Puerto Plata was the first corner of the Dominican Republic to welcome travelers, and it is still the north coast’s best kept secret for weddings. Instead of a long strip of look-alike resorts you get Victorian streets, a mountain with a cable car, long uncrowded beaches, and a handful of well established resorts that have been hosting ceremonies for decades. In this guide we cover the resorts that host the most weddings, the off resort venues worth knowing, how to get here, and how Puerto Plata compares with Punta Cana, so you can decide if the north coast fits the wedding you have in mind.
Why Choose Puerto Plata for Your Destination Wedding?
Puerto Plata sits on the country’s north coast, facing the Atlantic. Mount Isabel de Torres rises right behind the city, and the cable car to the top ends at a Christ the Redeemer statue with a view over the whole coastline. Down below, the historic center keeps five centuries of history in its colonial buildings and colorful Victorian houses. Very few beach destinations give you this much variety within twenty minutes of your hotel room.
The area is also less tourist focused than Punta Cana, and you feel it: real town life, quieter beaches, easier access to nature. Nearby Sosua and Cabarete have calm public beaches that work beautifully for a couples session away from the crowds, and prices for resorts, excursions and transportation tend to be friendlier than in the east. After more than 20 years photographing weddings across the Dominican Republic, we can tell you that no two Puerto Plata weddings ever look the same.
The Best Wedding Resorts in Puerto Plata
Three resorts host most of the weddings on this stretch of coast, and they are the ones couples ask us about first.
Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada
Iberostar Waves Costa Dorada is a five star all inclusive about ten minutes from downtown Puerto Plata, known for its colonial style architecture and dense tropical gardens. For the ceremony you can choose between a gazebo, the beach or a garden terrace, and those gardens give a couples session real variety without ever leaving the property.
Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Resort
Lifestyle Holidays spreads over the hillside at Cofresi Bay, west of the city, with several properties inside one complex, from standard rooms to private villas. That range is its strength for weddings: beachside and gazebo ceremonies, plenty of restaurants, and accommodation tiers that let every guest pick their own comfort level.
Senator Puerto Plata Spa Resort
Senator Puerto Plata is a large all inclusive with modern suites, a big spa and one of the widest choices of ceremony spaces in the area, indoors and out. Some of its venues host up to 150 guests, which makes it a strong pick if you are bringing a big group and want everything under one roof.
The Playa Dorada complex holds more options, from Gran Ventana Beach Resort to Casa Colonial Beach & Spa, a small luxury boutique that suits intimate weddings.
Off Resort Wedding Venues
Ocean World Marina is the best known off resort venue: a seaside events space by the marina with restaurants, a casino and its own wedding coordinators, plus sunset views over the boats that photograph beautifully.
If you want complete privacy, oceanfront villas in Sosua and Cabarete are the luxury route: infinity pools, tropical gardens, direct beach access. Look for event friendly rentals, and plan on hiring your own wedding planner. From experience, villas have one quiet advantage for your photos: the whole day happens in one place, so getting ready, the ceremony and the sunset session flow together without a single transfer. Three independent planners who know the north coast well are Leanne Lane Weddings, 4TW Dominican Wedding Planner and Bodas & Mas.
What Do Puerto Plata Wedding Packages Include?
Resort wedding packages here usually bundle the ceremony setup (arch or gazebo, chairs, basic florals), an on site coordinator, and reception options that scale with your guest count, from elopement setups for two to a private dinner with open bar and a DJ. The details vary by resort and change often, so treat any package list you find online as a starting point and confirm everything directly.
Two things are worth asking about early. First, which spaces the resort actually uses for ceremonies, because brochures do not always match reality. Second, the outside vendor policy: most all inclusive resorts charge a fee or a day pass when you bring your own photographer, planner or makeup artist, and knowing that number from the start keeps your budget honest.
One more tip: for small elopements, some resorts fold a simple ceremony into your stay once you book a minimum number of nights. If it is just the two of you, ask about that before paying for a separate package.
Getting to Puerto Plata
Fly into Gregorio Luperon International Airport (POP), 20 to 25 minutes from the resort areas. Several US and Canadian cities have direct flights, and if yours does not, you will connect through Miami, New York, Toronto or Panama. Cibao International Airport (STI) in Santiago is the backup, with more flight options and a longer transfer across the mountains.
Puerto Plata is also a major cruise stop. Amber Cove and Taino Bay both sit minutes from the city, which makes it easy for guests arriving by ship to join the celebration. One thing to avoid: landing in Punta Cana and driving over. It is about four hours by road, so fly into the north coast if you can.
Weather on the North Coast
Like the rest of the island, Puerto Plata is warm all year. The north coast is greener than the east, which means lusher landscapes and the occasional shower passing through; showers here tend to be short, and every resort keeps covered options ready. The same trade winds that made Cabarete a world kiteboarding capital keep beach afternoons comfortable for your guests.
Things to Do Around Your Wedding Week
Take the cable car up Mount Isabel de Torres for the view over the coastline and the Christ the Redeemer statue at the top. The 27 Charcos de Damajagua waterfalls are the best adventure day trip in the country, and Sosua offers snorkeling and sunset catamaran rides in clear water. In town, walk the historic center around the central park and the Amber Museum, surrounded by the colonial architecture Puerto Plata is famous for, with the 16th century Fortaleza San Felipe standing guard by the water. And Ocean World is the easy family day, with dolphins, sharks and stingrays.
Punta Cana vs Puerto Plata: Which Should You Choose?
Punta Cana has many more resorts, bigger wedding venues, the widest range of budgets and far more direct flights. That flexibility is why it is the country’s wedding capital, and also why its beaches get crowded in high season. If that is the direction you are leaning, start with our complete guide to getting married in Punta Cana.
Puerto Plata trades some of that convenience for character. You get more variety of backdrops in one place (a pier, mountains, colonial streets, open beaches), fewer crowds, a more authentic town and friendlier prices. Flights take a little more planning and the resort selection is smaller. For couples who want their wedding to feel like a place rather than a package, the north coast is hard to beat.
Planning Your Puerto Plata Wedding?
We photograph weddings all along the north coast, from Puerto Plata’s resorts to Cabrera further east. Our Puerto Plata wedding photographer page covers the resorts we work in and what coverage there involves. Get in touch with your date and venue and we will get back to you within 24 hours.
- Puerto Plata Wedding Guide: Resorts, Venues, and What to Know - August 22, 2026
- Second Photographer for Your Punta Cana Wedding: Do You Really Need One? - August 2, 2026
- A Dreams Onyx Wedding in Punta Cana: Paola & James - June 20, 2026
