Virgin Islands National Park
U.S. Virgin Islands · National Park · Caribbean Region
White sand beaches, coral reefs, and the ruins of Danish sugar plantations on the island of St. John. The park covers about 60% of the island and protects some of the best preserved Caribbean coastline.
- Best season
- December through April
- Permit required
- Yes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Max group size
- 25 people
- Permit info verified
- April 2026
Permit Information
NPS Special Use Permit required for all weddings, vow renewals, and photography sessions on the island of St. John. Submit NPS Form 10 930 with the $100 non refundable application fee at least 60 days in advance, ideally 90 days during peak winter season. Group size at the Annaberg and other historic sugar ruins is generally capped at 15 participants; beach ceremonies at Trunk Bay, Cinnamon Bay, and Maho Bay can host up to 25 with prior approval. Monitoring cost recovery is billed separately if…
Planning Your Day at Virgin Islands National Park
One-Spot Day
Fly into St. Thomas, take the ferry from Red Hook to Cruz Bay (20 minutes, runs hourly until 10pm), and base the whole day on one beach. Trunk, Cinnamon, or Maho. Morning ceremony at 8am while the beach is empty and the light is clean, snorkel the underwater trail, lunch in Cruz Bay, sunset portraits on a second beach. No inland driving loop required. The island is 20 square miles and every beach is 30 minutes from every other beach.
Ceremony + Portraits Split
Beaches for vows, ruins for portraits. Trunk Bay, Cinnamon Bay, and Maho Bay all allow up to 25 guests with prior approval and give you the postcard turquoise water. The Annaberg sugar mill ruins cap at 15 participants and deliver a completely different look: coral stone walls, Danish colonial windmill, mango trees. Book one beach for the vows and add Annaberg as a portrait stop on the way back to Cruz Bay. Fifteen minutes of driving separates the two.
A Note on Light
Caribbean light is brutal between 10am and 3pm. Plan ceremonies for 8am or 4pm year round. Trade winds pick up mid afternoon which means veils and hair will move. December through April is peak dry season with the steadiest weather. August through October is hurricane season and most vendors shut down.
Ceremony Spots at Virgin Islands National Park
- Trunk Bay Beach — White sand beach ceremony with turquoise water, an underwater snorkel trail, and palm fringed shoreline
- Cinnamon Bay — Longer beach with historic sugar plantation ruins, shaded ceremony options, and a more secluded feel than Trunk Bay