Step 1: ten hearts
Reach 10 hearts with your chosen villager through gifts, daily conversation and heart events. Buy a Bouquet from Pierre’s (100g... at the shop counter) once at 8 hearts to start dating — bouquets unlock hearts 9 and 10. Keep the gift loop going: decay never fully stops.
Step 2: the Mermaid Pendant
At 10 hearts, the Old Mariner appears on the rainy beach (east side, past the bridge) selling the Mermaid Pendant for 5,000g. Give it to your partner to propose; the wedding is three days later. The pendant only appears in the rain, so plan around the weather forecast and keep the cash ready.
Married life and the upgrades
Spouses move in, water crops and feed animals some mornings, cook random breakfasts and dinners, and add a personal room. The two relevant house upgrades: the kitchen (cooking — required for many recipes) and the nursery (crib room after marriage). Outdoor decor, pet adoption and the spouse’s outdoor area decorate themselves over time. Friendship still decays slowly — gifts still matter after the wedding.
Sources and standards
Where these figures come from
Every formula on this page is implemented from the published reference material below. Where a value depends on a regional code, the calculator lets you override it rather than assuming one jurisdiction.
- Stardew Valley — official site — the game of record; version notes and feature announcements come from here.
- ConcernedApe — the developer, and the authority on balance changes between updates.
Figures, formulas and reference tables last verified: 19 September 2026.
