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who can you marry in skyrim

You can marry a wide range of NPCs in Skyrim , including warriors, merchants, followers, and even some jarls’ stewards, as long as they are flagged as marriage candidates and you meet their quest or favor requirements.

How marriage works

  • You must wear an Amulet of Mara and talk to Maramal in Riften to unlock marriage dialogue options.
  • After helping a potential spouse with their quest or favor, a new line like “Interested in me, are you?” appears, letting you propose.
  • The wedding takes place at the Temple of Mara in Riften; after that, your spouse can move into your home, run a small shop, and give you daily gold and a home-cooked meal.

Who you can marry (types)

You can marry many different types of NPC, including:

  • Housecarls (for example: Lydia in Whiterun once you are Thane and own Breezehome).
  • Followers and mercenaries (for example: Aela the Huntress, Vilkas, Farkas, Marcurio in Riften’s Bee and Barb).
  • Townsfolk and merchants (for example: Ysolda in Whiterun, Sylgja in Shor’s Stone, Quintus Navale in Windhelm after his quest).
  • Miners and workers (for example: Perth at Soljund’s Sinkhole once you clear the mine).

Notable marriage candidates (examples)

Here are some commonly mentioned spouses players look for when they search “who can you marry in Skyrim” and read forum or guide discussions:

  • Aela the Huntress – Companion, werewolf, strong archer and warrior, very popular as a combat-focused wife.
  • Lydia – Your first housecarl in Whiterun; tanky follower and one of the most iconic marriage options.
  • Mjoll the Lioness – Riften warrior with strong moral views, comes with Aerin constantly hanging around.
  • Marcurio – Destruction-magic mercenary in Riften, often picked as a powerful mage husband.
  • Ysolda – Aspiring merchant in Whiterun, easy to marry after completing a simple favor quest.

Basic requirements checklist

To quickly answer “who can you marry in Skyrim” in practical terms, every valid candidate follows this pattern:

  1. They are coded as “marriageable” by the game (you cannot change this without mods).
  2. You have completed their personal favor or quest.
  3. You are wearing an Amulet of Mara and have unlocked marriage dialogue with Maramal.
  4. You ask them about marriage, return to the temple, and attend the ceremony.

Extra notes and limitations

  • You cannot marry children, most jarls, or major story antagonists; they are not flagged as marriageable NPCs.
  • The base game supports only one spouse at a time; there is no in-game divorce system, though killing your spouse can free you to remarry, which many players treat as a dark workaround.
  • Mods on PC and consoles can greatly expand who you can marry and add multi-spouse or custom romance systems, which is a frequent topic in current forum discussions about “latest” Skyrim marriage setups.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.