Less expensive compared to what?
I LOVED my DR wedding, and there was nothing 'cheaper' about it, and the island no more or less unsavory about any other I've been to.
That being said, when we were down there, we had met an English quartet that had travelled extensively and said that the resorts offered from England were not as top notch as some they had been to on other islands. They said the resorts offered in Puerto Plata weren't as nice as the ones in Punta Cana.
*shrug* Hope that helps!