
- To keep your spouse adventuring, pick someone with Follower: Yes
- Perks: a daily meal, about 100 gold a day, and 15% faster skill gain for 8 hours after sleeping. A spouse can only move into a house you purchased
Sources (UESP and Komakai are community wikis): UESP — Skyrim: Marriage for steps, perks, candidate tables and bugs, UESP — The Bonds of Matrimony for the quest flow, UESP — Amulet of Mara for how to get it and what it does, UESP — Sleeping for sleeping bonus comparisons, Kamigame — How to marry in Skyrim (Japanese), Komakai — Wives list (Japanese) and husbands list (Japanese) for Japanese names and cross-checking conditions, Elder Scrolls Wiki (Japanese) — official Japanese translation list for checking Japanese quest names, and Steam — Skyrim Special Edition news for the August 2026 update contents.
RELATED
