We photograph weddings across the whole Dominican Republic, not only on the east coast where we are based. Over twenty years that has meant resort ballrooms in Bávaro, private estates on the south coast, a peninsula in the northeast where the mountains come down to the water, and cliffs on the north shore with almost nobody on them.
The country is more varied than most couples expect, and it is also bigger than it looks on a map. Where you choose to marry changes your guest list, your flights, your budget and the photographs you end up with. This page is the map.
Each destination below has its own page with venues, galleries and what coverage there involves. What this page gives you is the layer above that: how the regions differ from each other, which airport serves which one, and how to choose between them.
If you already know where you are marrying, go straight to that destination. If you are still deciding, read the six and then write to us. We will tell you honestly which one fits what you are describing, including the times when the answer is not the one we work in most.
Where we shoot in the Dominican Republic
01
Punta Cana
The east coast, and where we live. It holds the largest concentration of resorts in the country and by far the most direct flights from North America, which is why it works as easily for a group of eighty as for two people. It is also the only destination of the six deep enough to have a page of its own for every service we offer.
02
Bayahibe
About an hour southwest of Punta Cana, calm and shallow, and the departure point for Saona and Catalina islands, so couples often build a boat day into the week. It also faces the right way to watch the sun go down over the water, which the east coast does not.
03
Casa de Campo and La Romana
A private estate of seven thousand acres on the south coast, with its own airport, its own marina, and Altos de Chavon, a stone village built above the river. Villa territory rather than all inclusive.
04
Samana and Las Terrenas
A peninsula in the northeast where green mountains meet the sea, and the least built up region we cover. Humpback whales come into the bay from January to March, which is either a reason to pick those months or a reason to avoid them.
05
Cabrera
Further east along the north coast, and the quietest place on this list. Cliffs, private estates and almost no hotel infrastructure, which makes it a small guest list destination rather than a resort one. Couples who choose Cabrera usually already know exactly what they want.
06
Puerto Plata
The north coast, and the oldest tourism in the country. Victorian architecture in town, a cable car that climbs Mount Isabel de Torres, and the only destination on this page with a real mountain standing directly behind the beach. If you want a backdrop that is something other than sand and palm trees, this is the one.
Which airport to fly into
Five airports serve the destinations above, and choosing the wrong one can cost you half a day.
Punta Cana (PUJ) serves Punta Cana, Bávaro, Cap Cana, Macao and Uvero Alto, and has more direct flights from the United States and Canada than the rest of the country combined. Twenty to thirty five minutes to most of the resorts, longer to the far end of the coast.
La Romana (LRM) is the closest airport to Casa de Campo, a few minutes from the gate, and reaches Bayahibe in roughly half an hour to an hour depending on the property. Its flight schedule is much thinner, so plenty of couples fly into Punta Cana instead and drive the hour and a half. Worth knowing here: several resorts that carry the La Romana name in their branding are actually in Bayahibe, which sends a lot of couples looking in the wrong place.
Samaná El Catey (AZS) is about half an hour from Las Terrenas and serves the whole peninsula. The schedule is limited, so it is worth checking early rather than assuming.
Puerto Plata (POP) is fifteen to twenty minutes from the Puerto Plata resorts, and it is also the way in for Cabrera, further east along the same coast.
Santo Domingo (SDQ) is the largest airport in the country and the best for regional connections, but it is a drive from every destination on this page.
The thing to take away is that the Dominican Republic is bigger than it looks. Puerto Plata to Samaná is over three hours by road even though they sit on the same coast. If you are hoping to combine two regions in one trip, plan it rather than assume it.
Choosing between them
If you are flying in a large group and want everyone in one place with everything included, the east coast is the only region with the hotel capacity to do it comfortably.
If you want a private estate, your own planner, and a wedding that feels like a house party rather than a hotel event, look at Casa de Campo or Cabrera.
If it is a small number of people and you want green mountains, boutique properties and an empty beach, Samaná.
If you want calm shallow water and an island day built into the week, Bayahibe.
And if you want the north coast, its own architecture, and a sunset that sits out over the ocean, Puerto Plata.
Working with us anywhere in the country
Most photographers on the island work one region. We cover all six of the destinations above with the same team, and that is the practical reason couples marrying outside Punta Cana still write to us: you are not handing your wedding to whoever happens to be nearest to it.
That team has worked here since 2006, and it is made up of our own photographers and filmmakers rather than people hired for the day. More than 290 five star reviews on WeddingWire and Google sit behind it, along with ten Couples’ Choice Awards. Photography and video run on one timeline whichever destination you choose, with one person for you to talk to.
Tell us your date, the destination, and where your guests are staying. We come back within 24 hours with the package list and with whatever is specific to covering that particular corner of the country, because what a wedding day needs in Cabrera is not what it needs in Bávaro. Covering a destination outside Punta Cana can carry a travel cost, and how much depends on which one and on the shape of the day, so it is something we work out with you rather than something we could put in a table.
Prefer to call? +1 809-757-1191