They are weddings that are, officially speaking, not even legally recognised.
But such a small detail, it seems, is not stopping increasing numbers of couples from opting for humanist marriage ceremonies across England and Wales.
Such weddings have risen by more than 250 per cent in the last 15 years, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics.
The massive rise makes it the fastest growing type of wedding in the country – and comes as the number of faith-based ceremonies fell in the same period.
While humanist weddings went up 266 per cent between 2004 and 2016, Church of England weddings fell by 28 per cent, Catholic by 34 per cent and Baptist by 42 per cent.
Humanist weddings rise by 266 per cent across England and Wales https://t.co/vfcIPahVnJ
— The Independent (@Independent) June 2, 2019