CONFIRMED: Guests allowed at weddings to increase to 100 from 5 August

Great news for brides and grooms to be.

The number of guests allowed at wedding ceremonies and receptions is to increase to 100 from 5 August, the government has confirmed. While it was first expected that the number allowed at weddings would increase to 100 in August, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar had cast doubt on this last week - urging those set to get married to plan for 50 guests. Earlier on Tuesday, a number of brides calling for clarity gathered in Dublin at the Department of Health on Baggot Street and at Government Buildings on Merrion Street upper.

BREAKING: 100 people can attend weddings from August 5 — both the ceremony and the reception. pic.twitter.com/abMcFk2Z16

— Fine Gael (@FineGael) July 27, 2021

Speaking to RTÉ's News at One on Tuesday afternoon, Minister of Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney said: "For people who are holding weddings in August, after 5 August, they'll be able to have 100 people at their wedding rather than 50. "That's what we had committed to a number of months ago. That's what we're trying to deliver now safely." Asked if this would mean 100 could attend both wedding ceremonies and receptions afterwards, he responded: "Yeah so what will happen now is, as ever, when we make changes to policy, there needs to be a change in the regulation as well. "Minister [Stephen] Donnelly will now work to produce clarity around everything from indoor/outdoor, music or not, reception numbers and so on. "But the decision in principle was made today by Cabinet for him to get on with that and to increase the numbers that can attend weddings from 50 to 100."