Are there any romances in Skyrim TES V: Skyrim Guide

Last update: 06 December 2019

On this page of our guide to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim we answer the question if there are romances in the game, or other forms of establishing closer relationships with NPCs. This may be useful knowledge for people who don't want to go play the game as a loner.

In Skyrim there are no classic romance mechanics, based on such RPGs like those released by the BioWare studio. In other words, the main protagonist doesn't meet several unique characters during the game, with whom he or she could gradually build closer relations throughout the whole story campaign in order to finally start a romantic relationship.

Thankfully, there is a very interesting alternative to establish a romantic relationship in the game - you can get married and live together with one of the dozens of NPCs living in the game world.

• How to get married?
• List of candidates - if you search a husband
• List of candidates - if you search for wife
• Unique features of being married

How to get married?

Getting married requires a lot of preparation before you even start looking for a potential husband or wife candidate:

1. Visit Temple of Mara in the Riften and meet Maramal. If you cannot find the priest in the temple, then walk around the city.
2. Talk to Maramal about marriage.
3. You need to get Mara's amulet - you can buy it from Maramal or obtain it in other ways. For example, you can get it by stealing it or performing a side quest called The Book of Love.
4. Put on amulet of Mara.
5. Now during the conversations with NPCs, the options window for submitting marriage proposals will appear.
6. After someone agrees, return to Maramal and take part in the wedding ceremony.

List of candidates - if you search a husband

The following table shows the list of prime candidates who may become a perfect husband. Apart from finding a specific NPC you have to meet additional requirements each time, such as - complete a quest related to that character, complete a small order, provide support to the faction represented by that character, or simply pay the NPC.

NPC NAME	LOCATIONS OF SPECIFIC NPC
Ainethach	Karthwasten /The Reach
Angrenor	Beggar Candlehearth Hall / Windhelm
Argis	Vlindrel Hall / Markarth
Athis Dunmer	Living Quarters /Whiterun
Balimund	The Scorched Hammer / Riften
Belran	The Winking Skeever / Solitude
Benor	Morthal
Calder	Hjerim / Windhelm
Cosnach	Silver-Blood Inn / Markarth
Derkeethus	Darkwater Crossing /Eastmarch
Farkas	Jorrvaskr / Whiterun
Filnjar	Shor's Stone /The Rift
Gat gro-Shargakh	Kolskeggr Mine / The Reach
Ghorbash	Dushnikh Yal / The Reach
Halbarn	Bujold's Retreat
Marcurio	Bee and Barb / Riften
Moth gro-Bagol	Understone Keep / Markarth
Octieve	Solitude
Odfel	Shor's Stone
Omluag	Markarth Smelter / Markarth
Onmund	College of Winterhold
Pavo Attius	Kolskeggr Mine / The Reach
Perth	Soljund's Sinkhole / The Reach
Quintus Navale	The White Phial / Windhelm
Revyn Sadri	Sadri's Used Wares / Windhelm
Roggi Knot-Bearch	Kynesgrove / Eastmarch
Romlyn Dreth	Black-Briar Meadery / Riften
Scouts-Many-Marshes	Argonian Assemblage / Windhelm
Sondas Drenim	Goldenrock Mine / Eastmarch
Sorex Vinius	Winking Skeever / Solitude
Stenvar	Candlehearth Hall / Windhelm
Torvar	Jorrvaskr / Whiterun
Vilkas	Jorrvaskr / Whiterun
Vorstag	Silver-Blood Inn / Markarth
Wilhelm	Ivarstead / The Rift

List of candidates - if you search for wife

The table below shows the list of candidates for a wife. Apart from finding a specific NPC you have to meet additional requirements each time, such as - complete a quest related to that character, complete a small order, provide support to the faction represented by that character, or simply pay the NPC.

NPC NAME	LOCATIONS OF SPECIFIC NPC
Aela	Jorrvaskr / Whiterun
Aeri	Anga's Mill / The Pale
Anwen	Temple of Dibella / Markarth
Avrusa Sarethi	Sarethi Farm / The Rift
Borgakh	Mor Khazgur / Haafingar
Brelyna Maryon	College of Winterhold
Camilla Valerius	Riverwood
Dravynea	Kynesgrove / Eastmarch
Ghorza gra-Bagol	Blacksmith Shed / Markarth
Gilfre	Mixwater Mill / Eastmarch
Hilund	Bujold's Retreat
Iona	Honeyside / Riften
Jenassa	Drunken Huntsman / Whiterun
Jordis the Sword-Maiden	Proudspire Manor / Solitude
Lydia	Whiterun
Mjoll the Lioness	Riften
Morwen	Skaal Village
Muiri	The Hag's Cure / Markarth
Njada Stonearm	Jorrvaskr / Whiterun
Orla	Temple of Dibella / Markarth
Rayya	Lakeview Manor
Ria	Jorrvaskr / Whiterun
Senna	Temple of Dibella / Markarth
Shahvee	Argonian Assemblage / Windhelm
Sylgja	Shor's Stone / The Rift
Taarie Altmer	Solitude
Temba Wide-Arm	Ivarstead / The Rift
Uthgerd the Unbroken	The Bannered Mare / Whiterun
Viola Giordano	Candlehearth Hall / Windhelm
Ysolda	Whiterun

Unique features of being married

1. Once you've established a relationship with someone, you'll need to determine which location will serve as your honeymoon home. You can choose one of your homes (if you have already bought one) or move into a new husband's or wife's property.
2. Once a day, you can ask your husband/wife to cook a meal that provides health, mana and stamina bonuses.
3. The wife/husband can share the profits earned from your retail store business. It's another incentive to come home regularly.
4. You can sleep with your wife/husband and this will give you a temporary bonus to learn new skills.
5. If you have the Hearthfire add-on installed, then you can adopt and raise a child together with your spouse.
6. The game does not provide any options to get a divorce or any possibility to establish romantic relationships with several different NPCs at the same time.