Frequently asked questions

A directory of wedding vendors on the Samaná peninsula — Las Terrenas, Samaná and Las Galeras. Three towns, one stretch of coast. Every vendor passed through our hands before appearing here: a visit, references, a real conversation with the person who will answer your message. If it's on miboda, it's worth writing to. That's the only promise we make.

Nothing. For couples the directory is free: browse, compare, request information and book. We charge no commission and there are no hidden fees. We also don't charge vendors for now — we're focused on making the directory work before deciding how it sustains itself.

Because real curation means knowing the area. We started on the peninsula because that's where we have the team and the network to verify vendors for real. Expanding beyond the region only happens when we can hold the same standard — not before, and not halfway.

A small team based in Las Terrenas. Marvin, the founder, comes from hospitality on the north coast (Sienna, ETNO, Atlantique Sud). Ana coordinates verification and handles requests. More on /en/about.

No. We're a directory plus a request intermediary. You choose the vendor; you sign with the vendor; the contract and payments go directly between the two of you. If you need a wedding planner, several of the ones we recommend are in the directory.

Intimate and mid-size weddings on the peninsula — typically between 20 and 120 guests, in a format like a private villa, boutique hotel, restaurant with a view, or a beach with the right permits. We're not optimized for 200+ guest weddings at a large all-inclusive resort like Punta Cana.

Two paths. If you already have a vendor in mind, open their profile and send the request directly. If you're not sure yet, use the general form at /en/solicitar: tell us about the wedding (date, area, guest count, what you're after) and we send you a shortlist of verified vendors that fit. One request, several replies.

We reply with the shortlist in under 48 business hours. The vendor's own response time is up to them — most reply within 24 to 72 hours depending on the season. If a week goes by with no reply from the vendor, write to us and we'll chase them.

No. Sending the request is free and commits you to nothing. Whatever happens next — quote, contract, deposit — is between you and the vendor.

Most of them, yes. The peninsula has been a destination for European and North American couples for years, so the vendors we list are used to working in English (and often French). You can write to us and to them in English; if a particular vendor only works in Spanish, we'll tell you up front and help bridge the conversation.

Yes, that's exactly what we do. At /en/solicitar you tell us about the wedding and we send a shortlist of vendors that fit your date, area, budget and idea. You decide who to contact.

Yes. Save the ones you like and send a single request that reaches all of them — each vendor replies to you separately. If you'd rather just describe what you want, the general form at /en/solicitar does the same job in one step.

Ana receives your request, reviews it, and forwards it to the vendor (or the shortlist of vendors) with the relevant context. You get a confirmation by email or WhatsApp. The vendor contacts you directly with their quote. We follow up if anything stalls.

Yes — write to us at hola@miboda.do with your name and the date of your request and we'll cancel or update it. You can also ask us to delete your data under Law 172-13 — see /en/privacy.

Four steps: we visit the venue or review the portfolio, we ask for references from real weddings, we confirm they take weddings on the peninsula, and we check that the gallery photos are theirs with permission to publish them. Without these four steps, they don't enter the directory.

On the peninsula prices are negotiated — they depend on the date, guest count, format, package and season. We publish ranges ($, $$, $$$) to orient you, but the final price comes in the quote. To get a feel for the order of magnitude per scenario, just tell us about your wedding at /en/solicitar.

Yes. Each gallery is made up of the vendor's own photos, published with their explicit permission. We never pull images from Instagram without asking, and we never use generic stock photos that don't represent the vendor's actual work.

Write to us. The directory's reputation depends on holding the standard — a vendor who fails repeatedly is removed. Your feedback is the main tool we have to curate well.

miboda is curated and invite-only. If you'd like to be part of it, write to us at hola@miboda.do and tell us who you are. We review every profile; if it fits what we're building, we'll get in touch.

Not today. The business model is deliberately on hold until the flow of confirmed weddings proves the directory works. When we define how we sustain ourselves, it will be transparent and announced in advance.

Yes. Foreign couples marry under the same basic requirements as Dominicans, plus an apostille and a Spanish translation of the foreign documents (birth certificate and a sworn statement of single status). Processing times are short — most couples are done within 1 to 2 weeks if the papers arrive apostilled. Step-by-step detail is in the legal guide on the /en/blog.

Yes, if you come from a country that is party to the Hague Convention (most are). Your birth certificate and the sworn statement of single status are apostilled in your home country and then translated into Spanish by a court translator in the DR. Without the apostille, the documents aren't accepted.

Yes. Once the Dominican marriage certificate is apostilled at the foreign ministry (MIREX), it is recognized in any Hague Convention country. Some countries ask for an extra registration step — confirm with your consulate before you travel.

The civil ceremony legally marries you before the JCE (the electoral board) and has full legal effect. A religious ceremony (Catholic with civil effects, or evangelical) also marries you legally if the minister is registered. A symbolic ceremony has no legal effect — it's just the celebration. Many foreign couples do the symbolic ceremony on the peninsula and the legal civil marriage back home.

Yes, as long as the civil officer agrees to travel to the site and the space has the right permits (a public beach with municipal authorization, or a private hotel/villa beach with the owner's permission). Most foreign couples hold the symbolic ceremony on the beach and sign the civil marriage separately to simplify the paperwork.

There's no waiting period. The old 10-month wait that applied to divorced women was declared unconstitutional by ruling TC/0070/15 of the Constitutional Court in 2015. Today you can remarry as soon as the divorce is final.

Typically: valid passports for both, an apostilled and translated birth certificate for each, and an apostilled sworn statement that you are both single (and, if applicable, a divorce decree or death certificate of a former spouse). Two witnesses with ID are also required. The full checklist is in the legal guide on the /en/blog.

Three options. El Catey (AZS) is the local airport right on the peninsula and the easiest if you find a direct flight. Most couples fly into Santo Domingo (SDQ) or Punta Cana (PUJ) and drive in — Santo Domingo is roughly 2.5 hours to Las Terrenas via the toll highway. Tell your guests to budget for the drive; it's scenic but it's a real transfer.

The dry season runs December to April — stable weather, less rain, better beach photos. May and November are transition windows with good weather and fewer tourists. June to October is hurricane season; it's doable but it needs a solid backup plan.

Officially June 1 to November 30, with the real peak between mid-August and mid-October. That doesn't mean every day is bad — most are sunny — but the risk of a storm or hurricane is real. If you marry in that window, buy event insurance and keep a covered backup plan.

Roughly January 15 to March 30. If your wedding falls in that window, it's worth scheduling the excursion on a free day — it's one of the most memorable experiences on the peninsula and a natural gift for guests who've traveled far.

Yes, but only if you have a real covered backup plan (a tent set up, an indoor room, a covered terrace). On the peninsula the rain comes hard and sudden — it's not English drizzle, it's a tropical downpour. The backup plan is not optional between May and November.

If your date falls in high season (December–April), ideally 9 to 12 months ahead. For shoulder season, 6 to 9 months. The venue is the first decision and the one that locks in earliest — start there. As a foreign couple, leave extra time to gather and apostille your documents.

This is exactly why the backup plan is decided when you book the venue, not the week of the wedding. Ask the venue what covered space it has, whether the tent is in the package or charged separately, and who makes the final call to move the ceremony (usually 3–4 hours before). Without that conversation up front, arriving on the day with an improvised plan B is expensive and goes badly.

An intimate wedding (20–40 guests) at a private villa typically runs between USD 8,000 and 25,000. A mid-size one (60–100) at a boutique hotel goes from USD 18,000 to 45,000. A large one (100+) with full service starts near USD 40,000. Tell us about your wedding at /en/solicitar and we'll help you frame a realistic budget per scenario.

It depends on the vendor, but typically: venue, catering (dinner plus a limited open bar), basic decor, day-of coordination, basic music. What it almost never includes: professional photography, a premium DJ, the 'hora loca' party hour, premium flowers, the dress/suit, and your guests' accommodation. An honest breakdown of what's in and what's out is in the package guide on the /en/blog.

The standard on the peninsula is 30–50% on signing the contract, 30–50% a month before the event, and the balance on the day. Some venues ask for 100% up front in high season — that's not a scam, it's date protection. Always confirm in writing what each payment covers and the cancellation policy.

Larger vendors (hotels, international venues) usually bill in USD or EUR. Local vendors (catering, decor, transport) tend to bill in Dominican pesos (DOP). Confirm the contract currency and the applicable exchange rate — the gap between the official and parallel rate can be 5–10%. As a foreign couple, ask up front whether card, bank transfer or cash is expected.

Catering usually includes a 10% service charge on the invoice — that goes to the team. An additional tip is at your discretion and much appreciated when the team went the extra mile. Photo, DJ and coordination don't expect a tip, but a gift or thank-you tip is common when the service was exceptional.

On the peninsula, worked decor with fresh local flowers (palm, ferns, tropicals) starts near USD 1,500 for an intimate wedding and can climb to USD 8,000+ for a mid-size one with a floral arch, elaborate centerpieces and separate setups for ceremony and reception. Imported flowers (peonies, hydrangeas out of season) push the budget up sharply.

Ask for an itemized breakdown before signing and check what's priced per person vs. fixed. The items that tend to scale: final guest count, extra hours of service, extra hours of music, transport between ceremony and reception, and setup/teardown. If the contract isn't clear, ask in writing before paying the deposit.