Building a Relationship

To propose in Stardew Valley, you must first develop a strong relationship with the villager you wish to marry by reaching a 10-heart friendship level. This process takes time and dedication, requiring you to regularly give them gifts they love, engage in daily conversations, and complete specific quests or heart events that strengthen your bond. Building friendship points is essential, and choosing gifts wisely will speed up the process. Talking to them each day, completing their special requests on the bulletin board, and attending seasonal festivals together will also help increase your relationship.

Courtship officially begins once you reach 8 hearts with your chosen villager. At this stage, you can purchase a bouquet from Pierre’s General Store and present it to them, signaling your romantic interest. After receiving the bouquet, your relationship status will change to “dating,” allowing you to continue growing your bond up to 10 hearts. To reach this milestone, keep giving them loved or liked gifts, talking to them daily, and triggering their heart events.

Once you’ve reached 10 hearts, the next step is obtaining the Stardew Valley Mermaid Pendant, which is required for marriage. The Mermaid’s Pendant can only be purchased from the Old Mariner, a mysterious NPC who appears on the eastern part of the beach during rainy days. However, to access him, you must first repair the broken bridge using 300 pieces of wood. Additionally, he will only sell the pendant if you have upgraded your farmhouse at least once. The pendant costs 5,000 gold, so it’s important to have enough funds saved up in advance.

After acquiring the Stardew Valley Mermaid Pendant, you can present it to your chosen villager to propose marriage. They will immediately accept, and the wedding will take place three days later. On the morning of the wedding, a special ceremony will be held, after which your spouse will move into your farmhouse. Once married, your spouse will have unique dialogue, new daily routines, and may even help with farm tasks such as watering crops, feeding animals, or preparing meals. Strengthening your marriage by continuing to give gifts and engaging in conversations can lead to additional special moments and benefits, making marriage a rewarding part of farm life.

Upgrading Your Farmhouse

In Stardew Valley, before you can marry, it’s important to ensure that your future spouse has a place to live on your farm. This means upgrading your farmhouse at least once, which is a necessary step before you can proceed with proposing. The farmhouse upgrade is available through Robin, the town’s carpenter, who can be found at the Carpenter’s Shop.

To complete the upgrade, you will need 10,000 gold and 450 pieces of wood, so be sure to gather enough resources before requesting the upgrade. Once you’ve gathered the required materials, you can head over to Robin’s shop, where she will begin the construction process. The upgrade itself takes three in-game days to complete, so make sure you plan accordingly, as you won’t be able to use the farmhouse during this time.

When the upgrade is finished, your farmhouse will be significantly improved. It will now include a larger living space and a kitchen, which is an essential addition to your farm for cooking recipes and providing meals. The most crucial feature of the upgrade, however, is the double bed. This double bed is what makes your farmhouse suitable for marriage. Without it, you won’t be able to propose, even if you’ve already reached the necessary relationship level with your chosen villager. The double bed provides a space for both you and your spouse to sleep after marriage, and it is a requirement for them to move in with you.

Once the upgrade is complete, you’ll be ready to move forward with your romantic pursuit. At this point, you can proceed with acquiring the Mermaid’s Pendant, which is essential for proposing marriage. Once you’ve acquired the pendant and presented it to your chosen villager, they will accept your proposal, and the wedding will take place in a few days. After the ceremony, your spouse will move into the farmhouse, and your life together on the farm will begin. The upgrade also sets the stage for new interactions, events, and the opportunity for your spouse to help you with tasks on the farm, further enhancing the farming experience.

Finding the Old Mariner

In Stardew Valley, the Mermaid’s Pendant is an essential item required for proposing marriage to a villager, but it is not something you can find in any regular shop. To acquire it, you must track down the Old Mariner, a mysterious character who appears only on rainy days. Before you can even meet the Old Mariner, you need to first repair the bridge that leads to the beach area. This requires gathering 300 pieces of wood, which is an important task in itself and requires you to have a sufficient stock of wood from your farm. Once the bridge is repaired, the Old Mariner will begin appearing on the beach, specifically north of the tide pools area.

The Old Mariner’s visits are limited to rainy days, so you’ll need to wait for the right weather conditions to encounter him. The weather in Stardew Valley is random, so it could take several in-game days for rain to occur. If you’re playing during Winter and there is no rain in the forecast, you still have a way to summon the Old Mariner by using a Rain Totem.

This item, crafted with a variety of materials, will ensure that rain falls even when it is not naturally occurring, allowing you to meet the Old Mariner regardless of the season. However, it’s important to note that even with a Rain Totem, the Old Mariner will not appear during the Night Market event, which takes place in Winter. The Night Market event blocks his appearance, so you will have to wait until the event is over before trying to meet him again.

When you eventually locate the Old Mariner, he will be offering the Mermaid’s Pendant for 5,000 gold. The pendant is the only item in the game that allows you to propose marriage to a villager, and it is necessary to move forward in any romantic relationship.

After purchasing the pendant, you can present it to your chosen villager, and if they accept, the proposal will be successful. This sets in motion the next stage of the relationship, where you’ll begin preparing for the wedding.

The Mermaid’s Pendant is not just a symbol of commitment; it represents the final step in securing the future with your spouse. Once the proposal is accepted, the wedding ceremony will be scheduled, marking a new chapter in your life on the farm. Your spouse will move in, and you will share the daily farm activities and the joys (and challenges) of married life in Stardew Valley. Without the Mermaid’s Pendant, the marriage process is not possible, making it one of the most important items in the game for those seeking to settle down.

Purchasing the Pendant

Mermaid Pendant

If you meet all the necessary requirements, you can talk to the Old Mariner to purchase the Mermaid’s Pendant for 5,000 gold. He may refer to it as an “old amulet” when he offers it to you, but it is the key item required to propose marriage to a villager in Stardew Valley. However, there are certain conditions that will influence whether or not you can buy the pendant.

If you are already married or have a housemate living with you in your farmhouse, the Old Mariner will not sell you the Mermaid’s Pendant. This rule exists because the pendant is specifically meant for those who wish to propose to someone new, and it cannot be used by someone who is already in a committed relationship.

If you choose to get divorced, the Old Mariner will then allow you to purchase another pendant. Divorce in Stardew Valley can be initiated by visiting the Wizard’s tower, where you will go through a process to officially end your marriage. Afterward, the Old Mariner will be available to sell you another Mermaid’s Pendant, allowing you to propose to a different villager or re-engage with another romantic partner. Similarly, if you are engaged but not yet married, you can also buy another pendant from the Old Mariner, which will let you propose again without any issues. This flexibility ensures that players can explore different relationships or correct any mistakes that may have occurred during their romantic journey.

Once you have purchased the Mermaid’s Pendant, you can present it to the villager of your choice. If they accept your proposal, a wedding ceremony will be scheduled, and the two of you will begin a new chapter of married life on the farm. Your spouse will then move into your farmhouse, and the two of you will share daily tasks, enjoy new interactions, and experience all the benefits that come with married life. The ability to purchase the pendant multiple times ensures that your romantic journey in Stardew Valley can evolve with your choices, giving you the opportunity to change partners or start fresh with a new marriage if you so choose.

Proposing Marriage

Once you have the Mermaid’s Pendant, it’s time to give it to the villager of your choice to propose marriage. This act marks a significant moment in the game, as it signals the end of the courting phase and the start of your journey towards marriage. After presenting the pendant, the villager will either accept or decline your proposal. If they accept, you will both begin preparing for the wedding. The acceptance is just the beginning, and while it is an exciting step, it is followed by a brief period of anticipation before the actual wedding day.

After the proposal is accepted, the game enters a three-day waiting period before the wedding ceremony takes place. During this time, you will not be able to interact with your spouse-to-be, as they will be busy preparing for the event. These three days can be used to continue your usual farm work, interact with other villagers, and take care of any remaining tasks on your farm. However, the excitement of the upcoming wedding will be on your mind, and it’s a good opportunity to tie up any loose ends before the big day.

On the morning of the wedding, a special event will occur, marking the beginning of your married life. The ceremony itself is a heartwarming moment in the game, complete with a brief cutscene. After the ceremony, your spouse will officially move into your farmhouse, and the two of you will start your life together. Your spouse will now become an active part of your daily routine on the farm, and you will see them each day. They will assist with various tasks, such as watering crops, feeding animals, and even cooking meals for you, depending on the level of your relationship. They may also offer new interactions, special dialogues, and occasional gifts.

Once married, the dynamic of your farm changes in a way that makes life feel more vibrant. You’ll have the opportunity to build a deeper connection with your spouse through daily conversations, special heart events, and giving gifts. As your relationship progresses, your spouse’s contributions to your farm and personal life will increase, making them a valuable partner in your farming journey. There are also new storylines, quests, and events that come with marriage, enriching the overall Stardew Valley experience. Furthermore, marriage brings additional benefits, such as receiving gifts from your spouse on special occasions, making marriage one of the most rewarding aspects of the game.

Additional Information

The Mermaid’s Pendant is an iconic item in Stardew Valley, essential for those wishing to marry a villager and start a family. However, like many aspects of the game, it comes with several key limitations and restrictions that are important to understand. One of the most crucial rules is that the Mermaid’s Pendant cannot be sold. Once you’ve obtained the pendant from the Old Mariner for 5,000 gold, it will remain in your inventory until you use it for its intended purpose—proposing marriage to a villager.

This makes it a one-time-use item, and it cannot be sold back or used for any other purpose once it has been acquired. This means you need to be absolutely certain about your choice before presenting it to a villager, as it will not be of any use to you again after the proposal. It’s also worth noting that if you have a change of heart after giving the pendant, there’s no way to get it back or use it for a different proposal.

In addition to the restriction on selling the pendant, another important aspect of marriage in Stardew Valley is that you can only marry one person at a time. While there are many potential marriage candidates throughout the game, once you marry a villager, you cannot propose to someone else unless your current marriage is dissolved. If you’re in a committed relationship and decide to change partners, you’ll need to go through the divorce process.

To do so, you must visit the Wizard’s tower and pay a fee to officially end the marriage. After a divorce, you can purchase another Mermaid’s Pendant and start courting someone else. However, once you marry someone, that is your spouse until you decide to end the relationship. You cannot juggle multiple marriages simultaneously, which means that each decision to propose has lasting consequences. The system ensures that marriage remains a meaningful and impactful aspect of the game, encouraging players to carefully consider their choices before committing to a partner.

Furthermore, with the 1.4.4 update, the use of the Mermaid’s Pendant during the Feast of the Winter Star event was altered. Prior to this update, players had the opportunity to propose to a villager during the Winter Star festival by gifting the Mermaid’s Pendant as a present. This provided a unique opportunity to combine the celebratory nature of the event with the excitement of a marriage proposal, but the feature was removed in the 1.4.4 update.

Now, the Mermaid’s Pendant can no longer be gifted during the Feast of the Winter Star, making the process of proposing more intimate and personal. This change places a greater emphasis on timing and relationship building, as you will need to choose an appropriate time to present the pendant outside of festival events. The removal of this feature also helps maintain the special nature of the proposal itself, turning it into a more personal moment in the game. With this change, players are encouraged to be thoughtful about when and how they propose, rather than relying on a festive event to facilitate the process.

The combination of these restrictions—being unable to sell the pendant, only being able to marry one person at a time, and the alteration to the Feast of the Winter Star event—ensures that marriage in Stardew Valley is a significant and thoughtful decision. It encourages players to invest time in their relationships with the villagers, considering their choices carefully before making such a big commitment. Whether you’re looking to settle down with a long-time friend or pursue a new romance, the Mermaid’s Pendant remains a central part of the experience, marking a major turning point in the game.