nonreligious wedding ceremony; civil wedding ceremony
A wedding ceremony held in front of guests without religious rituals, often officiated by a celebrant or the couple themselves. Contrasts with church weddings and traditional Shinto ceremonies.
See also: 人前式
Recently, more couples are choosing a civil wedding ceremony instead of a church or shrine wedding.
In a nonreligious wedding ceremony, the bride and groom often write their own vows.
Compound of 人前 (jinzen, 'in front of people') + 結婚式 (kekkonshiki, 'wedding ceremony'). The term reflects the ceremony's defining feature: being conducted before witnesses rather than a religious authority.