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Like real life, moving in with a spouse can be challenging in Stardew Valley. Thankfully, Stardew Valley 1.6 addresses this issue by introducing a honeymoon phase. In this guide, we'll discuss marriage in Stardew Valley 1.6 and its changes, including this new honeymoon stage.

How to Get Married in Stardew Valley 1.6

The marriage process in Stardew Valley 1.6 is roughly the same before the game’s developer, ConcernedApe, released the patch. Nonetheless, if you recently started a new game or a returning Stardew Valley player, here’s a quick rundown on how to get married in Stardew Valley:

Select a Bachelor or Bachelorette

It’s important to mention that there are no gender restrictions when selecting an NPC to marry in Stardew Valley. With that, the game has 12 NPCs you can wed:

• Abigail
• Alex
• Elliot
• Emily
• Haley
• Harvey
• Leah
• Maru
• Penny
• Sam
• Sebastian
• Shane

Each bachelor and bachelorette has a unique personality. Additionally, each NPC you can marry has distinct gifts they love, like, dislike, and hate. Understanding these elements can give you a higher chance of marrying your preferred Stardew Valley NPC. Note: Check out our Stardew Valley Spouse Tier List to help you select the best NPC to marry.

Become a Couple

It’s highly unlikely for an NPC to answer your proposal if you didn’t build a good relationship with them first. One way to transform your relationship with an NPC is by gift-giving. As mentioned earlier, each NPC in Stardew Valley, including those you can't marry, has distinct tastes in receiving gifts. Knowing an NPC's preferences can help increase their heart levels, which are the visual indicators of your closeness with specific NPCs. Failure to pay attention to an NPC’s needs and wants can decrease their heart level.

Propose and Get Married

A wedding proposal is possible upon reaching a 10-heart friendship level with your chosen NPC. However, you must give your spouse-to-be a Mermaid Pendant instead of an engagement ring. Get this item from the Old Mariner by shelling out 5,000 gold pieces. Note: The Old Mariner will only appear at the Beach during a rainy day and only after repairing the bridge. If successful, the NPC will say “Yes.” A wedding ceremony will then happen three days after the engagement date. Note: Read our How to Get Married in Stardew Valley guide for additional details about marriage in this game.

The Honeymoon Phase

As of Stardew Valley 1.6, marriage now comes with a 7-day honeymoon phase. During this stage, it’s less likely for your spouse to become irritable or sad because of the significant changes to their new life. Before this update, the first few days of a Stardew Valley married life generally have a high chance of your spouse staying in bed for the entire day, preventing players from further increasing their bond. Additionally, the minimum heart level threshold for depression for your husband or wife is now adjustable. Albeit players can’t see this gauge, various acts of love and kindness to your beloved NPC can help reduce the chances of depression rearing its ugly head.

Other Changes to Marriage in Stardew Valley 1.6

Aside from the honeymoon stage, here are other modifications to the marriage system in Stardew Valley with Update 1.6:

• Earning 14 hearts with your spouse unlocks their portrait, which you can hang on a wall in your farmhouse.
• Friendship level gain with your spouse is now 33% slower than before.
• The chances of your spouse saying something negative in the afternoon have been reduced to 5%.
• Your lifetime partner no longer waters other players’ crops, and they won't lie about doing the chores.
• This update also fixed a bug wherein an invisible spouse asks you for children.