These aren't production stills from a film adaptation of Mao II - real mass weddings take place all over the globe several times a year, and not just among cults.

These days, many choose to participate in mass weddings to share the financial burden of the tying the knot.

Or, in the case of October's mass wedding in China, so that more people can take advantage of fleeting symbolic good fortune: 60 couples were married at 10:10 in the morning October 10, 2010 - the tenth day of the tenth month in the tenth year of the 21st century - which is considered a perfect wedding, as the number 10 symbolizes perfection in China.

Alas, none of the ceremonies in this particular wedding album took place at Yankee Stadium - maybe a mass same-sex couple wedding in New York City on Sunday, July 24 would be a better option than the lottery for those who want to get hitched as soon as legally possible.

Amman
Brides and grooms pose during a mass wedding ceremony in Amman July 15, 2011. A Jordanian Islamic charity organized a mass wedding for 72 couples unable to afford expensive ceremonies. Reuters
Palestine
Palestinian couples take part in a mass wedding ceremony in the West Bank city of Nablus October 21, 2010. Fifty Palestinian couples participated in the wedding ceremony, which was sponsored by the Palestinian Authority and local companies. Reuters
Unification
Newlyweds celebrate during a mass wedding ceremony of the Unification Church at Sun Moon University in Asan, south of Seoul October 10, 2010. The Unification Church founded by evangelist reverend Moon Sun-myung in Seoul in 1954, performed its first mass wedding in 1961 with 33 couples. Reuters
Beijing
Couples take part in a mass wedding ceremony at the Olympic Park in Beijing October 10, 2010. Sixty couples took part in a mass wedding ceremony which started at 10:10 in the morning on the tenth day of the tenth month in the tenth year of the 21st century, symbolizing a perfect wedding. The number 10 in China symbolizes perfection. Reuters
Sichuan
Couples pose for a group photograph during a mass wedding ceremony in Shifang, Sichuan province September 22, 2010. The ceremony was held for some 99 couples from all over the nation, who have carried out relief work or donation after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, according to local media. Reuters
Noida
Hindu brides sit during a mass wedding ceremony in Noida December 26, 2009. A total of 101 couples from the city took wedding vows on Saturday during the mass wedding ceremony organised by a Hindu voluntary organisation, organisers said. Reuters
Ahmedabad
Muslim brides wait for their wedding ceremonies to start during a mass marriage ceremony in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad November 8, 2009. A total of 81 Muslim couples from the city took wedding vows on Sunday during the mass marriage ceremony organised by a Muslim voluntary organisation, organisers said. Reuters
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