Wedding traditions of Santo Domingo
Dominican weddings combine a church ceremony with merengue and a rum toast.
The Dominican Republic is among the oldest Spanish colonial cities in the Americas. A civil registry and church weddings are the norm, with a lively party.

A wedding here
Couples marry in a church with the first cathedral of the Americas nearby. Merengue and bachata fill the party, and a pastelon and roast pork may be served.
Customs
A lazo is placed over the couple at some Catholic weddings, as in other Spanish-speaking countries. Same-sex marriage is not recognised in the Dominican Republic, as of 2026.
Wedding customs of Santo Domingo
Also part of it, and being written: Merengue (A dance of the country.), Bachata (A music of the country.), Dominican wedding (Customs.).
A wedding trail idea for Santo Domingo
- Colonial Zone A UNESCO World Heritage district.
- Catedral Primada de America The first cathedral of the Americas.
- Malecon The seafront.
Written by the EveryShaadi desk with AI assistance. Opening hours, venues and wedding-season dates change; check locally before travelling. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
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Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Wedding cord: Phil! Gold, CC BY-SA 2.0, source