Planning · 12 months

Wedding
checklist.

What to do 12, 9, 6, 3 and 1 month before your wedding on the peninsula — and the week of. Built for couples marrying in Las Terrenas, Samaná or Las Galeras, with local notes where they matter.

Check items off as you complete them. The list isn't gospel — it's a map so no important piece goes undecided before it's too late to change it.

If your wedding is under 6 months away: start at the "6 months out" phase and work the earlier decisions in parallel. A good planner can compress the timeline from 12 to 4 months without sacrificing quality.

Phase 01

12 months out

Locking it in

The decisions you can't move later. This is where the format gets set and the two things that sell out first — the venue and the date — get reserved.

Set a rough budget in USD.See /en/pricing for ranges by scenario.
Agree on an approximate guest count (a tight range, e.g. 60–80).
Choose your format: legal in the DR, or symbolic here + legal back home.
Pick a month and a 2–3 weekend range.
Visit 3–5 shortlisted venues on the peninsula.Ask for a written quote before you visit.
Reserve the venue with a deposit (typically 30–50%).
Hire a wedding planner if the wedding is mid-size or large.

Phase 02

9 months out

The big vendors

With the venue locked, close the vendors who charge a full-day rate and book furthest in advance.

Hire your photographer (and videographer if you want one).
Hire catering. Do a tasting if the venue allows it.
Reserve a room block at nearby hotels for guests flying in.
Book your officiant (boat captain, judge, priest, planner, friend).
Decide on a live trio/band vs. DJ only, and book it.
Build the definitive guest list in a spreadsheet.
Buy the dress / suit (allow 3–4 months for alterations).

Phase 03

6 months out

The production

The look gets locked: décor, flowers, stationery. This is also when you handle the legal paperwork if the wedding is legal in the DR.

Hire décor and flowers. Agree on a palette and visual references.
Design and send formal invitations (online or printed).RSVPs should close 4–6 weeks out.
Start the legal paperwork if it's a civil wedding in the DR.See the legal guide: /en/blog/how-to-get-married-in-the-dominican-republic.
Book hair & makeup for the bride (plus a trial).
Confirm guest transport from the airports (AZS, SDQ, PUJ).
Plan the honeymoon if it follows immediately.
Set up a gift registry / honeymoon fund.

Phase 04

3 months out

The details

Confirmations, interim payments, and the details that separate a well-run wedding from a chaotic one.

Pay interim balances per your contracts (typically 50%).
Finalize the menu with catering based on confirmed RSVPs.
Build the seating plan.
Buy / confirm the wedding bands.
Do the hair & makeup trial.
Set the day-of timeline with your planner (ceremony, cocktail, dinner, party).
Coordinate speeches, toasts, first dance, hora loca.
Request a permit for a public-beach ceremony if needed.Environmental permit + municipality — start 3–4 months out.

Phase 05

1 month out

The close

The home stretch. Final payments, final lists, the rehearsal, and the administrative loose ends.

Pay final balances per your contracts (10–30 days out depending on the vendor).
Confirm the final guest count with catering.
Print programs, menus, escort cards, the seating chart.
Do the final dress / suit fitting.
Gather your legal documents in one folder (apostilles, certificates, IDs).
Coordinate the rehearsal (typically 1–2 days before).
Confirm transport and timing with every vendor.
Pack an emergency kit (thread, scissors, quick stitches, OTC meds, snacks, water).

Phase 06

The week of

Being present

The week of the wedding is for resting and delegating. Anything someone else can do, you no longer do.

Monday: welcome family arriving from abroad. Hand specific coordination to the planner.
Tuesday: final confirmations with each vendor (time, place, contact).
Wednesday: any outstanding admin. Mani-pedi, massage.
Thursday: welcome dinner for family / key guests.
Friday: rehearsal. Light dinner. Early night.
Saturday / wedding day: wake without an alarm. Breakfast. Hair & makeup. The planner runs the rest.
Sunday: brunch with family + open gifts privately. Leave for the honeymoon, unhurried.

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