Top 20 Lily & Marshall Moments on How I Met Your Mother

#20: When They Celebrate a Valentine’s Tradition

“Desperation Day”

Do you and your SO have a Valentine’s tradition? We bet it’s super romantic, maybe a certain bouquet of flowers you get? Or a particular restaurant you visit? A scary movie you’ve cozied up to since college? Okay, maybe not the last one unless you’re Marshall and Lily. Since Marshall’s brothers taped over the movie they had initially planned to watch, a new tradition was born. And as we know, when Lily and Marshall find a tradition, they rarely let it go. This Valentine’s is especially tough with Marshall back in Minnesota, struggling with his father’s passing. Even so, there’s nowhere he’d rather be than snuggling up to Lily while watching “Predator.”

#19: When Lily Taught Marshall How to Be a Father

“Not a Father’s Day”

When Marshall and Lily start spotting babies everywhere, they decide it’s time to have the talk. Marshall is so ready to start a family, but Lily’s less sure. She becomes even more uncertain when Marshall has to work late and turns to Ted and Robin for advice, getting more intoxicated as they debate it out. Prompted by a sock, Lily decides it’s baby time and crashes Marshall’s late-night meeting. What follows is a show-and-tell demonstration of what it really means to be a parent. It’s far from the education you’d get in an antenatal class, but it does the trick. Together, they realize they’ll wait a little longer before starting their family.

#18: When Marshall & Lily Perform a Lullaby

“The Final Page - Part Two”

As any new parent will tell you, sometimes all you want is an evening to yourself, but the idea of missing bedtime with your baby is almost unimaginable. We imagine that probably goes double for Marshall and Lily, whose bedtime routine with Marvin consists of a full-on lullaby performance. Honestly, if you’re not doing this for your kid… we’re just kidding, of course. Anyway, even when they finally get a night out, it ends with them sitting in the corner crying over missing their little one while singing his lullaby to a picture of him to soothe themselves. You might say Marshall’s Night-Night Video walked so their lullaby could run.

#17: When They See in the New Year Together

“The Limo”

For many people, New Year’s Eve is overhyped and rarely lives up to expectations. So at the end of the day, it’s about who you see the year in with rather than which party you attend. When Lily makes the rookie error of wearing the wrong shoes, she splits from the group to go change, promising to find them again before midnight. Of course, with the gang trying to hit five parties in one night, things don’t go to plan. With the clock ticking, Lily does the only thing she can think of. The fact that her plan works is nothing short of a miracle, proving that fate always finds a way.

#16: When Lily Helps Marshall Find His Inner Goddess

“The Autumn of Break-Ups”

When Lily burns out on Ted’s drama, she mentors Marshall to find his “inner goddess.” Their relationship thrives because they’re a team. Lily acts as a “Sassy Sensei,” coaching Marshall through “truth bombs” and Southern-belle metaphors until he earns his first “Testify!” Although Marshall realizes he still has a lot to learn before he can truly earn it. Hey, the student can’t just become the teacher overnight, right? Still, this shows the ultimate partnership: they know how to share the emotional labor of their friend group. Although we’ll never quite understand why Marshall’s inner goddess is from the deep south. Anyway, they aren’t just husband and wife; they are a two-person hive mind.

#15: When They Introduced Us to Pause/Unpause

“Unpause”

Lily and Marshall’s “Pause/Unpause” method might seem like a sitcom quirk, but, used responsibly, it’s actually a genius move for emotional intelligence. By hitting the brakes during a blowout, the Aldrin-Ericksons avoid saying those can’t-take-it-back insults that sink most ships. It’s not about avoiding the fight so much as prioritizing their bond over their egos, proving that being on the same side matters more than winning. Instead of kitchen-sinking their grievances, they use the time to cool down and refocus. This system requires massive trust and consent, ensuring neither partner feels bulldozed. It’s a masterclass in intentionality that keeps tightening the bonds of their relationship as time goes on.

#14: When Marshall Tells Lily to Pursue Her Dream

“The Ashtray”

We wouldn’t say Marshall and Lily have always been a beacon of supporting each other’s goals, but sometimes it takes time apart to show you what truly matters. Aside from a couple of snafus, they couldn’t be more supportive of each other’s dreams. Lily stood firmly behind Marshall when he wanted to quit corporate law. We see Marshall return the favor when Lily worries she’s letting her own dreams slip away. By encouraging her to chase them, he validates that her passion for art is as real and important as his passion for justice. They stop looking at their lives as two parallel tracks and start looking at them as one shared journey.

#13: When They Got Back Together

“Swarley”

After a heart-wrenching summer apart, Lily and Marshall finally find their way back to each other. Lily’s trip to San Francisco left Marshall and us totally devastated, but their reunion proves some loves are meant to be. Before the big reconciliation, we watch them hilariously “play dirty” during a tense brunch, each trying to tempt the other with various body parts. Marshall’s date with Chloe may have been another distraction, but it only highlights that no one compares to his Lily-pad. By facing their hurt head-on and choosing to start over, they show a breakup doesn’t have to be the end. It can be the catalyst for a stronger, more honest relationship.

#12: When They Renewed Their Vows

“The End of the Aisle”

With Barney and Robin’s wedding around the corner, Marshall and Lily start reflecting on their own big day and the promises they made. After nearly a decade of marriage, they realize “always” and “never” are hard promises to keep. Instead, they pivot to vows that reflect the messy, beautiful reality of long-term partnership. A marriage isn’t just about dramatic milestones. It’s about daily choices to be kind, honest, and supportive. Hearing them deliver their new promises with so much love is incredibly sweet. Their vow renewal feels arguably even more romantic than their original wedding because it trades wide-eyed idealism for something deeper and completely authentic.

#11: When Lily Proves She Can Keep a Secret

“Daisy”

Just when the Italy drama hits its breaking point, this episode drops a bombshell that leaves us reaching for the tissues. When Marshall discovers Lily’s “mysterious” behavior was actually her covering up a second pregnancy, all that tension melts into pure joy. It’s such a turning point for them. Marshall realizes that doing what’s best for his family will always come first, which leads him to officially choose Rome over his dream judgeship. That decision says everything about their marriage. It’s not about keeping score or chasing individual wins. It’s about choosing each other. By putting their family first, they prove their love is the real deal, no matter which continent they’re on.

#10: When They Met in College

“How I Met Everyone Else”

Awwww, we simply could not leave out this iconic TV couple’s first meeting. The flashback scene takes place on their first day of college, with Lily seemingly mysteriously drawn to Ted and Marshall’s dorm room in her search for someone to help set up her stereo. Although, as we’ll eventually learn, it wasn’t exactly fate that pulled her there. She winds up meeting Marshall and as the couple as stated on numerous occasions, it was “love at first sight.” Soon after, Marshall asked Lily out – by singing to her no less – and the two quickly became a couple. And the rest as they say, is TV history.

#9: When They Use Code Words for… Personal Time

“Do I Know You?”

Lily and Marshall have been together for so long they can literally read each other's minds. So it becomes that much funnier when they ditch their telepathic abilities in favor of hilariously transparent code words when they want to sneak off for a little intimacy session. For instance, Lily once used the word “chimichanga” to signal to Marshall sex was imminent. This was in full view of the rest of the gang and the look of disgust on their faces (minus Barney) shows that they all knew exactly what it meant. Honestly, the fact that they still have such a ridiculously high sex drive after that many years together is nothing short of a miracle.

#8: When They Suck at Hosting Dinner Parties

Various Episodes

Despite all of their positive personality traits, Lily and Marshall are far from perfect. For example, every time they try and host a dinner party, be it as an attempt to become a more mature couple, to impress the newly minted romantic duo of Robin and Barney or to christen their new suburban home, things just always seem to go wrong. They tend to over plan, under plan or simply worry to the point of madness. In once instance. they got bored of their own party and escaped through the bathroom window to meet up with Ted, Barney and Robin at a club.

#7: Their Karaoke Session

“Life Among the Gorillas”

One of season one’s most memorable episodes involved Marshall attempting to assimilate with a group of immature male co-workers. At first he is uncomfortable, but soon realizes he must pretend to be like them in order to fit in. Sadly, this puts him in direct conflict with Lily, who feels he is being peer pressured into doing things he wouldn’t normally do. Thankfully, Marshall sees the errors of his ways and decides to sing “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” with Lily in front of his co-workers, rebuking their macho song suggestion in the process. It was a great moment that further solidified Lily and Marshall’s incredible love for each other. And the dancing was hilarious!

#6: The Inability to Be Apart for Long Periods

“Showdown”

Two weeks before they’re going to get hitched, Lily and Marshall decide it’s a good idea to spend some time apart – including sleeping in separate beds. While Robin tries to help Lily gain weight to fit into her wedding dress, Ted struggles with Marshall’s censoring of his best man’s speech. Little do the two friends know that the future newlyweds have been going behind everyone’s backs and spending time with each other every night up until the wedding – they’re just that inseparable. Not only does this end up serving as the basis for Ted’s speech, but it also shows how much a pair of soulmates Lily and Marshall really are.

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#5: Lily Telling Marshall She’s Pregnant

“Challenge Accepted”

Lily and Marshall had been talking about having kids since early on, so it was quite the relief when the show finally revealed that a little Eriksen was on the way in season six. Of course, what made this moment memorable was the lead up. You see Lily had eaten a bowl of soup and gotten sick soon after, leading her to believe she had food poisoning. She later discovers that Marshall has eaten three bowls of the same soup and the couple creates a countdown for when he will get sick. Little do they know that Lily only puked because she was pregnant! The look on Marshall’s face when she tells him is priceless.

#4: Their Awesome Halloween Costumes

Various Episodes

Throughout “How I Met Your Mother’s” nine-season, run Lily and Marshall demonstrated their love of Halloween on numerous occasions. Who could forget the episode where Marshall dressed up as a pirate and Lily pretended to be his parrot? Even staging a picture where it appeared she was sitting on his shoulder! Then there was the time they dressed up as Sonny and Cher, the twist being Lily was Sonny and Marshall was Cher. Of course, most people remember their three person costumes where they try to include Ted; which included classic trios like salt, pepper and cumin; and Dr. Frankenstein, his monster and a scared villager.

#3: The Olive Theory

“Pilot”

The Olive Theory, as described by Ted while on his infamous first date with Robin in the pilot episode, is a theory based on Lily and Marshall. According to Ted, Marshall hates olives and Lily loves them; and it’s this perfect balance that makes them a great couple. The look of giddy excitement on Lily and Marshall’s faces when Ted tells them Robin hates olives solidifies their belief in the theory and further demonstrates just how in tune the show’s ultimate couple truly is. Of course it’s all a lie, as Marshall actually loves olives! Which only makes them even more perfect, as it proves how far he’ll go to prove their love.

#2: Their Airport Tradition

“Three Days of Snow”

As a relationship progresses, couples inevitably begin to develop little rituals with each other. One of Lily and Marshall’s is their lunch time “I love yous”. But their most well-known tradition may arguably be that whenever one of them leaves on a trip, they must return with a hilariously named six-pack of beer from the place they travelled. Despite having done it for years, they decide they’re too old to keep it up. Of course, Marshall later has a change of heart, worrying Lily will arrive at the airport with beer anyway and he won’t be there to greet her. Fans were later treated to one of the show’s most heartwarming moments, with Marshall showing up with an entire marching band!

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

When Marshall Celebrated Lily’s Birthday, “Say Cheese”

Find Yourself Someone Who Treats You Like a Birthday Queen

When They Shared Their First Meal As Husband & Wife, “Something Blue”

Who Needs That Fancy Wedding Feast Anyway?

When They Made Long-Term Bets, “No Pressure”

Whatever It Takes to Keep That Spark Alive!

When They Became Parents, “The Magician's Code Part 1”

Is There Anything More Special than Watching a Family Grow?

When We Met Marshpillow, “Desperation Day​”

Proving Just How Thin That Dobler/Dahmer Line Truly Is

#1: Their Wedding

“Something Borrowed”

Lily and Marshall’s wedding, much like Marshall’s proposal, was far from perfect. First Lily’s ex boyfriend Scooter showed up to profess his love, then the harp player went into labor and later, Marshall, panicked over a horrible haircut, decided to shave a chunk of his hair off! The two run into each other outside and admit that the day has been a disaster. But when Ted suggests that they get married there, thus fulfilling their original plan for a small, outdoor wedding with just close friends, things falls into place. Everything from their vows to the looks on their faces is gratifying. Even if the rest of the wedding was a mess, that moment was perfect.

Which Marshmallow and Lilypad moment is couple goals for you? Let us know in the comments