Before a proposal
The pair must already be Sweethearts, with compatible dating preferences and age groups. Keep their relationship healthy; Wants to marry! is a useful relationship goal, but it is not a countdown to a guaranteed proposal.
Wait for one resident to raise the proposal request and support it when it appears.
Win the proposal minigame
The minigame has three stages and three hearts.
- Press A to shoot.
- Hold A to charge a stronger, wider attack with shorter range.
- Avoid distracting thought bubbles; collisions cost a heart.
- Reach or break the large heart target to move to the next stage.
You do not need to clear every thought bubble. Successfully finishing all three stages lets the proposal proceed, followed by acceptance and the wedding.
Can children propose?
Child Sweethearts can reach the proposal stage. Before the wedding, the game offers an Age-O-Matic option to make them adults.
If you do not want to change their ages, put the wedding on hold rather than treating adulthood as a prerequisite for the initial proposal request.
If you lose the minigame
A failed attempt does not permanently block marriage. Continue caring for both Miis and wait for another proposal opportunity.
Sometimes the intended recipient proposes instead after a failure, but that rescue is not guaranteed. Deliberately losing all three hearts is not a reliable shortcut, and there is no fixed retry interval.
Setting a real-world Partner relationship does not instantly marry two residents. Gender itself does not prevent a compatible pair from marrying.