Dominican Republic Weddings
WikiWeddings is the best way to find and share wedding advice and plan your perfect wedding.
Dominican Republic Weddings
Traditions
Wedding Styles
Why Dominican Republic?
Marriage License Requirements
Marrying in the Dominican Republic is relatively simple as there are no residency requirements, no blood tests, and nor do you have to apply for a marriage license as with some other countries. However, in spite of this there are some requirements that you will need to fulfill when it comes to providing the documents necessary in order to get a marriage license in the Dominican Republic.
One of the drawbacks to getting married in the Dominican Republic is that you have to have all your documents translated into Spanish by a translator from the Dominican Consulate in your country. You will need to contact this consulate and arrange to have all your documents translated, and you cannot have this done by anyone else. Some countries will allow you to have your documents translated by someone who is a translator but not necessarily affiliated with the consulate from that country, but not the Dominican Republic. If you need help with translations and legalizations you can write to weddings@dr1.com for help.
In the Dominican Republic you do not have to apply for a marriage license in order to get married, instead what you do is register to be married with the Oficialia del Estado Civil.
Here are the documents you will need to provide in order to apply to get married in the Dominican Republic. Keep in mind that you can send photocopies of all these documents ahead of time to the Oficialía del Estado Civil and then bring the originals with you in order to make the process easier.
A current passport. A certified copy of your birth certificate or the original. A notorized affadavit that states your marital status. In the Dominican Republic a woman cannot remarry until 10 months after her divorce is final unless she is marrying the same man she divorced or she was divorced under special DR law. Certified or original copy of divorce decree or death certificate as applicable. In the following documents your first, last and middle name must be identical: passport, affidavit declaration of marital status and birth certificate. If they are not it is within the rights of the civil judge to refuse the wedding. An additional requirement for American citizens wanting to get married in the Dominican Republic is that they need to write the US consulate in Santo Domingo and request permission to get married as well as all the other requirements.
Both you and your intended must be at least 18 years of age to get married in the Dominican Republic. Also, you will need two witnesses who are not family members and they will need to bring a current passport with them as identification. If your witnesses are citizens of the Dominican Republic then they will need to present Cedulas or Dominican Republic Identification cards to prove their identities.
Civil Ceremonies
A civil marriage is performed by a Justice of the Peace who will then need to prove to the Oficialia del Estado Civil that the ceremony took place before a marriage certificate can be issued. This marriage certificate is legal everywhere in the world.
Religious Ceremonies
Religious ceremonies are just as legal as civil ones in the Dominican Republic. Because you must meet not only the civil requirements when being married in a religious ceremony but your church or synagogue of choice's as well, it is wise to hire a Certified Destination Wedding Consultant who can walk you through not only the requirements but also the travel and wedding planning. The rabbi then have 3 days to send a copy of the marriage documentation to the Oficialia del Estado Civil so the marriage can be registered.
Catholic Weddings
In Dominican Republic you can have a Catholic Wedding on property at either three hotels, Barcelo, Dreams or Majestic resorts. All of them have a location at the resort that a priest has blessed to have a destination wedding. But one word of warning, plan ahead! The process is not something you can elope to overnight. You will need to have at least six months in advance to submit the proper documentation, ask permission and have your completed Cana classes.
When asked a Certified Dominican Republic Specialist and Certifed Master Level Destination Wedding Consultant, Lindsay Wendt-Sheikh, owner of Romance Travelers. "Truly I would prefer couples to have nine months to complete the requirements for both Catholic and Civil. Since you have to ask for permission and submit documentation, the time for answers to come back is not fast. It is called Island time. You must have patience and work with someone who has experience in there to not drop the ball on any requirement. Not done right you could be forced to have a destination wedding, you don't want, " she says.
Language
Currency
How to Get There
Documents Needed for Travel
By Air
Rail
Boat
Insider Tips
Best Time to Go
Climate
Insider Tips
Aproximate Budget
Planning
Venues
Ceremony
Religious Sites
Civil Sites
Beaches Parks Monuments Historic Sites
Reception
Wedding Service Providers
Honeymoon
Guests must dos (things to do)
Wedding Dresses
Cakes
Flowers
Music
Gifts
Guest Accommodations
Favors
Invitations