13 Fun-Filled and Meaningful Dominican Republic Wedding Traditions

Get ready to put on your dancing shoes.
Heather Bien - The Knot Contributor.
by
Heather Bien
Heather Bien - The Knot Contributor.
Heather Bien
The Knot Contributor
  • Heather contributes wedding, honeymoon, travel and relationship content for The Knot and WeddingWire.
  • Heather also writes for publications including Apartment Therapy, StyleBlueprint, MyDomaine, HelloGiggles and The Everygirl.
  • She holds a degree in Art History and Architectural History from the University of Virginia.
Updated Jan 03, 2025

If you or your fiancé have Dominican heritage, then incorporating Dominican Republic wedding traditions is a beautiful way to honor your family. You can look into how to plan a bilingual wedding or you can focus on blending in traditions like the merengue, las arras or, everyone's favorite, la hora loca.

"Dominican weddings are like a marathon, starting with typically a religious ceremony and ending with a reception that could last until sunrise," says Jose Rolon, owner and wedding planner at New York City-based Jose Rolon Events. So, strap on your dancing shoes and prepare for a night filled with music, laughter and maybe a few questionable dance moves!"

Want to find vendors with the know-how to bring a Dominican wedding to life, either in the Dominican Republic or stateside? Check out The Knot Vendor Marketplace to find vendors who can incorporate wedding traditions around the world, then dive into these tips and traditions from Rolon and Andrea Nikchevska, owner of DIDEA Events & Entertainment in Punta Cana.

Dominican Republic Wedding Traditions in This Story: History | Prewedding | Ceremony | Reception | Food & Drink | Postwedding

A Brief History of Dominican Republic Wedding Traditions

Weddings in the Dominican Republic are lively, vibrant affairs that often combine a traditional Catholic church wedding with incredible energy, music and dancing. But there's one central piece of every Dominican Republic wedding that you can't forget. "Family is the secret ingredient in Dominican weddings, with everyone pitching in to help plan and celebrate," Rolon says.

Prewedding Dominican Traditions

Before the wedding, Dominican couples have both marriage proposal traditions and bachelor-bachelorette traditions. These resemble those seen in many countries but with their own Dominican spin.

La Pedida de Mano

Just like many other cultures, there's a tradition of one partner asking the other's parents for permission to marry their child, and this is called la pedida de mano. Nikchevska explains, "This is a formal meeting where the groom asks the bride's parents for their permission to marry their daughter. Even if the couple is already engaged, it's a way to acknowledge family support and strengthen the bond between the two families."

Despedida de Soltera

Every big party needs a pre-party, and a traditional Dominican Republic wedding is no exception. "Before the big day, expect some serious partying with a despedida de soltera, which is similar to a bachelor or bachelorette party," Rolon says. "This is where the bride and groom get a last hurrah—think of it as a warm-up for the wedding dance floor!"

Dominican Wedding Ceremony Traditions

Dominican wedding ceremonies are typically Catholic ceremonies, held in a church. But that doesn't mean they're pious affairs. These celebrations often involve the entire family coming together, with a significant number of them standing up at the altar with the couple.

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Wedding Party

"Forget about just a couple of bridesmaids and groomsmen; in Dominican weddings, your entourage might look more like a small army," Rolon says. Dominican couples invite a large number of their nearest and dearest to stand with them, including the padrinos, or godparents on both sides. "Everyone's there to support the couple—and maybe remind them to keep it together when the emotions run high," Rolon says.

Lively Music

Music is a critical part of Dominican Republic weddings and it doesn't start at the reception. "Expect live bands belting out merengue and bachata while you try to remember the words to your vows over the sound of maracas," Rolon says.

El Lazo Ceremony

The el lazo ceremony is exactly what you might guess—it's a lasso ceremony. Rolon explains, "Get ready for the lazo ceremony, where a fancy cord is placed around the couple to symbolize eternal bond—and to make sure they don't run away!"

Las Arras

One of the most beloved Dominican wedding customs is las arras. This is when the groom presents the bride with 13 gold coins during the wedding ceremony. "Traditionally placed in a small decorative box or pouch, the coins are blessed by the priest as part of the religious service," Nikchevska says.

Dominican Wedding Reception Traditions

A Dominican wedding is filled with traditions that bring friends and family together for a lively good time. There's music, dancing and blessing, each with its own Dominican spin.

Blessings from Elders

Because family is such a key part of Dominican culture, older members of the family will often use the reception as an opportunity to share wedding blessings and prayers that have been passed down through the generations. Rolon says, "Don't be surprised if family elders bless the couple with wisdom that might involve a few embarrassing stories from their own wedding days."

Baile del Dinero

Who doesn't want to get cash for their wedding? Dominican couples have a tradition of receiving money from family and friends—but it's done in a delightfully raucous way. "After the couple's first dance, expect the baile del dinero, where guests pin money on the couple—because nothing says 'I wish you well' like cash on a dress," Rolon explains.

Merengue and Bachata

Attending a Dominican wedding? Put on your dancing shoes! Music is one of the highlights of a Dominican wedding reception and guests love to dance all night long. "The traditional Dominican dance styles merengue and bachata keep guests dancing well into the night. Perico ripiao or merengue típico is the name of a popular Dominican music genre, which is often played at Dominican weddings," Nikchevska says.

Traditional Dominican Wedding Food, Drinks and Desserts

Whether a Dominican wedding is hosted by those with Dominican heritage or those who are celebrating in the Dominican Republic but hail from elsewhere, these celebrations often incorporate local flavors. You'll find vibrant flavors in food, drinks and dessert, and Nikchevska notes that dinner is often a sit-down, formal dinner showcasing traditional wedding food traditions.

Dominican Wedding Food

At a Dominican wedding, you'll find the warm, rich flavors that define Dominican cooking—and you definitely won't go hungry. Nikchevska explains that sancocho, a meat and root vegetable stew, is often served. "This is a hearty stew typically made with seven kinds of meat and a variety of vegetables. It's delicious on its own or served over rice with avocado slices," Nikchevska says.

You'll also see Dominican-style tamales. "These are made with green plantains and other root vegetables, filled with meat, wrapped in plantain leaves instead of corn husks," Nikchevska says.

Of course, there's no shortage of filling dishes to keep you fueled for a long night of dancing. "La Bandera, which is rice, beans and meat, will always be served," Rolon says.

Dominican Wedding Drinks

Every good dance floor has a few good cocktails, and it's no surprise that Dominican rum is a must-serve at every Dominican wedding. "Popular brands include Brugal, Barceló and others. It's often served neat, on the rocks or in cocktails," Nikchevska says.

"Don't forget to try the mamajuana, a drink that could either cure what ails you or just make you dance even worse," Rolon adds, reminiscing about the red wine, honey and rum drink that is beloved in the country.

Dominican Wedding Dessert

Getting married in the Dominican Republic means you have your choice of mouth-watering traditional desserts. Dulce de leche is, of course, a sweet classic. But there's a cake that always makes its way to the dessert table. "For dessert, tres leches cake is a must—because who can resist three times the deliciousness," Rolon says.

Dominican Republic Postwedding Traditions

Like many other Latin American countries, the Dominican Republic knows how to keep a wedding going late into the night. Don't expect to call it an early evening if you're celebrating with your Dominican friends—you're in for the long haul.

La Hora Loca

"Our clients love to add extra excitement to the night with a show or la hora loca, which means 'crazy hour,'" Nikchevska says. "This is one of the most energetic and fun-filled traditions at Dominican weddings."

This high-energy party brings all the guests together for a late night of singing and dancing, and entertainers are often brought in for anything from a fire show to magic. But, regardless of what's happening on stage, the goal is to get the crowd pumped up for a few more hours. "The couple often leads the charge and gets everyone involved," Nikchevska says.

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