No judge, no cake. Photo barefootweddings.net
SANTO DOMINGO.- The rejection of 30 wedding requests in the last few months and delays in the issuing of 20 marriage certificates to British couples by the lack of civil officials in Punta Cana (east), threatens what could be a lucrative market in the country.
The newspaper Diario Libre reports that requests to celebrate weddings are rejected because there’s only one civil official in the area and isn’t available on the dates requested. The situation also affects the issuing of the marriage certificates, which aren’t promptly handed over to the Brits, with some dating as far back as 2004.
The impasse prompted Dominican ambassador in London, Aníbal de Castro to seek a solution to the conflict, although last October Central Electoral Board (JCE) president Julio Cesar Castaños pledged it would be solved "in the next few weeks."
The conflict was made public at the end of September when the tour operator First Choice told the Dominican Tourism Promotion Office in London that the British "weddings market” in the country "is seriously being affected by the lack of judges in Punta Cana."
Written by: zak325, 7 Feb 2008 10:42 AM
From: United States
Why are the tourisim officials shooting themselves in the foot? don't they realize that by not spending a few thousand Pesos to pay another Justice of the Peace, they stand to lose a large segment of the tourist trade, who in turn, spend money with local buisness people.
Written by: maria, 7 Feb 2008 12:23 PM
From: United Kingdom, england
i have just got married in dom rep but goy married in city got my cert in a week i was lucky that i knew people
From: Dominican Republic
the resorts in the area last year were put in the embarassing position of having to inform upcoming brides, grooms and families, that the fee to get married was increased dramatically. This lead to many outraged people either cancelling thier plans or simply having a mock ceremony at the resort...thus the government gets nothing.
Since the increase, the services went down...so....where did the money go???
Written by: maria, 7 Feb 2008 8:29 PM
From: United Kingdom, england
it cost me 8000 dp just to marry plus cert charges was that a lot then?
i think he was worth it lol
From: Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo and Punta Cana
It cost me also 8000 pesos. I went to Higuey, filled the form, gave necessary ducuments, payed, and then Judge came to the beach. It was last May, in that time JCE in Plaza Tronco was not opened anyway.
I don't see what Central Electoral Board has to do with weddings, are we voting or getting married?
After, my wife (Dominican) changed last name, so we waited two months, and at the end they gave her ID that expires in 2008 (We did it this year). And the machine could laminate well, they were waiting for repair guy. Also data on ID is messed up. So we just took it as it is.
From: Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo and Punta Cana
Oh yes, in Higuey, you have to bribe a cop who is controlling the entrance, otherwise you will be the last in the line.
Our wedding paper was not in the system when we tried to get a copy, twice.
And young clerk salute me as: Que lo que Taliban, Terrorista?
On the other hand, ladies in the office were very helpful.
Its best to send lawyer to do it for you.
Written by: maria, 8 Feb 2008 8:52 PM
From: United Kingdom, england
i have my wedding cert but its in spanish so now have to pay £ 87 sterling to get a certified translation does it ever stop costing? need to get my husband with me now any tips on best way to get here in england we have waited 5 years for this
Written by: zooma, 9 Feb 2008 11:00 PM
From: United States
The above article omitted the part of the story from the Diario Libre report about false judges who have been performing the weddings in complicity with the resorts and it has been going on for a few years outside of the law. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to say that some weddings are not certifiable because legal wedding documents were not filed with the civil authorities. That is why there are no marriage certificates being issued.
The banner for the Diario Libre article of Feb. 7 reads:
Falsos jueces celebraban bodas en Punta Cana: JCE
Además de bodas de extranjeros, la mafia expedía actas ilegales
translated it means:
"False judges celebrate weddings in Punta Cana: JCE (Junta Central Electoral)
In addition to weddings of foreigners, the mafia issued illegal certificates"
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
nothing but more mala fama for tourism....phony weddings and phony cigars one as damaging to our reputation as the other in its way
Written by: TFISKE 
, 15 Feb 2008 6:01 PM
From: Canada, Alberta
gouletcolonial
wow 30-40 is far from 200 a day,
eh! I think these guys just have bad paper work skills or got drunk on scotch at the wedding or sick from smoking bad cigars
No kidding a lack of Judges in Punta Cana,wow! Thats why judge comes from Higuey..
Besides if ya really want a wedding get it done there and when ya get home go to a justice of the piece
you need to get a bunch of paper work done when ya get back anyway
Its probably easier to get justice of the peace again back home then to do all the paper work.. ask my wife
Then again you probably call her a hick
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
fisky that is a little different tune than the first time you played it.....then it was this was all baloney .....suckers should have known better wise guy like me etc.leave the phony vendors alone we cigar experts read the magazine now we are experts..... let them make a living..Tfiske what you do not seem to understand is that the manufacturers of phonys are a criminal enterprise,they destroy legitimate jobs in the cigar industry and create mala fama for our cigars
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
T his will turn out to be a very unfortunate image problem for the Dominican Republic .........The bad publicity generated will only serve to diminish the value of all things dominican.....Phony weddings....phony land titles....phony cigars these swindles make us all ashamed in the eyes of the world .... Where is the national pride.?...So much hard work by many is destroyed by cheap and tawdry hustlers only out for a fast buck.....THOSE WHO THINK OTHERWISE ARE FOOLS AND ACCOMPLICES
Written by: TFISKE , 17 Feb 2008 1:11 PM
From: Canada, Alberta
gouletcolonia,
It wil be okay old man,
Its not like a hurricane that causes billions of dollars damage..
More like a bug on the windshield of life..
Reminds me of you a pain in the xxx but it eventually it will go away!
Written by: TFISKE , 17 Feb 2008 3:12 PM
From: Canada, Alberta
josean, goulet colonial,perception read this boyshttp
://www.visiting-the-dominican-republic.com/dominican-republic-economy.html
wake up
Written by: TFISKE , 17 Feb 2008 3:14 PM
From: Canada, Alberta
History of the Dominican Republic - Hipolito Mejia
to 2004: After the positive steps made during Leonel Fernadez's first tenure, the Mejia term saw a dramatic down-turn in the economic progress of the Dominican Republic. Revelations about massive bank fraud undermined public confidence, as well as reversing previously positive economic growth.
You want this guy back! wow!
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
After an avalanche of bad publicity on two continents .....The scam wedding story is now being dealt with locally.....let us hope the damage can be repaired....but I am sure there will be a lack of enthusiasm to get married in the D.R. for some time......next years figures will show it.....can you imagine someone telling a friend "WE JUST GOT MARRIED IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC" it will be like the punchline on a bad joke.....I hope they make an example out of the culprits
Written by: TFISKE , 24 Feb 2008 3:01 PM
From: Canada, Alberta
goulet
shut up! about this crap..you are amazing..weddings will be fine!
once again you make a big deal out of a small amount of weddings!
People arriving via Samana on criuses say alot worse things about the DR.when they get back home
They see this area and judge all the DR
Samana is still far from the other tourist areas.. I agree it will be great place with new development but right now people arriving are not that impressed.
This much worse than your wedding worries!
Think about that!
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Since the increase, the services went down...so....where did the money go???
i think he was worth it lol
I don't see what Central Electoral Board has to do with weddings, are we voting or getting married?
After, my wife (Dominican) changed last name, so we waited two months, and at the end they gave her ID that expires in 2008 (We did it this year). And the machine could laminate well, they were waiting for repair guy. Also data on ID is messed up. So we just took it as it is.
Our wedding paper was not in the system when we tried to get a copy, twice.
And young clerk salute me as: Que lo que Taliban, Terrorista?
On the other hand, ladies in the office were very helpful.
Its best to send lawyer to do it for you.
The banner for the Diario Libre article of Feb. 7 reads:
Falsos jueces celebraban bodas en Punta Cana: JCE
Además de bodas de extranjeros, la mafia expedía actas ilegales
translated it means:
"False judges celebrate weddings in Punta Cana: JCE (Junta Central Electoral)
In addition to weddings of foreigners, the mafia issued illegal certificates"
wow 30-40 is far from 200 a day,
eh! I think these guys just have bad paper work skills or got drunk on scotch at the wedding or sick from smoking bad cigars
No kidding a lack of Judges in Punta Cana,wow! Thats why judge comes from Higuey..
Besides if ya really want a wedding get it done there and when ya get home go to a justice of the piece
you need to get a bunch of paper work done when ya get back anyway
Its probably easier to get justice of the peace again back home then to do all the paper work.. ask my wife
Then again you probably call her a hick
It wil be okay old man,
Its not like a hurricane that causes billions of dollars damage..
More like a bug on the windshield of life..
Reminds me of you a pain in the xxx but it eventually it will go away!
://www.visiting-the-dominican-republic.com/dominican-republic-economy.html
wake up
to 2004: After the positive steps made during Leonel Fernadez's first tenure, the Mejia term saw a dramatic down-turn in the economic progress of the Dominican Republic. Revelations about massive bank fraud undermined public confidence, as well as reversing previously positive economic growth.
You want this guy back! wow!
shut up! about this crap..you are amazing..weddings will be fine!
once again you make a big deal out of a small amount of weddings!
People arriving via Samana on criuses say alot worse things about the DR.when they get back home
They see this area and judge all the DR
Samana is still far from the other tourist areas.. I agree it will be great place with new development but right now people arriving are not that impressed.
This much worse than your wedding worries!
Think about that!