Romance, dates, and the road to a proposal
Who you can date, how each date type unlocks, and the steps from a first gift to the wedding.
The short answer
Twelve of the 34 villagers are dateable. Dates take place on Saturdays or Sundays, with one available per day, and each of the six date types requires a specific item. A completed date gives 60 heart points, equal to three ordinary loved gifts. Reaching ten hearts with a partner opens the proposal.
The 12 dateable villagers
Of the 34 villagers, 12 can be dated. The romance page lists them with portraits and bios. Everyone else remains a friend-only NPC at every heart level.
The 10-heart events, proposals and weddings in 1.0 apply to these 12 only. The rest cap at the friendship heart levels.
How dates work
Dates can only be scheduled on Saturday or Sunday, with one date per day regardless of partner. The same partner cannot be asked again for six days. A festival uses that day’s slot, so a Saturday festival blocks an ordinary Saturday date.
A completed date awards 60 heart points, equal to three ordinary loved gifts. That makes a weekly date a strong, reliable boost when raising a partner’s hearts.
The dateable progression in order: gifts and conversation raise hearts to the first milestones, dates accelerate from there, and 10 hearts with a partner unlocks the proposal. The gifting guide covers the point math in detail.
The six date types and their unlock items
Each date type unlocks through a specific item, most of which arrive through story events or the world rather than shops:
| Date | Unlock item |
|---|---|
| Inn Meal | Inn Menu |
| Beach | Lovely Seashell |
| Deep Woods Picnic | Picnic Set |
| Gem Cutting | Rough Gemstone |
| Park | Dollhouse Bench |
| Bathhouse | Bath Soap |
The Bathhouse date is the hardest to unlock because its item takes a substantial investment. Each date has a keepsake photo. All nine photos, from six regular dates and three event dates, form a collectible set tracked on the romance page.
The Shooting Star Festival, Harvest Dance and wedding are event-only dates that cannot be chosen from the menu. They are skipped in ordinary date history, so they do not start the partner cooldown or count as an ordinary date. The first two still happen on festival days, and a festival that falls on a weekend blocks an ordinary invitation that day. The wedding likewise does not affect the later cooldown.
Ten hearts: the proposal
At ten hearts with a dating partner, the proposal opens. The engagement ring becomes craftable at a forge, and proposing schedules a wedding. In the days before it, you can choose the flower color, cake flavor and reception meal. After the wedding, the Mystical Feather triggers the optional child discussion. The marriage guide covers the full sequence.
Practical romance plan
- Pick one partner early. The six-day cooldown slows progress with multiple partners, and the 10-heart event takes consistent attention.
- Gift + talk daily, date weekly. A 60-point date provides a substantial weekly heart-point gain (gifting guide).
- Unlock the date items as they appear. Some come from events that only trigger once, so do not ignore the story quests that carry them.
- Use the calendar. Saturdays, Sundays and festivals decide when you can date; the calendar page plans the whole season.