Other Similar Marriage Arrangements

Like bigamy and polygamy, other setups exist that deviate from widely normalized monogamous
relationships.

These include the following:

Group Marriages

A group marriage takes place where several males and several females are joined together as
husbands and wives. This form of marriage is very rare, and may be observed for economic
reasons supported by the partners.

Open Marriage

In an open marriage, the partners agree to have sexual relationships with people outside of their
union. These extramarital relationships are not considered cheating, as they are engaged in
with mutual knowledge and consent.

Can Ethical Non-Monogamy Work for You?

Polyamorous Relationships

A polyamorous relationship recognizes that monogamy is only one of the ways romantic
relationships may be forged. This relationship type accepts the possibility of loving more than
one person at a given time. It is recognized as a non-possessive form of love, where all involved
are aware that multiple partners exist in the union.

Polyamorous relationships come in many different forms, including but not limited to:
hierarchical poly, anchor partners, triad, quad, polyfidelity, vee, kitchen table polyamory, solo
polyamory, polycule, and more.

What Is Unicorn Polyamory?

A Word From Verywell

In today's world, there are a variety of relationship patterns to choose from; however, when it
comes to marriage, there are only a few countries where bigamy and polygamy are considered
legal. These types of marriages have taken place throughout history, across cultures, and most
often it was out of necessity.
In the United States, it is illegal to have more than one spouse, and is only practiced in the
shadows by a few religious and cultural groups. Nevertheless, it is perfectly legal to have an
open marriage if both spouses consent to one or both of them having other partners, and all
parties must agree on the rules and boundaries.