General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: "How to Avoid getting Raped" [View all]FarCenter
(19,429 posts)This is typically after the exchange of vows presided over by some secular or religious personage, and it is the real legal act including the witnessing of the act by two others, such as the best man and the maid of honor.
Rape can certainly occur within marriage. However, it is a lot harder for the woman to falsely charge the man with rape, since such a charge would require some physical evidence of violence. A bride is unlikely to successfully charge the groom with rape the morning after the wedding simply on the basis of his DNA in her vagina.
Some religions do not consider a marriage valid without sexual intercourse. Catholics regard a failure to consummate the marriage as a ground for annulment on the basis that the marriage did not exist.