Shelley & Pierre
Civil Wedding Ceremony in Punta Cana.
It is not a secret that Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic is one of the top destinations in the world to celebrate a wedding (you five actually), and while most couples plan to have a symbolic ceremony, others want to have an official marriage.
We, as a couple who had a civil ceremony here, the legal process may seem a little bit difficult at first, but if you really want to do that, we are happy to guide you on this process.
No matter if you are having your wedding celebration in an outside wedding venue or into a resort -as Shelley & Pierre who got married at Dreams Punta Cana – the process is the same but the cost may vary.
You must know that there are several documents that need to be translated into Spanish, notarized, and apostilled before the wedding can take place. You can get this information from your wedding planner but as we said, as a foreign couple married here, we can facilite you these requirements for a civil ceremony in Punta Cana.
* The original passport and copies of the passport bio page.
* Copies of last entries.
* Sworn declaration before a public notary, of being single and eligible to marry; the sworn declaration then needs to be legalized at the Offices of Procuraduría General de La República. If the Sworn declaration is done before a U.S. notary, it then needs to be legalized at the closest Dominican Consulate in the U.S. Tourist Card.
* Original birth certificate and copies with legal translation in Spanish.
* Two witnesses that are not family (they must have different last names) and copies of their passports.
* If divorced, copy of the divorce certificate with legal translation.
* If widowed, include a copy of the death certificate with legal translation.
*All documents must be notarized. For US Citizens, all documents must also be apostilled.
Now let’s talk about costs, every resort has their fees for this kind of ceremony. They will charge you that cost in your wedding package selection. This cost includes the payment for a civil Registry Officer – a judge- who will perform on your wedding ceremony.
Also, you have to consider:
* The civil ceremony must be performed in Spanish, but don’t worry, your wedding planner will serve as the translator.
* All the documents must be legalized by the Dominican Consulate no more than 3 months prior to the wedding date.
* The bride and groom must be in the country for at least three business days prior to the wedding celebration.
* Your marriage certificate will be issued in Spanish and it may take a few weeks -sometimes months- to arrive.
Bonus tip:
* You must know that the Civil Registry Officer performs several ceremonies per day which means it could have some delays, for that reason we highly recommend you to book as early as possible.
You should confirm all this information with your wedding planner / coordinator as these requirements may change without notice, specially on these uncertain times.
