Editing Marriage (section)

===Consummation===
[[File:Bedding ceremony by Mike S Miller.png|thumb|right|[[Duncan the Tall]] carries the new [[Lady Butterwell]] during the [[bedding]] ceremony after [[wedding tourney at Whitewalls|her wedding]]. Illustrated by Mike S. Miller for the ''[[The Mystery Knight]]'' [[The Hedge Knight (comics)|graphic novel]].]] 
{{Main|Bedding|First night}}

In [[Westeros]], the bedding takes place after the feast. The bride is escorted to her bedroom, usually by the male guests from the feast, who will undress the bride along the way while making rude jokes.{{Ref|TMK}}{{Ref|ASOS|51}}{{Ref|ASOS|28}} The women at the feast will do the groom the same honors.{{Ref|ASOS|28}}{{Ref|TMK}} Usually, once the bride and groom are in the bedchamber they are left alone, though wedding guests might stand on the other side of the door, shouting suggestions.{{Ref|ASOS|28}} Nonetheless, in some cases, witnesses might be present for the bedding,{{Ref|ACOK|35}} though it is unknown how far this witness duty goes.

Women, more so for noble women, are generally expected to be [[maiden|virgins]] on their first wedding night. After some weddings, the bedsheets are displayed to show the blood, thereby proving the breaking of the bride's maidenhead and thus her virginity at her wedding night. However, since it is known that [[horse]]riding can break a girl's maidenhead, few families are insistent on physical proof.{{Ref|AFFC|28}} 

Even though it is rare for a marriage to occur before the bride has had her first flowering, they do sometimes occur. However, it is considered to be perverse to bed a bride who is so young.<ref name=ageofsexualrelations/> Nonetheless, it is considered to be bad luck for the marriage if the man to sleep apart from his bride on their wedding night.{{Ref|AFFC|12}}

Lords in Westeros once had the right to the [[first night]], the custom of bedding newly-wed women before their husbands. Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]] convinced King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen|Jaehaerys I]] to abolish it,{{Ref|TSS}}{{Ref|aDwD|43}} but it is still practiced illegally in some parts of the [[north]].{{Ref|aDwD|32}}