Cumberland Island National Seashore

Permit Information

NPS Special Use Permit required for every wedding on the island. Submit NPS Form 10 930 to cindy_brewer@nps.gov at least two weeks in advance and plan to pay the $100 non refundable application fee through Pay.gov. Only 300 visitors total are allowed on the island per day, so ferry reservations must be booked through the Cumberland Island ferry (1 877 860 6787) well ahead of the permit. No vehicles are allowed, everything must be carried in on foot or by bicycle, and the last ferry back departs…

Planning Your Day at Cumberland Island National Seashore

One-Spot Day

Cumberland one spot days work beautifully because the island itself is the destination. Pick Dungeness Ruins for the mansion and Spanish moss cathedral, or a beach stretch for the wild horses and empty sand. The last ferry back leaves at 4:45pm, so the ceremony needs to happen early and portraits need to wrap by mid afternoon.

Ceremony + Portraits Split

The island is 17 miles long and there are no cars, guests walk or bicycle. Trying to combine Dungeness Ruins (south) with the north end beach in a single day day trip is unrealistic without bicycles and serious planning. Most elopements pick one zone. Couples who want both typically book an overnight at Greyfield Inn or the backcountry campsites.

A Note on Light

The maritime forest around Dungeness stays dappled all day, Spanish moss catches afternoon golden hour beautifully. The beach faces east, so sunrise is the dramatic window and the horses are often on the sand at first light. Midday on the open beach is flat and brutal with no shade. October through April is the comfortable season, summer heat and mosquitoes are real.

Ceremony Spots at Cumberland Island National Seashore

• Dungeness Ruins — Romantic ceremony among the tabby ruins of a Carnegie era mansion draped in live oaks and Spanish moss
• Cumberland Island Beach, North End — Pristine, completely undeveloped Atlantic beach with wild horses and total seclusion