For a predominantly Catholic country, the Dominican Republic has an unusual concentration of resort chapels, and almost all of them sit within a few miles of each other on the Punta Cana coast. Four wedding properties here have a chapel or a church on their grounds, which is more than any other Caribbean destination.
They divide cleanly into two kinds. Two are full churches seating 150, built into the large Bavaro resort complexes and capable of holding a complete guest list. The other five are small chapels seating 30, intended for the couple and immediate family, with everyone else joining afterward.
Knowing which kind you need settles the shortlist quickly. Below is each one, and our Certified Destination Wedding Specialists can confirm what the resort arranges with the local parish for your destination wedding.
Best Chapel Destination Wedding Venues at Top Dominican Republic Resorts
Four wedding resorts with on-site chapels, all on the Punta Cana coast, seating either 150 or 30.
1. Barcelo Bavaro Palace
Barcelo Bavaro Palace has an Iglesia seating 150, which makes it one of only two resorts in the country where the whole guest list can attend a church ceremony rather than a selected few.
That changes the shape of the day considerably. With a 30-guest chapel, you’re planning a small ceremony and a large reception as two separate events. At 150, the church holds everyone, so the day runs as one continuous thing. The resort also has ballrooms for 300, which keeps the reception comfortably within the same property.
Learn more about Barcelo Bavaro Palace and get a free quote today >>
2. Majestic Colonial Punta Cana
Majestic Colonial Punta Cana has a 30-guest chapel alongside a 250-guest Beach Gazebo, which is the pairing most couples here actually use.
An intimate chapel ceremony followed by a large gazebo reception gives you both things without compromise: the sacrament in a proper building with close family present, then everyone together on the sand. Thirty is a firm number set by the room, so the guest list for that part needs deciding early rather than negotiated later.
Learn more about Majestic Colonial Punta Cana and get a free quote today >>
3. Majestic Elegance Punta Cana
Majestic Elegance Punta Cana runs the same arrangement: a 30-guest chapel with a 250-guest Beach Gazebo for the celebration that follows.
The three Majestic properties on this coast are near-identical on paper, so the choice between them comes down to which has your dates, which has the room category you want, and what the room block price looks like across your guest list. Our Certified Destination Wedding Specialists can run that comparison in a single conversation rather than three.
Learn more about Majestic Elegance Punta Cana and get a free quote today >>
4. Majestic Mirage Punta Cana
Majestic Mirage Punta Cana completes the trio, with a 30-guest chapel and a 250-guest Beach Gazebo.
It’s the newest of the three and the one most often described as the most upmarket, with a suite-led room product. For a chapel wedding where the week around it should feel like a holiday rather than a logistics exercise, that difference in the accommodation is where it shows.
Learn more about Majestic Mirage Punta Cana and get a free quote today >>
Two more chapels, both seating 30, are worth a look: Caribe Deluxe Princess, which also has a 500-guest beach, and Tropical Deluxe Princess, whose Private Tropical Chapel is set within the resort gardens.
More Information for Planning Your Chapel Destination Wedding in the Dominican Republic
A chapel ceremony runs on the Church’s timeline rather than the resort’s. Here’s what our Certified Destination Wedding Specialists start couples on.
Chapel Destination Wedding Venues Appeal
The obvious reason is the sacrament, and the reason these resorts built chapels is that couples kept asking. Having one on the grounds removes the problem that makes religious destination weddings difficult: there’s no drive to a parish church, no coaches to schedule, and no gap where guests stand in the heat waiting for transport.
The practical benefit is weather. A chapel is enclosed, which means a ceremony that doesn’t move, doesn’t get rescheduled, and isn’t uncomfortable in September. Guests stay cool, florals hold, and nobody squints through the vows.
One legal point to understand early. A religious ceremony in the Dominican Republic does not by itself create a legal marriage, so couples either complete a civil ceremony as well or marry legally at home beforehand. Neither affects the sacrament, and both are common. Catholic ceremonies also require paperwork from your home parish, which is the part that sets your timeline.
Dominican Republic Destination Wedding Cost
The average couple marrying in the Dominican Republic spends around $8,959 all in, with most landing between $7,000 and $11,000. That covers the wedding package, accommodations, airfare, and add-ons. Rooms average roughly $350 per person per night over a typical four-night stay, with airfare of $300 to $700 per person. Couples here average 38 guests.
These averages reflect real spend data from couples who booked their destination wedding with our Certified Destination Wedding Specialists.
Budget separately for the religious side, since it sits outside the wedding package. A church offering or donation, the priest’s fee, document translations, and a civil ceremony if you’re adding one are the usual items. Chapel weddings also tend to bring more extended family than average, and guest count moves the total more than anything else.
Dominican Republic Destination Wedding Packages
Resorts here offer complimentary and deposit-only wedding packages with a qualifying room block, running roughly $800 to $3,000 at entry tier, $3,500 to $5,000 mid-tier, and $5,500 to $14,000 and beyond for full productions.
The officiant included in a standard package is not a priest. Ask explicitly how the resort handles a religious ceremony, which priest serves the chapel, and what that substitution does to the price. It’s the most common gap between a quoted figure and a final one on chapel weddings.
Dominican Republic Destination Wedding Travel Information
All four of these resorts sit on the Punta Cana coast, served by Punta Cana International with direct flights from across North America and Europe. Transfers run roughly 20 to 40 minutes depending on where along the Bavaro strip the resort sits.
Allow more margin than a beach wedding needs. Religious paperwork gets reviewed locally, the priest’s schedule is fixed rather than flexible, and if you’re adding a civil ceremony, there are documents to produce on arrival. December through April is the driest stretch, and a chapel ceremony is one of the few formats unaffected by weather either way.
Dominican Republic Chapel Destination Wedding Venue FAQs
Which Dominican Republic resorts have a wedding chapel?
Four, all on the Punta Cana coast. Barcelo Bavaro Palace and Barcelo Bavaro Beach each have a church seating 150. Majestic Colonial, Majestic Elegance, Majestic Mirage, Caribe Deluxe Princess and Tropical Deluxe Princess each have a chapel seating 30.
How many guests fit in a resort chapel here?
Either 150 or 30, depending on the resort. The two Barcelo churches hold a full guest list, while the five smaller chapels suit the couple and immediate family, with everyone else joining for the reception afterward.
Is a chapel wedding in the Dominican Republic legally binding?
Not on its own. A religious ceremony doesn’t create a legal marriage here, so couples either add a civil ceremony or marry legally at home first. Your resort coordinator and Certified Destination Wedding Specialist can confirm the current requirements, which do change.
Get Ready to Plan a Chapel Destination Wedding in the Dominican Republic
More resort chapels than anywhere else in the Caribbean, concentrated along a single stretch of coast, in two clear sizes. Deciding whether you want the whole guest list in the ceremony or just the people closest to you narrows four options to two or five in a single step.
Fill out our online wedding planning form, and one of our Certified Destination Wedding Specialists will line the resort’s calendar up with what your parish needs.
About the Author
Maggie Sabin
Maggie started as the SEO Manager at DestinationWeddings.com in 2024, where she works to drive organic traffic and conversions while creating meaningful, SEO-optimized content for the website. Previously, Maggie's career spanned from Human Resources & Recruitment to teaching at international schools for almost 10 years. Maggie spends her free time traveling, learning new languages, reading non-fiction books, working out, going to the beach and spending time cuddling her dog, Lola!
