How to get married in Skyrim

Olly Smith
how to get married in skyrim

How do you get married in Skyrim? Bethesda’s epic RPG isn’t just about fighting dragons and crawling through dungeons. It’s a world filled with beautiful vistas, bustling towns, and even the opportunity to get hitched.

You may be wondering, why would you want to tie the knot in a game renowned for its epic adventures? Getting married in Skyrim provides big in-game benefits such as additional income, skill boosts, and more. 

In this guide, we’re going to break down the steps for a successful Skyrim marriage, the best partners for a financial boost, and even explore the possibilities of noble matrimony.

How to get married in Skyrim

Getting married in Skyrim isn’t as simple as just hitting a ‘propose’ button, but it’s still easier than attempting it in real life.

The first thing you’ll need to do is head to Riften and find Maramal the priest. He can usually be found either in the Temple of Mara or at the Bee and Barb. He’ll sell you the Amulet of Mara for 200 gold, which is what you’ll need to woo potential marriage partners.

Once you’ve bought the Amulet of Mara, equip it to signal to eligible NPCs that you’re available for marriage. With the amulet equipped, speak to the NPC you wish to romance. If they’re interested, they’ll propose marriage.

Return to Maramal and inform him that you’re engaged. He’ll schedule the wedding for the next day. Finally, make sure to attend the wedding ceremony on time at the Temple of Mara. If you miss your wedding, you’ll need to apologize to your beloved and reschedule.

Who can you marry in Skyrim?

Not every NPC will want to marry you. They have to be romance-able and typically need to have a relationship level of ‘friend’ or higher with you. You can boost this by doing quests for them or using the persuasion skill.

Here is the full list of male characters you can marry:

  • Ainethach
  • Angrenor Once-Honored
  • Argis the Bulwark
  • Athis
  • Balimund
  • Benor
  • Calder
  • Cosnach
  • Derkeethus
  • Erik the Slayer
  • Farkas
  • Filnjar
  • Gat gro-Shargakh
  • Ghorza gra-Bagol
  • Gorm
  • Marcurio
  • Moth gro-Bagol
  • Octieve San
  • Omluag
  • Onmund
  • Perth
  • Quintus Navale
  • Revyn Sadri
  • Roggi Knot-Beard
  • Romlyn Dreth
  • Scouts-Many-Marshes
  • Sondas Drenim
  • Sorex Vinius
  • Stenvar
  • Torvar
  • Vilkas
  • Vorstag

Here is the full list of female characters you can marry:

  • Aela the Huntress
  • Aeri
  • Anwen
  • Avrusa Sarethi
  • Borgakh the Steel Heart
  • Brelyna Maryon
  • Camilla Valerius
  • Dravynea the Stoneweaver
  • Fastred
  • Ghorza gra-Bagol
  • Gilfre
  • Grelka
  • Iona
  • Jenassa
  • Jordis the Sword-Maiden
  • Lydia
  • Mjoll the Lioness
  • Muiri
  • Njada Stonearm
  • Orla
  • Rayya
  • Ria
  • Senna
  • Shahvee
  • Sylgja
  • Taarie
  • Temba Wide-Arm
  • Uthgerd the Unbroken
  • Viola Giordano
  • Ysolda

Remember that your Dragonborn can marry any of these characters, regardless of gender. Happy matchmaking!

What are the benefits of getting married in Skyrim?

There are many benefits for getting married in Skyrim. For example, once a day your spouse will cook a meal for you with regeneration boosts. They will also set up their own business which brings in 100 gold per day. Sleeping in the same bed as your husband or wife also grants the “Lover’s Comfort” bonus, which allows skills to be improved 15% faster for 8 in-game hours.

Similarly, your spouse will also retain the same purposes they had before they married you, if any apply. If you wed a companion, you will still be able to ask them to follow you, and you can still trade inventories with them. If they were a merchant, they will stock the same items as before and will trade with you.

Can you marry a Jarl in Skyrim?

The question of royal marriage in Skyrim is a popular one. Unfortunately, the game does not allow you to marry any of the Jarls, the rulers of Skyrim’s holds. This is likely to maintain the narrative and political structure of the game. However, with the magic of mods, this can be altered if you’re playing on a platform that allows for modding.

And that’s all we can tell you about getting married in Skyrim. Be sure to check out some of our other Elder Scrolls content.

About The Author

Olly is Dexerto's Evergreen Editor, managing guides and evergreen articles on the website. Olly has almost a decade of experience in covering entertainment, primarily video games and TV/film. Their keen interests lie in stealth games, shooters, Resident Evil, Tomb Raider, Studio Ghibli and handheld gaming. You can contact Olly at olly.smith@dexerto.com.