11 Celebrity Long-Term Couples Who Aren't Married

Here at Brides, we're a little biased towards weddings for, well, obvious reasons. But we also think it's just as romantic (if not more) to commit yourself to each other without submitting to societal and governmental standards. We've all heard happy stories about life-long marriage—and the memories that come along with having a beautiful ceremony. But, there are plenty of adorable examples of non-married duos who have made commitments to each other—and are still going strong (a la Derek Shepard and Meredith Grey's post-it note).

The Grey's Anatomy fictional pair is not the only example. There are plenty of IRL couples who went the nontraditional route in making their relationships last. In fact, not tying the knot is more common than you might think—and becomes more prevalent every passing year. Some may even say it's "in."

Ahead we've rounded up some of our favorite Hollywood couples who passed on making things "official" but have lasted longer than a lot of legally binding Hollywood marriages.

Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell

Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell are the ultimate couple goals (and the first people who come to mind when talking commitment outside of marriage). The couple met on the Disney movie The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band in 1966 but didn't get together until 1983 on the set of Swing Shift. "I already feel devoted, and isn't that what marriage is supposed to do?" Hawn explained in 1990. "So as long as my emotional state is in a state of devotion, honesty, caring, and loving, then we're fine."

Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling

This major power (and incredibly good-looking) couple met in 2011 on the set of The Place Beyond the Pines. While they keep their relationship and family life extremely private, they have been committed for the last 10 years and share two daughters, Esmeralda, 6, and Amada, 5.

Sarah Paulson and Holland Taylor

The two actresses met back in the early aughts at a party but didn't become romantically involved until 2015 (they were both seeing other people at the time). They've been together ever since, often gushing about each other in interviews and at red carpet events.

Courteney Cox and Johnny McDaid

The Friends star and the Snow Patrol rocker have been romantically linked since 2013 and were engaged before splitting in 2015. But a year later, the pair reconciled and have been going strong ever since.

Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale

The Bridesmaids actress and Jumanji actor have been together since 2012 after meeting on the set of the Annie remake. They have two sons, Rocco and Rafa, and refer to each other as husband and wife but have not tied the knot.

Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez

Couples who design together stay together. At least that's the case for Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, the masterminds behind the luxury fashion brand Proenza Schouler. The couple met while studying at Parsons the New School of Design, and they launched their brand—named after their mothers' maiden names—in 2002.

Oprah Winfrey and Stedman Graham

According to Vanity Fair, the two met in 1986 at a charity event, the same year that The Oprah Winfrey Show premiered. They've been together ever since and even became engaged in 1992, but Winfrey shortly after realized marriage wasn't what she wanted. She opened up about the proposal in O Mag's February 2020 issue.

"I wanted to know he felt I was worthy of being his missus, but I didn't want the sacrifices, the compromises, the day-in-day-out commitment required to make a marriage work," she said. "My life with the show was my priority, and we both knew it."

Shakira and Gerard Piqué

This Columbian singer and Spanish soccer player met back in 2010 at the World Cup in South Africa. The couple never married but they have been together ever since and share two sons, Sasha and Milán.

Maya Rudolph and Paul Thomas Anderson

Saturday Night Live alum and Bridesmaids star has been with her longtime partner director Paul Thomas Anderson since 2001. The pair never married, but Rudolph decided to refer to Anderson as her "husband" following the birth of their first child in 2005, she told the New York Times.

"People know what that means," she explained. "It means he’s the father of my child, and I live with him, and we are a couple, and we are not going anywhere."

Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys

Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys have been together since 2014, after meeting on the set of their show, The Americans. Their characters' chemistry was so palpable that fans started to question their relationship IRL. Eventually, the duo confirmed their relationship, and in 2016 the couple welcomed their son Sam into the world.

Anna Kournikova and Enrique Iglesias

This ultra-private couple met in 2001 on the set of the Latin pop star's music video for "Escape," in which Iglesias and the tennis star Kournikova had a steamy make-out scene. They went public with their relationship in 2002 but have remained pretty private ever since. In 2017, the couple welcomed twins Nicholas and Lucy, and two years later, they welcomed their other daughter, Mary.