Dominican Wedding Traditions: Las Arras & The Lasso

TRADITIONS · SOUTH FLORIDA

The arras tray, the blessed lasso, the told ceremony and a reception that runs to sunrise. A photographer’s guide to the Dominican wedding.

Claim your complimentary session

The ceremony

Las arras

The Dominican version of the coin ceremony has more choreography than most. A young boy carries a silver tray holding thirteen gold coins to the minister. The minister blesses them and passes the tray to the groom, who passes it to his bride.

The sequence matters. It is not simply a handover between two people, it is a small procession involving a child, a clergyman and the couple, and it takes perhaps ninety seconds. That is enough time to shoot it properly if you know it is coming, and not nearly enough if you do not.

The lasso

A garland or rosary blessed by the church. The groom loops it around the bride, then around himself, joining them. As elsewhere in Latin America it is worn for part of the ceremony.

La ceremonia contada

The told ceremony. The couple’s story is narrated aloud to the guests during the service, which is quietly one of the loveliest customs in any wedding tradition. It is also unusually generous to a photographer, because for several minutes the entire congregation is listening and reacting rather than sitting politely.

Padrinos and madrinas

Godparents are formally honoured during the ceremony for the spiritual and emotional role they have played.

The reception

Eggshells filled with confetti

Guests throw eggshells packed with confetti at the couple for luck. It is joyful, it is messy, and it is over in seconds.

Check the venue first. Several historic South Florida properties, Deering Estate among them, prohibit confetti outright, including biodegradable types. If your venue bans it, find out before the eggshells are prepared rather than at the door.

Merengue

The national dance, and the backbone of the reception. Fast, close, and continuous. Bachata sits alongside it.

Until sunrise

Dominican receptions are long. Beginning with a religious ceremony and running until dawn is not an exaggeration used for effect, it is a planning fact.

What this means for your photographer

The arras has four participants and one lens

Child, minister, groom, bride, and a tray moving between them. Shooting it wide loses the coins, shooting it tight loses the procession. The workable answer is a fast prime at moderate distance, framing to include the tray and at least two faces, then a second frame on the coins in the bride’s hands immediately after.

The ceremonia contada is a reaction goldmine

While the story is read, turn around. The photographs are in the congregation: parents, grandparents, friends hearing their own part in it. Most photographers stay pointed at the altar through the entire service and miss the only stretch where the room is visibly moved.

Eggshell confetti demands a fast shutter and a covered lens

Freeze it at 1/1000 or faster or it becomes colored smear. Shoot from slightly to the side rather than head on, both for the shape of the throw and to keep debris out of the front element.

A dawn reception is an equipment problem

If the party genuinely runs to sunrise, that is eight or more hours of low-light shooting. Battery count, card capacity and a realistic contract end time all need agreeing in advance, and hours are the single biggest cost driver. Also worth proposing: a sunrise portrait as the party finally winds down. Almost nobody has one, and the light at that hour is the best of the entire event.

Common questions

What are las arras at a Dominican wedding?

Thirteen gold coins presented on a silver tray, carried by a young boy, blessed by the minister and passed from groom to bride.

What is la ceremonia contada?

The told ceremony, in which the couple’s love story is narrated to guests during the service.

What is thrown at the couple?

Eggshells filled with confetti, for good luck. Check whether your venue permits confetti before planning it.

What music is played?

Merengue above all, the national dance, with bachata alongside it.

How long does the reception last?

Frequently until sunrise. Confirm your photography hours against that reality.

Photographing these weddings in South Florida

I am Woody Henry, an editorial wedding photographer working across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach. Knowing the order of a day, and which moments happen only once, is most of the job.

A limited number of bridal sessions are complimentary for 2026: ninety minutes, twenty high-resolution edits, delivered within fourteen days. Full rates are on the pricing page.

Apply for a session

Join the 2026 Editorial Series

I am photographing a limited number of brides across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach. Selected brides receive a ninety-minute session and twenty high-resolution edits at no cost, delivered within fourteen days.

Choose your date

One session a day, weekends only. Every booking is confirmed personally, normally within 48 hours.

Dominican Wedding Traditions: Las Arras, The Lasso & Merengue