The Ultimate Skyrim Marriage Guide: 67 Spouses, Benefits & Perfect Partner Strategy

In the vast and untamed province of Skyrim, where dragons circle the skies and ancient dungeons hold untold treasures, the opportunity for companionship offers a different kind of reward. Bethesda's marriage system features an impressive roster of 67 spouse candidates, giving players extraordinary freedom to choose a partner who matches their character's personality and their own gameplay preferences. Whether you're embarking on your first adventure as Dragonborn or revisiting Tamriel as a seasoned veteran, the decision to marry opens up dimensions of both narrative depth and practical advantage that extend far beyond the wedding ceremony.

The marriage system excels by delivering two complementary experiences. The emotional connection aspects transform your journey from a solitary quest into a shared life, providing moments of intimacy and companionship that ground the epic fantasy in personal relationships. At the same time, the daily income benefits create tangible value that supports your adventures, making marriage a mechanically sound choice regardless of your playstyle. This duality ensures that every player can find meaning in the system, whether they prioritize roleplaying immersion or strategic optimization.

This guide will help you navigate all 67 potential spouses, understand the full scope of daily income benefits, and appreciate how emotional connections enrich your time in Skyrim. By examining both the heartfelt moments and the practical rewards, you'll be equipped to make a choice that satisfies your character's story and your player's goals, proving that even in a world of dragons and destiny, love remains a powerful force.

How to Get Married in Skyrim: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Ready to tie the knot in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim? The Bonds of Matrimony quest allows the Dragonborn to establish marriage relationships with eligible NPCs. Skyrim supports both same-sex and opposite-sex marriage through this flexible and inclusive system.

Step 1: Speak with Maramal About Marriage

First, locate Maramal. He initially preaches at The Bee and Barb inn in Riften, delivering sermons about Mara, the goddess of love. After your first meeting, he permanently relocates to the Temple of Mara. Ask him about marriage and Mara's beliefs to officially begin your journey toward matrimony and unlock the marriage mechanics.

Step 2: Purchase the Amulet of Mara

After discussing marriage with Maramal, you can purchase the Amulet of Mara from him for 200 gold. This amulet is the key item needed to unlock marriage dialogue options with potential spouses throughout Skyrim.

Step 3: Equip the Amulet of Mara

Amulet of Mara: A special necklace that signals your marriage eligibility to NPCs, but only when actively worn.

Simply carrying the amulet in your inventory is not sufficient. The Amulet of Mara must be worn in your amulet slot for NPCs to recognize you as available for marriage and unlock the necessary dialogue options.

Step 4: Propose to an Eligible NPC

With the amulet properly equipped, approach an eligible NPC with whom you have built a strong relationship. The proposal becomes available when wearing the amulet and having a high enough relationship status. Ask them to marry you and wait for their acceptance to progress the quest.

Step 5: Attend Your Wedding Ceremony

The wedding ceremony takes place at the Temple of Mara in Riften. Maramal officiates the marriage, making your union official. The Temple of Mara is the designated location for all wedding ceremonies in Skyrim, regardless of where you first met your partner.

Same-Sex Marriage Support

Skyrim fully supports same-sex marriage through the Bonds of Matrimony quest. Your Dragonborn can marry any eligible NPC regardless of gender, making the marriage system inclusive and flexible for all players.

Practical Marriage Benefits

Taking a practical approach to marriage offers tangible gameplay advantages. Your spouse will set up a shop, providing you with daily gold earnings and a home-cooked meal. They also become an available follower who can move into your house, creating both economic and companionship benefits that enhance your adventure.

Finding and Using the Amulet of Mara

Purchasing from Maramal

The Amulet of Mara can be purchased from Maramal for 200 gold. Maramal can be found at either the Temple of Mara or The Bee and Barb inn in Riften. The Temple of Mara is located in the southeastern part of Riften's market district.

Free Acquisition Methods

A free Amulet of Mara can be obtained from Dinya Balu by completing 'The Book of Love' quest. Dinya Balu is a Dark Elf priestess stationed at the Temple of Mara in Riften and is the wife of Maramal. To start 'The Book of Love' quest, players must speak with Dinya Balu about receiving Mara's blessing.

'The Book of Love' is a three-part quest that provides both the Amulet of Mara and the Agent of Mara blessing upon completion. The Agent of Mara blessing provides a permanent resist magic effect. The blessing is awarded in addition to the amulet.

• An alternative free Amulet of Mara location exists east of Dawnstar Sanctuary with a 10-day respawn time.

Understanding Amulet Effects

The Amulet of Mara reduces the Magicka cost of Restoration spells by 10% and indicates to NPCs that the player is available for marriage. The amulet's enchantment and marriage signaling only function while the item is actively worn.

• Restoration Efficiency: 10% Magicka cost reduction for all Restoration spells
• Marriage Indicator: Signals to eligible NPCs that you are open to marriage proposals

Complete List of Skyrim Marriage Candidates

Skyrim offers a diverse range of marriage options for players seeking companionship in the frozen north. 66 marriageable NPCs are available in the vanilla game plus DLC, with 30 female and 37 male candidates to choose from. This gender distribution provides nearly equal options for players regardless of their character's gender. These marriage candidates span all major Skyrim locations including Whiterun, Riften, Solitude, Windhelm, Markarth, and the College of Winterhold, ensuring players can find love regardless of their preferred faction or questline.

General Marriage Requirements: All marriage candidates require the player to complete 'The Bonds of Matrimony' quest, obtain an Amulet of Mara, and wear it while proposing to eligible NPCs. Each marriage candidate has unique dialogue requirements and specific tasks that must be completed before they will accept a marriage proposal. The process is uniform across all candidates but the prerequisites vary significantly from simple fetch quests to extensive faction questlines.

• Complete 'The Bonds of Matrimony' quest
• Obtain and wear the Amulet of Mara
• Fulfill NPC-specific prerequisites
• Speak to Maramal at the Temple of Mara in Riften to initiate the process

Detailed Candidate Table

The following table provides detailed information on major marriage candidates mentioned in official sources. For a complete list of all 58 potential spouses documented on the UESP Wiki, consult their comprehensive category dedicated to marriage candidate NPCs. The table below represents some of the most commonly sought-after partners and demonstrates the variety of requirements players must meet.

Name	Location	Race	Gender	Requirements	Special Notes
Aela the Huntress	Jorrvaskr in Whiterun	Nord	Female	Complete entire Companions questline including becoming a werewolf	Werewolf transformation required; skilled archer and fighter
Lydia	Breezehome in Whiterun or as follower	Nord	Female	Must be recruited as a follower before marriage eligibility	Becomes available after becoming Thane of Whiterun; default housecarl
Faendal	Riverwood near blacksmith's workshop	Wood Elf (Bosmer)	Male	Complete "The Lovers" quest	Rare Bosmer exception to marriage restrictions; archery trainer
Vex	Ragged Flagon in Riften's Thieves Guild hideout	Dark Elf (Dunmer)	Female	Complete Thieves Guild questline	Master thief located in the Thieves Guild headquarters; requires full guild completion
Brelyna Maryon	College of Winterhold (Arcaneum or main hall)	Dunmer	Female	Complete both "Under Saarthal" and "Brelyna's Practice" quests	Student at the College of Winterhold; Conjuration mage with unique spells
Maramal	Temple of Mara in Riften	Redguard	Male	Obtain the Amulet of Mara and complete the marriage process	Priest of Mara who explains marriage mechanics; sells Amulet of Mara

Notable Restrictions and Unavailable NPCs

Skyrim's marriage system has several important limitations players should understand. There are no eligible Khajiit, Bosmer (Wood Elf), male Redguard, or male Altmer (High Elf) marriage candidates available in vanilla Skyrim. This restriction significantly limits options for players seeking spouses from these races and has been a common point of discussion in the community since the game's release.

Some characters that appear to be ideal candidates are actually unavailable despite meeting many criteria. J'zargo is a Khajiit student at the College of Winterhold who is not marriageable in vanilla Skyrim despite being a popular companion character. Similarly, Ulfric Stormcloak is a Nord Jarl of Windhelm who was initially slated to be marriageable but this feature was removed by Bethesda before console release. These exclusions demonstrate that not all NPCs with follower potential are eligible for marriage.

Players should also be aware that some marriageable NPCs are marked as 'essential' and cannot be married, which is indicated on their character pages in the game. Always check an NPC's full status before investing time in completing their requirements. The discrepancy between the 66 total candidates mentioned in some sources and the 58 documented on UESP Wiki may reflect different counting methods or updates across game versions.

Finding Your Ideal Spouse

With so many options available, players should consider what benefits each spouse brings beyond companionship. Some offer training in specific skills, while others provide unique dialogue or open access to new locations. The UESP Wiki category provides the most comprehensive resource for tracking down every potential partner. Remember that once married, your spouse can provide a daily homecooked meal and a share of store profits if they open a shop, making marriage both romantic and practical.

Race Restrictions and Marriage Limitations

Confirmed Race-Based Marriage Restrictions

In vanilla Skyrim (the base, unmodified version of the game), players cannot marry any Khajiit, Bosmer (Wood Elf), male Redguard, or male Altmer (High Elf) characters. This limitation exists despite the presence of memorable characters from these races throughout the game, significantly narrowing the pool of potential marriage partners for players seeking diverse representation.

Notable Exceptions and Removed Options

While Wood Elves are generally excluded from marriage options, Faendal serves as a notable exception that contradicts this rule. This Wood Elf resides near the blacksmith's workshop in Riverwood and becomes available for marriage only after completing "The Lovers" quest. The situation with J'zargo, a popular Khajiit companion at the College of Winterhold, exemplifies the typical restrictions—he remains unavailable for marriage regardless of player relationship status or progress.

Design Decisions and Gameplay Impact

Bethesda's intentional design choices are evident in cases like Ulfric Stormcloak, the Nord Jarl of Windhelm. He was initially slated to be marriageable, but this feature was removed before console release, demonstrating how marriage options were deliberately limited. These restrictions significantly impact roleplaying options for players seeking partners from specific races.

• Players seeking partners from restricted races must rely on mods to expand their choices.
• Some NPCs marked as "essential" cannot be married, further reducing available options as indicated on their character pages.

Marriage Benefits - Why Get Married in Skyrim?

Financial Rewards: Daily Gold Income

Marriage in Skyrim provides substantial financial benefits through your spouse's commercial enterprise. Your spouse establishes a store that earns you 100 gold or more each day. This consistent daily income ensures economic stability throughout your journey, providing financial security for equipment upgrades and supplies.

Daily Income: Your spouse's shop generates 100+ gold per day automatically.

Spouses can operate shops that create ongoing economic benefits. This turns marriage into a practical investment that pays dividends during your entire adventure. The financial rewards make marriage a strategic choice for any Dragonborn seeking economic advantages.

Practical Support: The Homecooked Meal Buff

Each day, your spouse prepares a special homecooked meal that boosts health, stamina, and magicka regeneration by 25%. This powerful buff lasts for a full 600 seconds (10 minutes), providing a significant advantage in combat and exploration scenarios. The meal represents tangible daily support for your adventures.

Homecooked Meal: 25% regeneration boost to all three core stats.

The home-cooked meal buff delivers practical support that enhances your daily performance. This daily benefit ensures you're always prepared for unexpected challenges. Combined with the financial perks, these buffs create a comprehensive support system.

Accessing Your Marriage Benefits

To unlock these advantages, you must first obtain the Amulet of Mara and complete The Bonds of Matrimony quest. The marriage system offers benefits that significantly enhance gameplay beyond simple roleplaying elements. These tangible gameplay advantages make marriage a strategic decision for optimizing your Dragonborn's capabilities.

Amulet of Mara: Essential item required to propose and unlock marriage benefits.

Marriage in Skyrim provides a range of benefits that enhance both gameplay mechanics and roleplaying opportunities. The system delivers measurable improvements that justify the commitment, creating a well-rounded enhancement to your overall experience.

The Wedding Ceremony at Temple of Mara

The Sacred Ceremony at Temple of Mara

The wedding ceremony unfolds within the hallowed halls of the Temple of Mara in Riften, the sacred and designated location for all nuptials across Skyrim. Regardless of whether you met your beloved in the frozen reaches of Winterhold or the bustling streets of Solitude, every couple must journey to this holy site to exchange their vows. Candlelight flickers against ancient stone as Maramal, the priest of Mara, presides over the ceremony with solemn dignity. His resonant voice fills the chamber as he invokes the goddess's blessing, binding your fates together under Mara's watchful gaze. The typical marriage process flows smoothly from proposal to ceremony, with couples proceeding directly to the temple without any mandatory waiting period, ensuring your union can be sealed as swiftly as your love was declared.

Building Your New Life Together

Once Maramal has declared you wed and the final prayers have been offered, the practical matters of married life begin immediately. Players are prompted to select a house where they and their spouse will establish their shared home and build their future together. This important choice determines where your partner will set up their new life, creating a sanctuary that awaits your return after each perilous adventure. The home you choose becomes the foundation of your married life, a place where the blessings of Mara continue to nurture your bond within Skyrim's unforgiving landscape.

Spouse Housing and Home Management

Marriage and Property Co-Ownership

When you marry, your spouse will move into your home. This arrangement immediately establishes them as a co-owner of the property with full rights and responsibilities.

Co-ownership: Your spouse becomes a co-owner of your home after marriage.

Alternative Living Arrangements

The living situation works differently if you do not own a home at the time of marriage. In this alternative scenario, marriage grants you residence in your spouse's house instead.

Household Management and Economic Benefits

Your spouse actively manages the household and provides essential services. They offer convenient storage access and operate a commercial enterprise from your shared residence.

Home-based shop: A shop run by your spouse at your residence that generates daily income.

Your spouse's daily contributions to home life include:

• Managing all household operations and maintenance tasks
• Providing you with complete access to storage facilities
• Operating a home-based shop that generates daily income for the family

Best Spouses for Different Playstyles

Finding the perfect partner in Skyrim depends entirely on your preferred approach to adventure. With 30 female and 36 male characters available for marriage, the best spouse ultimately depends on your specific needs, playstyle preferences, and roleplay goals.

Combat-Focused: Warriors and Followers

For players who charge into battle, Aela the Huntress stands out as an exceptional choice. She brings formidable archery skills and deep Companions guild experience to any relationship. Her werewolf heritage adds an intriguing layer, providing unique roleplay opportunities beyond just combat effectiveness.

• Archery expert with extensive Companions training
• Werewolf heritage for unique storytelling potential
• Devastating ranged combat support as a follower

Lydia represents another excellent warrior companion, embodying the loyal defender archetype as your housecarl. Her dedication to protecting her thane translates into both emotional stability and reliable backup in dangerous encounters. This steadfast support makes her ideal for players wanting a partner who doubles as a capable follower.

• Housecarl with unwavering loyalty
• Provides consistent melee combat support
• Emotionally stable partnership dynamic

Magic-Focused: Arcane Scholars

Arcane Partner: A spouse who specializes in magical combat and scholarly pursuits.

Mages seeking magical synergy should consider Brelyna Maryon. She excels at using conjuration and destruction magic to devastate enemies from distance. Her background as a student at the College of Winterhold adds depth to magical roleplay scenarios, making her ideal for those wanting a spouse who shares their passion for the arcane arts.

• Conjuration and destruction magic specialist
• College of Winterhold academic background
• Scholarly approach enhances magical roleplay

Stealth-Focused: Guild Allies

For stealth-oriented characters, Vex offers one of the most intriguing marriage options. Her position within the Thieves Guild makes her well-suited for players who value sneak attacks, lockpicking, and stealth-based gameplay. She brings cunning and underhanded tactics to any partnership, enhancing your shadowy operations.

• Master of stealth and lockpicking mechanics
• Deep Thieves Guild connections
• Excels at cunning, underhanded tactics

Roleplaying and Economic Benefits

Each potential spouse brings unique personality traits and backstories that significantly enhance roleplay experience. These elements create opportunities for warrior couples, domestic partnerships, or scholarly duos. Your choice shapes storytelling possibilities beyond mere combat effectiveness.

Financial stability proves particularly important for resource-intensive characters. Some spouses offer financial perks through their trades or services, while others provide unique home life experiences. This is especially valuable for mages who require expensive potions and spell tomes.

• Merchant spouses provide shop benefits and daily income
• Home life experiences enhance domestic roleplay
• Economic support for resource-intensive builds

Marriage in Skyrim allows players to explore different relationship dynamics. You might fight side by side or establish partnerships where one character focuses on providing support while the other ventures forth. These unique benefits and storytelling opportunities make spouse selection a meaningful gameplay decision that extends far beyond simple combat bonuses.

Advanced Marriage Strategies and Tips

Transforming Your Spouse with the Dawnguard DLC

The Dawnguard DLC introduces a unique mechanic that lets players transform their spouse into a vampire lord. This transformation opens up distinct roleplay opportunities and gameplay changes for married couples in Skyrim.

To initiate this process, you must first become a vampire lord yourself by completing the appropriate questline. Then you can use the Vampire's Seduction power on your spouse to trigger the transformation.

Vampire Lord: A powerful transformation form granted through the Dawnguard DLC that provides enhanced abilities and specific weaknesses.

Vampire spouses maintain all standard marriage benefits including daily income and meal buffs. However, they gain additional vampire lord abilities and weaknesses, creating a more powerful but vulnerable partner. It's important to note that vampire spouses cannot be cured through normal gameplay methods, requiring console commands or specific quest items to reverse the change.

Console Command Marriage Manipulation

Console commands enable marriage options beyond normal gameplay, though these methods come with significant risks. Players can attempt multiple marriages simultaneously, though this often leads to game instability and conflicts with questlines.

If your spouse dies in vanilla Skyrim, you cannot remarry without using console commands or mods. The console command 'setstage 000198F5 10' will reset marriage status and allow you to pursue a new relationship.

Advanced players can use 'player.setrelationshiprank 4' to make any NPC marriageable, including normally unavailable essential NPCs like Ulfric Stormcloak. To protect your spouse from accidental death, they can be made essential using 'setessential 1'.

• Multiple marriages can cause game instability and conflicts with questlines, making single marriage the recommended approach for most players
• Console commands should be used cautiously as they may interfere with achievement unlocking and quest progression in some cases
• Always create backup saves before using any marriage-altering console commands

Mods and Game Stability

For players seeking expanded marriage options, mods like 'Multiple Marriages' or 'Another Marriage Mod' provide structured support for polygamous relationships. These mods offer more stable implementations than console commands alone and can be used alongside console commands for remarriage after spouse death.

However, all advanced marriage modifications carry potential risks. The game's design assumes a single marriage, and bypassing this can create unexpected issues. Essential NPC: A character marked as vital to the game who cannot be killed, protecting them from permanent death.

When using any marriage-altering methods, create frequent save backups and test changes in a separate save file. This helps avoid corrupting your main playthrough. Single marriage remains the recommended approach for most players seeking a stable experience, as advanced tactics are best reserved for experienced players comfortable with troubleshooting.

Common Skyrim Marriage Questions (FAQ)

Can You Remarry If Your Spouse Dies?

If your spouse dies in vanilla Skyrim, you cannot remarry without using console commands or mods to reset your marriage status. Console commands: These are text commands that can modify game states, and the specific command setstage 000198F5 10 can be used to reset marriage status and allow remarrying after spouse death in vanilla Skyrim.

Do All Spouses Provide Identical Benefits?

Yes, every spouse will set up a store that earns you 100 gold or more per day from marriage in Skyrim. Your spouse will also make you one homecooked meal a day that boosts health, stamina, and magicka regeneration by 25% for 600 seconds. These benefits are identical regardless of which marriage candidate you choose, making the choice purely cosmetic.

Are There Marriage Restrictions for Certain Races?

There are no eligible Khajiit, Bosmer (Wood Elf), male Redguard, or male Altmer (High Elf) marriage candidates available in vanilla Skyrim. This means while Khajiit characters can marry, they cannot marry other Khajiit. The lack of certain racial options limits player choices for specific character builds and roleplaying preferences.

How Quickly Does Marriage Pay For Itself?

The Amulet of Mara can be purchased from Maramal at the Temple of Mara in Riften for 200 gold. With your spouse providing 100 gold daily income, the initial investment is recouped in just two days. After this brief period, all subsequent income represents pure profit from the marriage arrangement.

Where Do Weddings Take Place?

All wedding ceremonies occur at the Temple of Mara in Riften, regardless of where the couple meets. This designated location serves as Skyrim's only venue for marriage ceremonies. You must travel to Riften for your wedding, even if your spouse lives elsewhere in the province.

Roleplaying Your Perfect Skyrim Marriage

Building Your Character's Perfect Partnership

The best spouse in Skyrim ultimately depends on your specific needs, playstyle preferences, and roleplay goals, with each relationship offering unique benefits and storytelling opportunities. This decision shapes your entire journey, as you consider how personality traits and backstories align with your character's path to create either a warrior couple bound by combat or a domestic partnership offering sanctuary.

Spouses That Enhance Specific Story Arcs

Aela's werewolf heritage adds an intriguing layer to her character, providing players with unique roleplay opportunities beyond just combat effectiveness. This makes her particularly compelling for Dragonborns who embrace Tamriel's wilder aspects and seek partners who understand primal struggles and transformation.

For those pursuing magical mastery, Brelyna Maryon's background as a College of Winterhold student adds depth to magical roleplay scenarios. She becomes an ideal partner for those wanting their spouse to share their passion for the arcane arts and participate in scholarly pursuits between adventures.

Creating Meaningful Narratives Through Marriage

Each potential spouse brings unique personality traits and backstories that significantly enhance roleplay experiences, from warrior couples who battle side-by-side to domestic partnerships providing sanctuary. These varied dynamics allow you to craft authentic narratives reflecting your character's values throughout your adventure.

Relationship Dynamics: The different ways your character and spouse interact and support each other throughout your journey.

Marriage in Skyrim allows players to explore different relationship dynamics:

• Fighting side-by-side as equal partners in combat
• Partnerships where one character focuses on providing support while the other ventures forth on quests
• Domestic arrangements that create a home base between adventures

Conclusion

Your journey through Skyrim's frozen wilds doesn't have to be a solitary one. The marriage system offers tangible rewards that make it one of the most undervalued mechanics in the game. Beyond the emotional connection, your spouse provides 100 gold daily income from their shop and a 25% stat boost from home-cooked meals that lasts 600 seconds—benefits that far outweigh the modest 200 gold cost for the Amulet of Mara, which pays for itself in just two days.

What truly sets this system apart is its remarkable flexibility. With 66+ marriage candidates across every major hold and faction, you'll find compatible partners for any playstyle. Warriors can wed battle-hardened companions, mages can unite with fellow scholars of the arcane, and thieves can find partners who appreciate discretion. Each relationship opens unique roleplaying opportunities and meaningful narratives that deepen your connection to the world.

Whether you min-max every advantage or craft elaborate character backstories, marriage enhances your experience. The Temple of Mara awaits in Riften, ready to unite you and your chosen partner in ceremony.

Don't let this feature remain overlooked. Take up the Amulet, speak your vows, and discover how a digital partnership can transform both your stats and your story. Your perfect match—practical, emotional, or both—is already waiting somewhere in Skyrim. The only question remaining is: who will stand beside you as you face the dragons ahead?