Six couples are going to the High Court on July 7-8 to take a landmark challenge over the legal recognition of humanist marriages.

Their case is being supported by celebrant, Mike Ashbridge, who offers humanist wedding ceremonies in Pembrokeshire and is accredited by Humanists UK to do so.

The humanist couples are taking the case to try to compel the UK Government to change the law to recognise humanist weddings as legally recognised marriages, as is the case with religious weddings across the UK and humanist weddings in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Their lawyers will argue that the current law discriminates against them because of their humanist beliefs and is therefore incompatible with human rights legislation, which precludes such discrimination.

A humanist wedding is a non-religious ceremony conducted by a humanist celebrant who shares the beliefs and values of the couple.

It differs from a civil wedding in that it is entirely personalised and reflective of the humanist beliefs and values of the couple. Humanists UK has provided these ceremonies for many decades.

In England and Wales, over 1,000 couples a year already have a humanist wedding without legal recognition. They all must have a separate civil marriage – usually at a registrar’s office – for their marriage to be legally recognised, even though it is not what they want.

Couples must go through formalities twice, leading to financial strain, and distress over the state failing to recognise their humanist wedding as their ‘real’ one.

Mike Ashbridge has been performing wedding ceremonies in Pembrokeshire and West Wales for over 5 years and during that time has seen a significant rise in enquiries for Humanist weddings.

He commented: “To date all of my couples have had to have the extra cost and complexity of arranging a civil marriage alongside their Humanist wedding, despite seeing their Humanist ceremony as their ‘real wedding’.

“This is so unfair given that religious couples do not have to do this.

“So this reform would be wonderful news for couples thinking about having a Humanist wedding in the beautiful county of Pembrokeshire in the future!”

Humanists UK Chief Executive Andrew Copson commented: “Couples who have humanist weddings see that day as the epitome of their love and commitment to each other, and all they want is the same legal recognition for that as is given to every religious person in our country.

“We have tried for decades to address this glaring double standard.

“Government has dragged its heels and that’s why it’s been left to these couples to bring this case.

“As more and more non-religious couples choose to have humanist weddings, we need a law that works for all people who want to marry and we hope this case will lead to reform.”