Getting Married in the Dominican Republic

The second largest of the Caribbean islands, the Dominican Republic combines incredible landscapes, delicious cuisine, and a huge variety of arts, entertainment and culture. Get married at sunset on a white sandy beach, in a historical traditional church in a quaint medieval village or in the heart of a vibrant city centre before dancing the night away to the beat of the merengue. The Dominican Republic offers everything you could ever want of a Caribbean wedding, and more.

What to take

It is advisable to start sorting out the paperwork and documentation about 6 months prior to your wedding as it may be time consuming. Check with the Embassy of the Dominican Republic in your resident country for the current requirements. As a guide, UK resident couples are likely to need the paperwork listed here. Note that each English document must be legalised by both the Foreign and Commonwealth office, translated into Spanish and then certified as true copies by the Embassy. There will probably be fees for legalising, translating and certifying documentation.

Note that this information is for guidance only, and requirements may change with time and personal circumstances.

Insurance

We’d recommend taking out insurance to cover any wedding, whether it’s at home in the UK or abroad. But if you’re getting married overseas it’s even more important to have the right cover in place. See our guide to insurance for weddings abroad for more information on both wedding and travel insurance policies.

Where to go

The Central region is home to Santiago, known as the cigar capitol and the Dominican Republic’s second largest city. The Northern coast boasts diverse landscapes and beaches perfect for windsurfers and kiteboarders. Whale watching is popular on the North East Coast, where you will also find waterfalls, mountains and lush rainforests. Most popular with tourists is Punta Cana/Bavaro, on the East Coast, also home to one of the most celebrated national parks. The South West Coast is quieter, and the South Central Coast is home to Santo Domingo, the oldest city in the new world.

Punta Cana
The Costa del Coco (Coconut Coast) near Punta Cana offers miles of sand and stunning reefs, as well as twelve professional golf courses and plenty of opportunities for water sports such as diving, boating, kiteboarding, windsurfing and swimming with dolphins. The larger all-inclusive resorts are based in this area, but there are still plenty of quieter stretches of beach with smaller local restaurants and bars.

La Romana
A beautiful area, home to the quaint village of Altos de Chavon with art galleries and studios, restaurants and museums. Weddings can take place in The Church of St. Stanislaus in the centre of the main square. The 5,000-seat open-air amphitheatre has hosted stars from Gloria Estefan and Carlos Santana as well as many local music festivals. Isla Saona, off the southern shore, is a perfect island with sandy beaches and mangrove lined lagoons.

Santo Domingo
Capital city of the Dominican Republic, Santo Domigo, is a large city boasting the 22 room Alcazar de Colon (Columbus’ Palace) and the Alcazar Museum, housing religious artefacts.