Cabinet Minister Simon Coveney has confirmed that 100 guests can attend weddings from August 5.
It comes as a number of brides stood outside Government Buildings protesting this morning as they are planning to tie the knot in the coming days.
Cabinet ministers are meeting this morning to discuss the reopening of schools, weddings and the vaccine roll-out.
Speaking to RTÉ News, Minister Coveney confirmed that the number of guests attending weddings will increase from 50 to 100 from August 5.
Earlier, speaking on his way into Cabinet, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly had said: “I think we should hopefully have some good news for brides and, dare I say, some grooms as well.”
It comes after Tanaiste Leo Varadkar told couples after last week’s Cabinet meeting to “operate on the basis” that there would be 50 guests.
The Government has been worried about the spike in Covid-19 cases associated with the Delta variant.
But now there has been a change of heart and 100 guests will be allowed.
Earlier, Minister Donnelly said: “I think there is a recognition, obviously this is one of the most important days in anybody’s life and people have been planning for a long time so there really is a recognition there.”
He said all of the details will be “teased out” by Cabinet but added “I think it’ll be good news.”
He said he has not received any public health advice that would suggest that the country needs to “go backwards on any of the restrictions.”
He said: “What we want to achieve in Ireland is what’s happening in other countries like the Netherlands.
“What we want to see is this curve getting bent back down again ..like we’re seeing in the Netherlands.
“If we can bend that curve down quickly, and I believe we can, then we really can begin to open up more fully.”
“We’re obviously watching the situation very carefully but what I’m seeing is people are doing what people have done so well from the start, following the public health measures, minding themselves and other people.”
Minister Donnelly also said schools will reopen, adding: “The conversations that I’m having in the Department of Health is that education will absolutely reopen as planned, there is no question about that.”
