I seem to recall that when "consummation" was part of a marriage's obligations, they would get doctor's to check for her hymen.
Alternatively if she didn't have one, they would check if the husband had any issues to back up her claim - they did this by demanding they bang in front of a crowd, and if the man failed in this act (couldn't get an erection in front of the crowd, which is understandable), he would be found at fault.