Getting married on a tropical island, on the beach, with the sun setting behind you … How romantic!

If you are looking for somewhere to have a destination wedding, you should check out Puerto Rico! Here, you can have the wedding of your dreams. There are all types of locations for the ceremony and plenty of locations for receptions of all sizes.

Unlike most other destination wedding locations, there is no waiting period to be married in Puerto Rico. With a little pre-planning (and some help with the paperwork), it is even possible to be married while on a cruise, on your day in port! And gay weddings are 100% legal in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico is for lovers!

Even if only one partner is a PR Resident, the rules are different. Check local rules for that

We have been invited to a few wedding experiences over the years (even a few proposals and vow renewals too!). The weddings ranged from a super casual beach elopement wedding, to a couple large elegant weddings. They were all beautiful, Puerto Rico makes a beautiful backdrop to a beautiful event.

Of course there are certain requirements you need to do ahead of time…the paperwork. And you need to find someone to perform the ceremony. In Puerto Rico, you can officially be married by a judge, or any person or clergyman registered and authorized to perform marriage ceremonies by the Demographics Registry office. They are called Officiants, and depending on their experience and services they provide, they can make this process a breeze. Or you can contact a wedding planner, who can walk you through all the paperwork and take care of all the details for you, including finding a local officiant. The way I see it, you can try get all the current information and take care of the paperwork yourself but since you have to hire an officiant anyway, hire someone that knows all the requirements and will take care of all the details. A number of local hotels and resorts and party facilities will have all inclusive packages or wedding planners on site.

Marriage License Information for Non-Residents (Destination Weddings)

Documentation you will need to submit to the Demographic Registry

Always best to check online at the Demographic Registry Web page to get most accurate info.

• copies of your birth certificates. If there has been a legal name change from what is on the birth certificate, bring change-of-name evidence.
• A valid, current Government-issued photo id – US citizens can use a driver’s license, passport, or state-issued id card; Non-US citizens need their passport.
• Bring a letter from a doctor or Licensed NP, certifying that you’re each in good health and have completed all medical labs required in the country or State where you live. The note must be on Prescription pad or doctor’s letterhead. If you State/country does not require labs or blood work, be sure that it’s clearly stated in the note. Letters must be dated within 10 days before the wedding. If you don’t have a note, You would need to get all the labs/bloodwork done in PR prior to the wedding.
• You need an notarized Affidavit of Intention, which states you are not PR residents, you are coming to Puerto Rico specifically to get married and that you’ll return to your place of residence after the wedding.This also has to be dated within 10 days prior to the wedding. Besides the Notary seal, it also must ave a certification from your County Clerk. If you can’t get this from you arrive, you can have a local attorney prepare it when you get to PR.
• If either party was previously married, they will need the photocopy of the divorce decree or death certificate .

Now what?

• Now to submit everything to the Demographic Registry office. There is a license fee for Destination Weddings of $150 (this is a stamp you can get from a “colecturia” office) and you have to fill out a marriage license application Form RD2014. All paperwork can be submitted online at www.renovacionesonline.com.

When all the paperwork is submitted and approved, they issue you a license to get married and then you are ready for “The Big Day”!

And on to your big day

After you have jumped through all of the above hoops, you’re ready for your big day in paradise. Your officiant will handle all the signatures and paperwork from here on out, so all you have left to do is enjoy yourself! (Note: If either party is under 21 years of age, they will need to have all their parents or legal guardians present to sign the Marriage Certificate).

Once the officiant performs the ceremony, the signed paperwork (the certificate, marriage license, and all other attached documents) is submitted delivered to the Demographic Registry (by your officiant).

Of course, if you just want a vow renewal, you don’t have to worry about any paperwork. But you may still need help with the details. You know, like where to have it, any rules for photos or location, etc. A wedding planner or Officiant can help you with that.

Resources

Puerto Rico Destination Weddings Inc. is a local wedding-planner who can handle everything (from officiating, to paperwork to planning) for your dream wedding. They offer elopement and “Barefoot on the Beach” packages. You can contact them on their webpage or email them info@prdestinationweddings.com, or call them at 939-238-9984.

Tropical Weddings Puerto Rico is a local wedding-planner who can handle the planning for your wedding. You can contact them via email at tropicalweddings@yahoo.com, or call them at 787-671-1690.

I found this website with a list of wedding officiants. I hope it is pretty up to date! Remember, some religious ones may not be gay friendly. PR Wedding Officiants.

So much thanks to Ashley Wright from Puerto Rico Destination Weddings Inc. for helping me update this article! Things change so quickly , she knows all the current rules and guidelines.

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