When Ashleigh and Matt told me that they planned to elope in the Dominican Republic, taking them on as clients was a no-brainer for me!
These two live here in Chattanooga, but when they started dreaming about their January wedding, they knew they wanted something warm, intimate, and a little adventurous. So instead of bundling up for a Tennessee winter wedding, they packed their bags, brought along a handful of their favorite people, and headed somewhere much sunnier.
And, I mean, it’s one thing to plan a Dominican Republic elopement. It’s another to do it barefoot, beachside, surrounded by your besties, tropical greenery, mountains, and some seriously dreamy light!
DECIDING TO ELOPE IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
I always love it when a couple comes to me with the idea of getting away for their wedding! If you’ve been around my blog or social media for any length of time, you know that I’m 100% on board for any new adventure, and travel is always at the top of my to-do list.
While I’m a Chattanooga-based wedding photographer, I love to travel to, or WITH, my couples! Ashleigh and Matt are a prime example of traveling with.
They wanted to get married in January, but they really wanted a warm-weather wedding. So they decided to take their intimate wedding on the road and elope in the Dominican Republic, and they hired me to go along.
Because they were planning an international destination wedding, Ashleigh and Matt chose to keep the celebration small and intimate. Only a handful of their closest friends and family made the journey.
They rented a huge house for everyone on a resort property with access to a private, secluded beach. The group spent four or five days together in full vacation mode, enjoying each other’s company, soaking up the sunshine, and actually getting to spend quality time together.
Honestly, that is one of my favorite things about destination elopements. The wedding becomes more than one single day. It turns into an entire experience with the people you love.
And when the wedding day arrived, Ashleigh and Matt still included plenty of the traditional pieces they cared about: a first look, handwritten vows, dinner, a first dance, and plenty of dancing.
They just did it all on the beach in the Dominican Republic!
GETTING READY FOR THEIR DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ELOPEMENT
The setting for Ashleigh and Matt’s Dominican Republic elopement was stunning.
We were surrounded by lush tropical plants, and the scenery around the resort property was absolutely amazing. I loved seeing the mountains from so many corners of the property.
I was in heaven when I hung Ashleigh’s dress for a photo on the master bedroom terrace and the mountains showed up in the distance.
Those Pixar-quality puffy clouds…I mean, come on! What a dream!
The house they rented featured gorgeous Spanish architecture and had a private back garden with a pool, outdoor shower, and hammock. Ashleigh and her bridesmaids got ready upstairs while Matt and the groomsmen took over the lower level.
The large windows gave us perfect lighting for getting-ready photos.
Matt and the guys wanted a casually dapper look and, since we were at the beach, they skipped the formal ties. Ashleigh, her mom, and the bridesmaids all wore flowy, floor-length gowns. The whole look was classy while still being perfectly relaxed for a beach wedding.
And I LOVED the sheer, sparkly bodice of Ashleigh’s dress!
In these photos, you’ll also see Matt and Ashleigh freshening up their handwritten vows.
I’ve mentioned this before, but I LOVE when couples write their own vows. It adds such a beautiful level of vulnerability and intimacy to the ceremony, and it takes everyone on this little emotional rollercoaster with you.
Can’t recommend it enough. Write your wedding vows, my friends!
SCOUTING LOCATIONS FOR THEIR DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ELOPEMENT PHOTOS
As you scroll, you’ll notice views of a private cove with far-off mountains in the background.
Arriving in the Dominican Republic a day before the ceremony gave me time to location scout, which is one of my favorite parts of photographing destination weddings and elopements.
I took a golf cart around the resort property and found an outlying rocky section of beach with absolutely stunning views.
I knew immediately that this was where I wanted to take Ashleigh and Matt for those yummy post-ceremony bride and groom portraits the next day.
That extra time to explore also meant we didn’t have to spend their wedding day wandering around wondering where the best light or scenery might be. I already had a plan, and they could focus on actually enjoying their wedding.
BAREFOOT BEACH ELOPEMENT IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
We set up Ashleigh and Matt’s first look under a canopy of tropical trees near the ceremony site.
Both bride and groom were barefoot, which lent another sort of intimacy to their elopement.
These two were SO emotional and excited at this moment! You can even see Matt pinching his nose to keep from crying.
I love the sun flares coming through the lush greenery in this scene, along with yummy details like the flowers in Ashleigh’s hair and the twirl of that skirt.
I mean, can you feel their love?!
This was one of the more relaxed and chill ceremonies I’ve witnessed.
There were so many wonderfully silly and genuine moments during this elopement and such a sense of closeness between Ashleigh and Matt and their friends and family.
After their first look, everyone shared a round of shots to get things rolling. Matt’s best friend was their officiant, and he and Matt skipped down the aisle arm in arm!
And yes, he had white flowers zipped into his pants, which led to even more big laughs during the ceremony.
Although this was a beach wedding, the trees came almost all the way up to the waterline. That gave us some softer light while also making the ceremony feel even more secluded and intimate.
Ashleigh and Matt exchanged their handwritten vows, and let me tell you: these two needed NO direction.
They were so into each other and so natural with their joy and affection.
After a killer first kiss complete with a giant dip, Matt and Ashleigh walked through a shower of confetti and immediately celebrated with champagne.
OMG, look at these smiles!!
BEACHSIDE BRIDE AND GROOM PORTRAITS
One thing that is VERY cool about small weddings is getting the whole group into my frame!
I love that Matt and Ashleigh will have these group photos from their Dominican Republic elopement and that everyone who made the trip gets to be part of the story.
After we wrapped up group photos, I took Ashleigh and Matt out to the beach for bride and groom portraits.
Then, as dusk started settling in and the light got glowy, we made our way over to that rocky overlook I’d found the day before.
I wanted that sweeping view behind them, and it did not disappoint.
Guys, for real, this couple needed so little direction.
They were sweet and giddy and giggly and completely comfortable together. Even Matt with those booty grabs!
And these sky colors? Delicious.
Later, everyone headed back to the beach reception.
Since the group was so small, everyone fit around one table for dinner, which made the whole celebration feel even more personal.
Ashleigh and Matt still had their first dance, there was more confetti, and everyone celebrated together into the evening.
The whole thing felt relaxed, emotional, a little wild, and totally them.
One for the memory books, for sure.
WHAT TO KNOW IF YOU WANT TO ELOPE IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Ashleigh and Matt’s wedding is such a good example of why an elopement doesn’t have to mean giving everything up.
You can still have your people there.
You can still wear the amazing dress.
You can still have a first look, write vows, eat dinner together, dance, and throw confetti everywhere.
You’re basically taking the parts of a wedding that matter to you and leaving the rest behind.
If you’re thinking about planning your own Dominican Republic elopement, here are a few things I would keep in mind.
Decide What “Elopement” Means to You
Your elopement can be just the two of you or it can look more like Ashleigh and Matt’s, with a small group of family and friends.
There really isn’t one correct way to do this.
Want ten of your besties there? Bring them.
Want absolutely no one there? Also great.
Want everyone barefoot with champagne in hand? Obviously, I support this.
Give Yourself Some Time Before the Wedding
If you’re traveling internationally, I recommend arriving before your actual wedding day whenever possible.
That gives you time to settle in and enjoy yourself instead of getting off a plane and immediately going into wedding mode.
It also gives your photographer time to scout.
Arriving early for Ashleigh and Matt’s wedding meant I could explore the property, look for the best scenery, see how the light moved around the location, and find that rocky overlook we used for their portraits.
Think About Your Ceremony Light
Beaches can be BRIGHT.
Luckily, Ashleigh and Matt’s ceremony site had tropical trees growing almost to the edge of the water, which gave us some shade and made the space feel more intimate.
When you’re planning your timeline, talk with your photographer about where the sun will be during the ceremony and when you’ll have the best light for portraits.
Those little planning decisions can make a huge difference.
Decide Whether You Want a Legal or Symbolic Ceremony
If you’re getting married internationally, figure out early whether you want to complete the legal marriage process in the Dominican Republic or handle the legal part at home and have a symbolic ceremony while you’re there.
Requirements can change, so make sure you’re checking current information from official sources while you’re planning.
Either way, your ceremony in the Dominican Republic can still be every bit as meaningful.
Choose a Place Where Everyone Can Actually Spend Time Together
One of the best parts of this wedding was the house Ashleigh and Matt rented.
Their group wasn’t scattered across a giant property barely seeing each other. They could hang out, get ready together, relax around the pool, and actually enjoy the fact that everyone had traveled all that way.
If you’re bringing guests, think about the experience beyond the actual ceremony.
Where will everyone hang out?
Where will you get ready?
Can you have dinner together?
Can you spend time together without every minute being scheduled?
That’s where a destination wedding can become really special.
HIRING A US-BASED PHOTOGRAPHER FOR YOUR INTERNATIONAL ELOPEMENT
Like I wrote at the beginning, Ashleigh and Matt are from Chattanooga. When they starting planning their elopement in the Dominican Republic, they could have chosen a local DR photographer for their event. While this wasn’t out of the question, they decided to hire me and take me along with them.
Why? Well, there are plenty of reasons to hire a US-based photographer for your international elopement.
- You’ll share cultural understandings, and your photographer will understand your American standards for wedding photography.
- They’ll speak your language and communicate in familiar ways with you.
- For ease during the planning, your photographer will often share a timezone with you.
- You’ll likely be able to meet in person ahead of travel (especially if you’re as local as me, Ashleigh, and Matt).
- And sometimes a US-based photographer will price a package for you that could discount their typical wedding package fees (think of it like trading photography for travel currency).
I love getting to travel to/with my clients. The extra effort of planning and coordinating and being a dynamic “part of the team” is so much fun. When hired for a destination wedding/elopement (domestic or international), I love spending time researching and planning on Google Maps and online resources in advance. Scouting locations, checking out where the sun rises and sets, getting the nitty-gritty details all lined up. These are the extra-mile sort of things that light me up!
Another huge perk of hiring me as your destination wedding photographer is that I’m a super durable traveler. I’m extraverted, flexible, go-with-the-flow. I know how to make on-the-fly adjustments to make the best of new or unexpected situations. I’m an expert at travel, and I’m an expert at travel photography. SO, if you are a Chattanooga couple interested in eloping internationally, let’s chat!
HOW TO ELOPE IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: START HERE
Guys, there are loads of resources online if you’re looking to plan a destination wedding. If you think you might want to elope in the Dominican Republic, start at the website for the U.S. Embassy in the
Dominican Republic. And once you get the ball rolling, contact me so we can start planning together!
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ELOPEMENT FAQ
Can you elope in the Dominican Republic?
Absolutely! Your Dominican Republic elopement can be just the two of you or include a small group of family and friends. Ashleigh and Matt brought some of their closest people and still had an incredibly intimate wedding experience.
Do we have to legally get married in the Dominican Republic?
Not necessarily. Some couples choose to complete the legal marriage process at their destination, while others take care of the legal part at home and have a symbolic ceremony during their trip. Make sure you check current official requirements before making that decision.
Can we have guests at our Dominican Republic elopement?
YES. An elopement does not have to mean sneaking away completely alone.
Ashleigh and Matt invited a handful of their favorite people, and it created such a fun mix of intimacy and celebration.
What’s the best time for beach elopement photos?
It depends on your specific location, but softer light later in the day is often amazing for beach portraits.
For Ashleigh and Matt, we used the tree cover around their ceremony space earlier in the day and then headed out for beach and rocky-overlook portraits as the light got glowy.
And guys…that light was worth it.
Can we bring our own photographer to the Dominican Republic?
Yes. Ashleigh and Matt brought me from Chattanooga for their wedding.
If you already have a photographer whose work you love and who you trust to handle the weird, unpredictable pieces of travel, bringing them along can make the whole experience feel a lot more familiar.
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