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x4 Award winner
Award winner thanks to recommendations from couples on WeddingWire.com.
  • 2020
  • 2019
  • 2018
  • 2017

Local and Destination Weddings in Puerto Rico

English
Spanish
Ceremony Rehearsal
Interfaith

Why couples loved this vendor

  • Seasoned Professional
  • Officiant
  • Great Planner
christina
Laneashia
Alyson
Susie
Miriam

Recommended by 100% of couples

About this vendor

Local and Destination Weddings in Puerto Rico is a wedding officiant service based in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Pastor Eli Maldonado is an ordained minister who has more than 20 years of experience when it comes to uniting couples on island shores. Pastor Maldonado is bilingual, too. Whether you’re saying “I do” in a formal church or on a sandy beach, he is here to help you craft a ceremony and vows that reflect your love and values as a couple.

Services Offered

While guiding couples in selecting the ideal ceremony readings and vows is important, Pastor Eli’s service doesn’t stop there. He’ll also walk you through the entire process, including any paperwork needed for your marriage license. Each wedding ceremony that will be held in the San Juan Metro area also includes a rehearsal. Local and Destination Weddings in Puerto Rico serve couples of the following religious affiliations:

  • Anglican
  • Baptist
  • Catholic
  • Episcopalian
  • Evangelical
  • Lutheran
  • Methodist
  • No denomination
  • Orthodox Christian
  • Presbyterian
  • and other Christian denominations

Features

Hispanic or Latinx-owned

Small team (2-10 members)

Experience

  • 26 years in business

  • Lingue: English and Spanish

Links

Visit website

FAQ

Which of the following are included in the price of your wedding officiant services?

Ceremony Rehearsal
Premarital Counseling

Does starting price include the ceremony rehearsal?

Yes

What is the starting price for ceremony rehearsals?

$75

What is the starting price for pre-marital counseling (per session)?

$30

What types of weddings and events do you provide services for?

Non-religious
Interfaith
Ceremony Rehearsal
Vow Renewal
Civil Union

What services do you provide?

Premarital Counseling
Bilingual

What religious affiliations do you serve?

Anglican
Baptist
Catholic
Episcopalian
Evangelical
Lutheran
Methodist
No Denomination
Orthodox Christian
Presbyterian
Quaker

On average, how long are wedding ceremonies you officiate?

Less than 30 mins.

What languages do you speak?

English
Spanish
illustration question

Any other questions?

Reach out about anything you didn't see answered here—no question is too small!

Reviews of Local and Destination Weddings in Puerto Rico

This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.

Review summary

Powered by AI

Reviewers praise the officiant as professional, kind, and deeply personal, delivering heartfelt ceremonies tailored to each couple's story. He was accommodating and went above and beyond—offering rides to the beach, video calls, flexible payments, and custom ceremony booklets. Couples highly recommend him as organized, compassionate, and memorable.

Review summary

Powered by AI
This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.

Reviewers praise the officiant as professional, kind, and deeply personal, delivering heartfelt ceremonies tailored to each couple's story. He was accommodating and went above and beyond—offering rides to the beach, video calls, flexible payments, and custom ceremony booklets. Couples highly recommend him as organized, compassionate, and memorable.

christina
Christina Sent on 06/17/2026
5 out of 5 rating

Vow renewal 6/13/3026

We couldn’t have asked for a better pastor to officiate our vow renewal. From the very beginning, he was kind, professional, and genuinely cared about making our ceremony personal and meaningful. His message was heartfelt, his delivery was beautiful, and he created such a warm and welcoming atmosphere for us and our guests. We received so many compliments on the ceremony. If you’re looking for someone who is compassionate, organized, and truly gifted at what he does, we highly recommend him. Thank you for making our special day so memorable!
B
Brenda Sent on 08/17/2026
5 out of 5 rating

Best Wedding Day

Pastor Eli Maldonado was our officiant for our destination wedding on August 8, 2026. Since day one Pastor Eli was very professional in our initial emails and phone conversations, when we landed in PR, we informed him that we wanted to meet and of course he was very accommodating with the meeting.
I personally liked that he actually took the time to listen and explain to us how the process would work, he took the time to actually listen to what we said and what we were looking for as far as our vision tours the weeding.
Of course, he had back up plans in case of the weather, so I definitely liked that.
Fast forward to the day of the weeding, we ran into some delay, and he was so understanding very professional and of course so accommodating.
The ceremony was beautiful very intimate with my children and family.
If you are seriously looking to get marry by the beach or anywhere that is sentimental to you, look no further Pastor Eli is definitively the right person for you. You will not regret it at all.

Thank you, Pastor Eli, for an amazing DAY!
Laneashia
Laneashia Sent on 08/14/2026
5 out of 5 rating

A dream come true! Eli did an awesome job. Would definitely recommend him to do anyone’s wedding.

Was very professional gave a great sermon. My family really enjoyed hearing him speak it was a perfect day. I would truly recommend him for future weddings to come
Alyson
Alyson Sent on 08/07/2026
5 out of 5 rating

Our special moment

We are so thankful we chose him to officiate our wedding. From the very beginning, he was friendly, professional, and made the entire process easy and stress-free. The ceremony was beautiful, heartfelt, and exactly what we had hoped for. He spoke with sincerity and made the moment feel personal and meaningful.

One thing that truly stood out was how kind and accommodating he was. He even offered us a ride to our beach ceremony location, which was incredibly thoughtful and went above and beyond our expectations.

He helped make our wedding day unforgettable, and we are so grateful for the careh and dedication he showed us. We highly recommend him to any couple looking for an officiant who is genuine, dependable, and truly invested in making your special day memorable. Thank you for everything!
Susie
Susie Sent on 06/17/2026
5 out of 5 rating

What a blessing

Pastor Eli was such a blessing for us. He made it so easy for us and made me feel comfortable in trusting he would pick the best spot on the beach for the ceremony. We live in Utah and Eli did a few video calls with us to get to know us and what we wanted in the vows. He listened to us and we got married on the most beautiful beach. I could not have picked a better spot myself! He also made it easy for us to make payments to him so it was not all at once. Eli also put together a beautiful pamphlet with the entire words for the ceremony along with pictures we had sent him. His words before, during and after the ceremony were beautiful! Thank you Pastor Eli you were a blessing to us all!
S
Sherreese Sent on 06/05/2026
5 out of 5 rating

Awesome Minister!

Minister Eli is very professional, detailed, and knowledgeable. He goes out of his way to accommodate any needs or requests that couples may have. I would use him again and again.
Miriam
Miriam Sent on 10/12/2025
5 out of 5 rating

Wedding Officiant

Responsible, dedicated, and passionate.

Excellent qualities that made him the perfect officiant for our wedding. His words were filled with light, love, and above all, wisdom. He beautifully tailored his speech to our love story, making it even more special.

He took the time to meet with us on several occasions to truly get to know us and personalize his words to our union. We feel blessed and fortunate. 100% recommended.
Damaris
Damaris Sent on 08/11/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Very genuine person

Pastor Eli was exceptional, he is very sincere and sweet. He did the ceremony in Spanish and English and was a true professional. It was a beautiful ceremony and he was a huge part if that. I would definitely recommend him.
Tata
Virgen Sent on 08/02/2020
5 out of 5 rating

My guess were very happy short ceremony

I had a wedding planner sweet opera and she recommended we use the
efficient Eli-maldonado @hotmail.com ..
every helpful very nice very Very polite very caring very understanding at all times very very helpful as well I recommend him 100% as he listens to what you want and prepares everything for you I was amaze a beautiful job
S
Stefanie Sent on 02/26/2020
5 out of 5 rating

Excellent!!!!

Rev. Maldonado was such a blessing. He guided us thru the entire process of getting married. We went to Puerto Rico from Oklahoma to get married. We would have been so lost had he not helped us. The ceremony was elegant and he was extremely responsive. Highly recommend!!!!!
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Awards

72
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2020 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2019 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2018 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2017 Winner
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Team

Eli Maldonado
Eli Maldonado
Pastor
Eli Maldonado (Spanish)
Eli Maldonado (Spanish)
Pastor

Professional Network & Endorsements

Couture Bridal Photography Couture Bridal Photography Wedding Photographers

Pastor Eli is provided the most amazing wedding ceremony nuptials for my couples in Comerio Puerto Rico. I hope to work with Local and Destination Weddings in Puerto Rico in the near future. This is the ceremony and officiating service to use when hosting your Wedding in Puerto Rico!

2 Hearts Photo & Video 2 Hearts Photo & Video Wedding Photographers

I am always impressed with Pastor Eli's services. He goes above & beyond for his couples. He's warm, sincere & friendly and I would highly recommend him.

2 Hearts Photo & Video
5.0 out of 5 rating , 35 reviews
· Wedding Photographers
Couture Bridal Photography
4.9 out of 5 rating , 78 reviews
· Wedding Photographers

Map

Location
Travel range
This vendor will travel up to within 100 miles

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