It's not that people aren't willing to help but the list is fairly huge. Nearly two pages of the guide. And people are too busy actually playing the game

This.
The list is huge, way too big to spend time writing out. It's like two pages long. Try asking about certain ones maybe, it is easier to look up just one or two names than try to write them all out.
You have to actually wear the amulet while doing all of the following:
1. You go out and meet people and do favors for the ones you like and hope may be a spouse (make sure they have a good job and home or whatever). After you have done whatever favor for them, they will say something like "I noticed the amulet, how is it you aren't married?" So then you can ignore that and he/she goes away - or you can say something like "You look mighty fine to me..."
2. They will ask you then if you want to be married. You can say yes or "H... no! There's gotta be someone better out there than the likes of you" type thing.
3. If you say yes, you better get your butt back to the priest quick and arrange (and pay for) the wedding. Don't worry, the guy/girl WILL show up because anything is better than a Drough or whatever reason - they are pretty desperate - something. So just be at your wedding on time.
4. If you fail to show, disrupt the ceremony, etc. all of Rift will decide they don't like you much.
5. Then you just go home and he/she will be there. They have to cook for you once a day, if you sleep in the same bed with them you get a bonus skill boost for 8 hours. If they move into your house, they bring all their business there - like merchants will start selling out of your house, etc.
Some of the companions and followers are spouse material, and they not only live with you and sleep with you - but go with you and fight alongside you. I will list those if you want:
Aela the Huntress
Argis the Bulwark
Athis
Calder
Farkas
Iona
Jordis the Sword-Maiden
Lydia
Njada Stonearm
Rio
Tarvar
Vilkas
** by the way, you can also choose to live in their residence, tell them that and after the wedding make sure you go to their house. I would make sure where they live first, it may just be a tent in the woods, (so if you don't know what their house is, say yours or find out first).