Haley is one of the 12 marriage candidates in Stardew Valley. She lives with her sister Emily at 2 Willow Lane in Pelican Town and is available as a romance from day one. She comes across as vain and fashion-obsessed at first, but her character opens quite a bit as you raise her friendship, revealing a warm and thoughtful side. She is also a photography enthusiast, often seen carrying her camera around the valley. It's really cool to see the character evolve overtime.
Her birthday is Spring 14, which is the single most important date to know for building friendship fast.
The Gifts Haley Loves (+80 friendship points each)
These give the highest friendship points. Make sure to save your best gifts for her birthday, the multiplier is x8, meaning a loved gift on Spring 14 gives 640 points in a single interaction.
| Gift | How to get |
|---|---|
| Coconut | Forage in the Desert (unlocked via bus) or find in crates/barrels |
| Sunflower | Grow in Summer or Fall from Pierre's or JojaMart seeds |
| Pink Cake | Cook with Melon + Wheat Flour + Sugar + Egg (recipe from Queen of Sauce) |
| Fruit Salad | Cook with Blueberry + Melon + Apricot (recipe from Queen of Sauce) |
| Stardrop Tea | Craft with 2 Tea Leaves (from a Tea Sapling) |
| Rabbit's Foot | Dropped by Rabbits in a Deluxe Coop (higher chance with higher animal friendship) |
| Golden Pumpkin | Obtained from Spirit's Eve maze during the Halloween festival |
| Magic Rock Candy | Dropped by the Desert Trader for 3 Prismatic Shards, or found in garbage cans rarely |
| Pearl | Found in the Mermaid's Boat during the Night Market, or in a Fish Pond with Blobfish |
One Prismatic Shard is the exception to Universal Loves: Haley actively hates it, so never gift her one.
Gifts Haley Likes (+45 friendship points each)
These are easier to obtain early-game and useful for the weeks when you cannot get a loved gift.
Flowers she likes: Daffodil, Sweet Pea, Crocus, Blue Jazz, Tulip, Fairy Rose, Summer Spangle.
Gems she likes: Amethyst, Aquamarine, Diamond, Emerald, Jade, Ruby, Topaz, Fire Quartz, Frozen Tear, Earth Crystal.
Other liked items include all Universal Likes that are not vegetables: artisan goods (Wine, Juice, Jelly, Pickles, Maple Syrup, Truffle Oil, Honey, Mayonnaise, Cheese, Cloth), cooked dishes (most non-fish recipes), and Rainbow Shell.
Early-game tip: Daffodils grow wild in Spring and can be obtained for free. Make sure to gift them in Week 1 before you have access to anything better.
What Haley Dislikes and Hates
You need to avoid these completely. Disliked gifts cost -20 points and hated gifts cost -40 points.
She dislikes all vegetables (parsnip, garlic, kale, potato, anything grown in the ground) and most raw farm products like Milk, Eggs, and Goat Milk.
She hates fish, seafood, and everything related to fishing: every fish species, shellfish, sea urchins, seaweed, and fishing gear. She also specifically hates Prismatic Shard, Poppy, Strange Bun, and Joja Cola.
Where to Find Haley (Schedule by Season)
Here's her schedule by season. Knowing her location will save you time when you want to talk to her and gift her on the same day.
Spring and Fall:
- Morning until around 11:00 AM: inside her house at 2 Willow Lane
- 11:00 AM to 4:30 PM: near the fountain in the center of town
- Evening: back home in the kitchen or the bedroom
Summer:
- Morning: at the beach (around 10:00 AM)
- Afternoon: near the Ice Cream Stand with Alex
- Evening: home by 6:00 PM
Winter:
- Nearly all day indoors
- Wednesday: she makes a brief outdoor visit to the fountain (the only reliable outdoor window in winter)
Rainy days: She stays home all day, regardless of season.
The most reliable gifting window in the year is her house in the morning or the fountain from 11:00 AM to 4:30 PM in Spring and Fall.
How to Romance and Marry Haley
- Talk to her every day for +20 friendship points per conversation.
- Gift her up to 2 times per week (plus once on her birthday, Spring 14).
- Trigger heart events to progress the relationship (we explain this further below).
- Once you reach 8 hearts, buy a bouquet from Pierre's General Store for 200g and give it to her to switch the relationship to romantic.
- At 10 hearts, buy the Mermaid's Pendant from the Old Mariner on the beach (rainy day, after upgrading your farmhouse once) for 5,000g.
- Give her the pendant on a non-rainy day. The wedding will take place 3 days later.
After marriage, Haley moves into the farmhouse and adds a photography room. She will sometimes water crops, feed animals, cook meals, and leave gifts on the nightstand.
Heart Events and Best Dialogue Choices
Heart events are cutscenes that unlock at specific friendship levels. Choosing the right response will get you bonus friendship points.
2 Hearts (at her house): Choose "Haley, why not have this be your one weekly job?" to get +30 points.
4 Hearts (at her house): Choose "Yes" when prompted to open the jar to get +30 points.
6 Hearts (beach, Spring through Fall, 10 AM to 4 PM): Choose "I'm really sorry..." to get +50 points, then find her bracelet behind Elliott's Cabin to continue the event.
8 Hearts (Cindersap Forest, sunny day): No choice required. A photo shoot event with cows.
10 Hearts (her house): Choose "It looks great!" then kiss her to finish the event.
14 Hearts (post-marriage): A multi-step event involving Chocolate Cake and the children of Pelican Town. There are no wrong choices here, just a wholesome moment.
Tips to Build Friendship with Haley Quicker
Use her birthday. Spring 14 in Year 1 is very early in the game. A single pink cake or coconut on that day equals roughly 8 normal loved-gift interactions. Make sure to start planning in Winter of Year 1 if you can.
Stack Daffodils in early Spring. They spawn as forageables and cost nothing. Make sure to gift two per week immediately after the season starts.
Coconuts are the easiest loved gift before unlocking the Desert. You can sometimes find them in garbage cans or as drops from enemies in the Mines. Once the bus is repaired, buy them from Sandy for 100g each.
Grow Sunflowers in Summer and Fall. A single stack gets you covered for two full seasons with minimal effort. They can also be grown in the Greenhouse throughout the year once unlocked.
Never accidentally gift a fish. It is easy to pick up the wrong item in a full inventory. Haley hates every fish in the game, so keep your inventory organized before you approach her.
Talk to her even on non-gift days. The daily conversation bonus of +20 points adds up to over 500 points per month without spending any resources.
Check the calendar for her birthday. Pierre sells a calendar in the shop for 3,000g that shows all NPC birthdays. Otherwise, check the calendar board in the town square for free.
