Ontario wedding guests must be fully vaccinated starting next week

Wedding guests at indoor receptions in Ontario must prove they’re fully vaccinated starting on October 13.

Wedding guests are allowed to show a negative COVID-19 test instead of immunization proof right now. The province included this temporary exception to vaccine passport rules to prevent disruption to weddings planned before the vaccine certificate was announced, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore said at the time.

But that exemption is expiring next week, and guests will need to be vaccinated just like patrons at other indoor restaurants and venues across the province.

“We have noticed a number of outbreaks associated with weddings, particularly wedding receptions,” Moore said during a press conference Thursday. “I know getting married is a special moment for [the] couple and their families, and no one wants COVID-19 as one of their guests.”

The rules apply to indoor gatherings associated with weddings and not to the ceremony itself. Rites associated with weddings and funerals are one of the exempt settings to Ontario’s vaccine passport.