Man Marries 4 Women at Same Time

(MYFOX NATIONAL) - A South African man wanted to marry four women, but didn't want to pay for four weddings, so he combined all the ceremonies into one.

Milton Mbhele, 44, went against traditional polygamous wedding rules by marrying his four brides at the same time last month, according to the Kenyan Daily Nation .

The four brides, Happiness Mdlolo (24), Thobile Vilakazi (34), Smangele Cele (23) and Zanele Langa (24) walked down the aisle together before saying "We do" to the happy groom.

Mbhele said he loves all the women equally and that he didn’t marry them purely for the spectacle but because it also made financial sense. "I don't know how much four different weddings would have cost me, but I know doing it all at once saved money," he explained. "For example, I only needed one tent, I needed to hire one caterer and one photographer for the entire ceremony."

The wives said they were initially shocked that Mbhele wanted to marry them at once, but they agreed because they all love him.

South African law recognizes traditional polygamous marriages -- even President Jacob Zuma has three wives -- but while polygamy remains common among several tribes, including the Zulus and Swazis, simultaneous weddings are rare.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, a Florida woman was arrested in 2007 when she reportedly was married to 10 men at the same time in an alleged marriage-for-pay scheme to enable the men to remain in the United States.