The Best Wives in Skyrim

Updated November 4, 2026, by Mark Sammut: While there aren’t too many more Skyrim wives to add, I added a section at the end of the article that goes over all the benefits of marriage. The mechanic has more to offer than just a partner to keep the Dragonborn from feeling lonely.

As the wait for The Elder Scrolls 6 stretches indefinitely, Skyrim continues to rank among the most popular and played open-world RPGs of all time, partially due to the sheer freedom it extends to players. While completely optional, marriage is available for those who want the Dragonborn to find their better half, and Skyrim comes packed with wives willing to say “yes.”

Due to the sheer volume of candidates, and the fact they are spread across the map, you can easily overlook a few great partners who might just strike a chord with your character and you. Obviously, everybody has their preferences, but let’s try to rank the very best wives in Skyrim.

How To Get Married In Skyrim

Before players can get married in Skyrim, they need to speak with Maramal. You can find him in Riften, giving a speech at the Bee and Barb when you first arrive in the city, or at the Temple of Mara. Ask him about marriage in Skyrim to unlock the dialogue option for marriage.

After speaking with Maramal, players need to get an Amulet of Mara and equip it before speaking with a potential spouse. The marriage dialogue option will only appear if the spouse’s personal quest is complete, so make sure to help them first with whatever they need to do.

25

Njada Stonearm

A Fiery Temper Hides a Gentle Heart

Njada isn’t the nicest person out there. In fact, as soon as the Dragonborn enters the faction, Njada seems to have something against them. That said, Njada will eventually warm up to the Dragonborn if they prove themselves by completing the faction’s main questline and becoming the Harbinger.

Njada, much like Ria, caps at level 25, which makes her a great follower for that portion of the game. After that, she’s better off left at home to run a store or cook food. Shield users will definitely like Njada, since having her around lets players train their Block skill. To marry Njada in Skyrim, complete Glory of the Dead in the Companion questline.

24

Dravynea the Stoneweaver

A Dunmer Who’s An Expert At Alteration Spells

When players meet Dravynea the Stoneweaver, they’ll quickly learn that her job in the town where she resides (Kynesgrove on Eastmarch) is to help safeguard the Steamscorch Mine and ensure that it remains safe for the workers inside it by preventing a collapse through thorough maintenance.

Dravynea explains that she came to Skyrim after the eruption of the Red Mountain in Morrowind, which forced both her and her people to flee the area and relocate. She asks the Dragonborn to find her Frost Salts; in return, she increases the player’s Alteration skill by one point and becomes a marriage candidate.

23

Aeri

A Nord Lady With a Request

Despite seeming like nothing more than a run-of-the-mill lumberjack, there’s more to Aeri than what meets the eye. Calling her one of the best wives in Skyrim may be a stretch, but she has enough redeeming qualities to qualify as the Dragonborn’s bride in the eyes of many.

She lost her father in the Great War and was burdened by the debt he left behind. To gain her approval, players must either sell her some firewood or deliver her letter to the Jarl of Dawnstar. Both tasks are fairly easy to accomplish, making it easy for the Dragonborn to secure their bride in no time.

22

Avrusa Sarethi

A Skilled Apothecary Leading a Slow Life

Calling Sarethi Farm her home, Avrusa Sarethi lives with her sister and leads a peaceful life. Once an alchemist in her own shop in Morrowind, Avrusa, like many other Dunmer, was forced from her homeland by the eruption of Red Mountain. It’s no secret that non-Skyrim locals aren’t always treated well by the Nords, and the Dunmer know it.

Regardless, Avrusa tries her best to fit into her new home and do what she does best. Players can unlock the option to marry her after the Dragonborn completes the quest “Smooth Jazbay”, which requires giving her 20 Jazbay Grapes to use in the cultivation of Nirnroots in her garden.

21

Viola Giordano

A Mature Lady and a Concerned Citizen

The Butcher of Windhelm is a deranged serial killer that Viola Giordano is deathly afraid of. Players can always hunt down this killer in a memorable quest, but it isn’t required to marry one of Skyrim’s best wives. To win her approval is much simpler.

After Revyn Sadri tasks you with stealing Viola’s ring, all you have to do is betray the quest giver and tell Viola about the attempted theft. The Jarl will be warned about this criminal act, increasing Revyn’s taxes and letting the Dragonborn ask for Viola’s hand in marriage.

20

Gilfre

A Hardworking Imperial Lumberjack

For those looking for a spouse in Skyrim who focuses on keeping the household together, Gilfre is the one to speak with. She’s a lumberjack by trade and an Imperial woman who will take a liking to the Dragonborn after they’ve accepted her quest to chop some wood for her.

To find her, head to the Mixwater Mill, south of Windhelm, by following the river that carves through Eastmarch toward the Rift. Make sure to have a woodcutter’s axe on hand to chop some wood and sell it to her to complete her quest.

19

Uthgerd The Unbroken

A Tough-as-nails Nord Warrior

Spouses aren’t just meant to keep the house together, not always, at least. Someone like Uthgerd the Unbroken will serve the Dragonborn much better in battle than at home, since she’s the perfect tanky two-handed and heavy-armor specialist. Uthgerd is an exiled Companion who accidentally killed someone she was meant to fight, which shows she’s one tough woman.

Because of her level 30 cap, she’s a great choice from the first levels up to that point in the game. She pairs well with characters who prefer to fight from a distance, such as mages and archers. To marry Uthgerd, head to The Bannered Mare in Whiterun, where she sits at the back. Beat her in a brawl, and she’ll have a newfound respect for the Dragonborn.

18

Ria

A Welcoming Companion and a Fellow Warrior

Image via Bethesda

After you join the Companions, Ria is among the nicest to the Dragonborn, since she’s a new arrival in the faction as well. Ria’s an Imperial woman and has a decent character build. She likes to use a steel sword from Eorlund’s legendary Skyforge in combat and will serve the player well for the first 25 levels of the game.

To marry Ria, complete the entire Companions quest, specifically Glory of the Dead. After being promoted to Harbinger, the Dragonborn can ask to marry Ria, like most other available Companions. She has many roles, ranging from follower to Blades member to Steward.

17

Sylgja

A Humble Nord Miner

Living in the small mining town of Shor’s Stone, deep in the Rift and north of the city of Riften, Sylgja is a Nord miner from a humble background. She spends most days working hard at the local Redbelly Mine, where she can most often be found if not around town.

To marry Sylgja, the player must deliver her satchel of letters to her family in a small settlement named Darkwater Crossing, northwest of Shor’s Stone. After the quest is completed, Sylgja can be married and will also reward the player with a random necklace. Unfortunately, Sylgja is a spouse who can’t act as a follower.

16

Senna

Dibella’s Finest Follower

Image via Bethesda Softworks

Senna is a priestess of Dibella. A Breton living in the southwestern city of Markarth, she spends the majority of her time working at the local Temple of Dibella. During the Sanguine Daedric quest A Night to Remember, the Dragonborn will wake up to her being quite annoyed by their drunken misbehavior.

To marry Senna in Skyrim, the player must complete The Heart of Dibella quest by either picking a door at the temple or by speaking to Degaine, the drunkard living in Markarth. Unfortunately, she won’t be available as a follower.