to marry / to get married

[BestBuddy]

What's the difference between:

• They're going to marry. / They married last year in June.
• They're going to get married. / They got married last year in June.

Can we use them interchangeably?

 

[jutfrank]

There's an essential difference in meaning that I'd explain like this:

The verb marry is an action verb, so the first two sentences express an undertaken action. In this case, with a plural subject, the implication is that the action is reciprocal, and that there are two referents of They, who will marry each other.

The verb get married is a process verb, so the second pair is about changing status from being unmarried to married.

Practically speaking, they mean the same thing. Any other differences concern the use of the sentences rather than the meaning.