Here comes the bride -- all 130 or so of them

TAIPEI (Reuters Life!) - It was a case of the more the merrier at a Taiwan beach that hosted what authorities said was its biggest mass wedding for more than 130 couples.

The ceremony was jointly hosted by the Taipei county government and Taiwan's tourism bureau at the northern coastline of Linshanbi Cape on Sunday, and was aimed at promoting Taiwan's beaches as a wedding party destination.

"This place has nice scenery, and it is romantic to get married with so many couples. I am happy," said bridegroom Chen Chia-hong.

"I like weddings with a relaxing style, and I like beaches," added bride Kao Ya-ying.

Taiwanese governments have sponsored mass weddings since the 1970s to discourage extravagant spending on individual parties.

Because of its mountain and coastal scenery, the island is popular with thousands of overseas, mainly Chinese, couples who pick Taiwan for scenic, posed pre-wedding photos, which are traditional for ethnic Chinese worldwide.

(To read more about our entertainment news, visit our blog "Fan Fare" online at blogs.reuters.com/fanfare)

(Reporting by Christine Lu, editing by Miral Fahmy)