A forest-edge venue built for multi-day gatherings

Founding year and original vision

I bought this property because of the trees. That probably sounds like a strange reason to start a venue, but when I first walked the 10 acres on J D Miller Road in 2013, what struck me was the canopy — longleaf pines, live oaks, and a tree line that backs directly into more than 15,000 acres of Point Washington State Forest. The property felt separated from the beach highway, but it was still only 15 minutes from the 30A beaches and restaurants in South Walton.

I had been managing properties and running a small hospitality business in this part of the Florida panhandle for years. I knew the area well enough to know that most event venues here fall into two categories: beachfront hotels with conference rooms, or open fields with a tent. Neither one felt right for the kind of gathering I kept hearing people describe — a weekend where the whole group stays together, walks between meals and sessions and rooms, and does not need to get in a car.

Capacity and layout milestones

So I built Point Preserve around that idea. The pavilion is 5,000 square feet, open-air, with a commercial kitchen. It sits at the back of the property. The 24 condo units — each with a kitchen, living room, bedroom, bath, balcony, and laundry — are about 200 yards away. Parking handles 200 cars. The fire pit and grounds fill the space in between. Everything is walkable. Everything is on one property.

We opened for events in 2017. The first bookings were weddings, and they taught me something I did not expect: the venue's biggest advantage was not the pavilion or the forest setting — it was the proximity between the event space and the lodging. Couples kept telling me that the weekend felt different because their guests never had to leave. The rehearsal dinner flowed into the welcome gathering. The wedding day started with the bridal party getting ready in a real living room, not a hotel room. And Sunday morning — which is usually a scramble — became the part of the weekend people talked about most.

Types of events hosted

Since then, we have hosted corporate retreats, nonprofit fundraisers, private celebrations, and creator gatherings. Each one uses the property differently, but the core works the same way: people arrive, settle in, and stay close for the duration. That is what the property was designed to do.

Point Preserve is run by three people. Every inquiry, tour, event, and lodging reservation goes through one of us. When you contact the venue, you are not routed to a call center — you are talking to someone who has walked the grounds, managed the setup, and cleaned up after the last event.

Jack Liles — Owner & Operator

I handle venue development, pricing, vendor relationships, and the overall guest experience. I am on-site regularly and personally involved in retreat planning and large-scale event logistics. If you have a question about what Point Preserve can accommodate, I am usually the person who answers it. I also write about retreat planning and venue strategy in the Journal.

Heather King — Hospitality Coordinator

Heather is the first person most couples and event planners talk to. She manages property tours, coordinates with outside event planners and caterers, and handles day-of communication for every event. She has been on-site for dozens of weddings and retreats and has written a detailed walkthrough of a typical wedding weekend based on that experience.

More about Heather

Heather is a Vermont native now enjoying life on Florida's Gulf Coast, where beach days and scenic motorcycle rides are part of everyday living. She has a background in purchasing and product sourcing, with a keen eye for detail and a knack for finding quality. Heather brings a down-to-earth, humorous perspective to life, often sharing relatable moments and observations that make people smile. She values family, resilience, and making the most out of every chapter.

Thomas Ta — Lodging Coordinator

Thomas manages the 24 condo units — guest assignments, check-in logistics, group holds, and individual bookings. For weddings and retreats where multiple households need coordinated lodging, Thomas builds the lodging plan and handles the communication so the host does not have to. He has written about how proximity between lodging and venue changes the guest experience.

Point Preserve is located at 725 J D Miller Road in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida — in South Walton, on the panhandle's Gulf Coast. The property sits on the edge of Point Washington State Forest, a 15,000+ acre preserve managed by Florida Forest Service. The forest boundary creates a natural buffer — no neighboring developments, no road noise, and no light pollution from adjacent properties.

The 30A corridor — including Seaside, Rosemary Beach, Watercolor, and Grayton Beach — is a 10- to 20-minute drive. Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport (VPS) and Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP) are both within an hour. Guests who want beach time, restaurants, or shopping have easy access; guests who want to stay on property and enjoy the quiet can do that too.

The venue is available for weddings, corporate retreats, private events, nonprofit fundraisers, and group stays. Pricing starts at $5,000 for weekday use. All events require a licensed and insured caterer and an event coordinator who has walked the property. We can connect you with coordinators and caterers who have worked here before.

For lodging, the 24 condo units can be reserved individually through our booking form or held as a group block for events. Thomas manages all lodging logistics.

If you want to see the property before booking, Heather can schedule a tour. The best way to start is through the contact page.