Weddings on ended in violence and death. So many people lost their lives at ceremonies like these that it is almost surprising they continued to happen. But just like the real world's own medieval history, marriages did not happen solely for love, but also for political advantage.
Thus, it is interesting to look at the marriages that occurred during the series and judge them based on how successful they turned out to be. Looking at all the unions, whose participants were alive at some point during the show, and their outcomes, it's easy to see that a net-positive outcome was hard to come by.
Ned and Catelyn Stark
Ned's older brother, Brandon, was betrothed to Catelyn when they were young. When Brandon was executed by the Mad King, Ned and Catelyn's engagement solidified an alliance between their two houses. This alliance was key to overthrowing the Targaryens and solidified years of peace for the Seven Kingdoms.
While Ned and Catelyn did not love each other at the start, their relationship grew into a beautiful relationship, with mutual respect and five children. Their deaths were tragic, but compared to the other marriages of Westeros, the courtship was a bona fide success.
Daenerys Targaryen and Khal Drogo
Daenerys and Drogo's marriage was also arranged, beginning after the young Targaryen was sold to the Khal. Despite initially being terrified of him, Daenerys came to have feelings for the Dothraki, which he returned.
Drogo helped Daenerys find confidence in herself. As Khaleesi, Daenerys freed herself from the restraints her brother put on her and found a voice that would inspire thousands to follow her. Drogo might have left this world before his time, but his spirit carried on in Daenerys throughout the rest of her life.
Tyrion Lannister and Sansa Stark
Sansa was originally betrothed to King Joffrey, a boy she worshipped before his sinister personality was made apparent to her. After being cast aside for Margaery Tyrell, Sansa was forced to marry Tyrion. Neither was happy with the match, but they were both kind to each other and respected one another.
While they were never the best of friends, years after they parted Sansa and Tyrion still held a connection, having greatly impacted each other's lives. Not to mention that they both ended up alive in the end, which is a rarity on this list.
Margaery Tyrell and Tommen Baratheon
Like Sansa, Margaery was also set to be queen by marrying Joffrey, but the young king was murdered on their wedding day. Thus, Margaery set her sights on Tommen, who was a much better match for her. Their union lacked cruelty and began to usher in a period of peace Westeros desperately needed.
Unfortunately, Tommen was too weak of a king to save his wife from the exploits of the Faith Militant and his mother. He was unable to take decisive action, which ultimately led to Margaery's death and subsequently Tommen's suicide.
Petyr Baelish and Lysa Arryn
Lysa loved Petyr her entire life, but Petyr only ever had eyes for her sister, Catelyn. Since Petyr couldn't have her, he manipulated Lysa's affections for his own purposes. The younger Tully sister murdered her husband, Jon Arryn, for Petyr and threw the realm into chaos.
Petyr eventually married Lysa once she was in control of the Vale. They accomplished a great deal together, successfully throwing the realm into chaos and taking power for themselves. Petyr did eventually push Lysa through the moon door to her demise, but it certainly wasn't the worst divorce on the show.
Cersei Lannister and Robert Baratheon
Cersei and Robert's marriage was another arrangement that helped overthrow the Mad King, only this one was far less cordial. As Robert eventually told Cersei, there was never a time it could have worked out between them. The marriage ended when Cersei coordinated his murder.
Their courtship may not have been healthy, but politically, it was exactly what Westeros needed to depose the Mad King, getting rid of a dynasty that spanned 300 years. It also brought peace to the country for 17 years, which was quite a long time considering the constant war Westeros seemed to find itself in.
Margaery Tyrell and Renly Baratheon
When King Robert died, the next in line was his brother, Stannis. But, his youngest brother Renly saw an opportunity and seized it, marrying Margaery to get her father's forces. Neither was in love with the other, but their desire to become King and Queen superseded the need for feelings.
Despite their more powerful army, Renly was assassinated and the alliance fell apart. Being Renly's wife later proved to be a hurdle for Margaery, as she continued her play for the throne.
Robb and Talisa Stark
Arguably the relationship with the most ionate love behind it, Robb and Talisa brought true tragedy to both the couple and their families. There was no political advantage to the match, but such an advantage was desperately needed during Robb's war with the Lannisters.
Ultimately, Robb's broken oath led to the Freys, Boltons, and Lannisters murdering the two at the Red Wedding, leaving behind a massacre matched by only its real-world inspirations. The Starks were almost destroyed by this retaliation, making the relationship a complete failure.
Edmure Tully and Roslin Frey
The Red Wedding might have been the end of Robb and Talisa's marriage, but it was just the beginning of Edmure and Roslin's. Unfortunately for Edmure, he was immediately thrown into a cell and held captive for several years.
The marriage did nothing to secure forces for the North, instead killing the King in the North and his bannermen. Years later, the two have not seen each other again, with their son being used as a bargaining chip to get Edmure to cooperate.
Margaery Tyrell and Joffrey Baratheon
Joffrey was not someone anyone wanted to marry out of love, but Margaery pursued him out of the desire to become the queen. While she was the best at taming his worst impulses, he nonetheless created a horde of enemies.
The engagement did create an alliance that helped end the War of Five Kings, but in of the actual marriage, Joffrey's murder led to a lengthy trial that convicted an innocent man, led to the murder of the Prince Dorne, which ultimately led to the murder of Princess Myrcella, and threw the Seven Kingdoms into chaos again.