Although there are over 67 marriageable candidates in Skyrim, many players prefer to tie the knot with Aela, the Huntress.
Her proud and warrior-like personality and high defensive and offensive capabilities across the board make her one of the best spouses in the game.
Furthermore, her expertise in archery and stealth can be very useful and can complement any type of playstyle, i.e., warrior, thief, mage, etc.
So if you’re also looking to marry Aela, the huntress,
- First, Join the Companions and complete their entire quest line.
- Then Speak with the priest Maramal about the wedding
- And propose to Aela while wearing the Amulet of Mara.
- Finally, speak with Maramal to host your wedding.
Let’s talk about the details.
Complete the Companion Questline
To make a candidate available for marriage, you’ll need to do a few favors or complete questlines for them, and Aela’s no different.
You must complete the Companion questline to make her available as a marriageable candidate. More specifically, you must complete the ‘Glory of the Dead’ questline.
In the Companion questline, you’ll learn more about the history of the companions, becoming a werewolf, and the rivalry between the werewolves and the silver hand faction. In the end, Aela will be available as a follower and marriageable candidate.
Step 1: Find Maramal
After completing the guild’s quest line, you’ll need to find and talk with Maramal. He’s the priest of Mara living in Riften, and you can only get the option to get married after you’ve spoken with him.
You can find him either in the Bee and the Barb inn or the Temple of Mara.
Step 2: Get the Amulet of Mara
Next, you’ll need to get the Amulet of Mara. It’s an essential item, when equipped, marks you as a marriageable candidate. If an NPC is available for marriage, they will react and comment differently when you’ve worn the amulet.
There are multiple ways to get the Amulet. You can buy it from a General Goods Merchant, from Maramal in Riften, as a completion reward for The Book of Love questline, or even as a random loot drop.
Step 3: Confirm Your Wedding
The next step is pretty simple, all you have to do is equip the amulet and speak with Aela, the huntress. You can usually find her at Jorrvaskr.
When you equip the amulet, you’ll have different dialogue options. First, choose the “Interested in me, are you?” option and follow it up with the “I won’t lie, I am” dialogue option.
After then, return to Riften and speak with Maramal about holding the wedding ceremony. He’ll tell you to return to the chapel between dawn and dusk the next day.
Step 4: Attend the Ceremony
After confirming your wedding, head out of the chapel and skip time to the next day. Re-enter the chapel between 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. Entering the temple will play a small cutscene of your wedding.
Choose the “I do. Now and forever” during your wedding vows. If you choose the “Stop the wedding, I can’t go through with this” option, all the guests will be disappointed and simply leave the temple.
Note: To make amends, you must wait 12 hours and apologize to your bride-to-be or the groom-to-be. Then return to Maramal to host the wedding once again.
Is Aela a Good Spouse?
Unlike other marriageable NPCs, Aela is unique and offers useful perks. Her well-fleshed-out character and backstory are enough for you to care for her.
She’s a member of the Companion who plays a major role during the quest line. In fact, she’s the only guide member who grants you the werewolf power and also takes pride in becoming one.
Besides having a strong nordic personality, she also makes for an excellent follower with her large health pool and expertise in archery.
She can stay out of harm’s way while assisting you from a distance. The large health pool can also come in handy in close combat.
She can also bestow the werewolf’s power an additional time if you have already cured your lycanthropy.
Furthermore, she can cook homecooked meals, set up shops, train you in archery, and give you the lover’s comfort bonus while sleeping together.
The latter bonus will boost your exp gain rate and can be helpful if you’re trying to level up your character quickly.
