Engaged couples, vendors and invited guests celebrated the grand opening of a 6,000-square-foot event center Jan. 25 at Amelia River Golf Club. The venue is the brainchild of Tom and Michelle Miller. Tom assumed the Amelia River Golf Club lease from the city of Fernandina Beach in 2019.
The venue was designed to host weddings, corporate events and other large gatherings, says Michelle, who manages the event center. The building occupies a bucolic sliver of the golf club property facing the river and Amelia Island’s famous sunsets.
“There is a shortage of venues on the island,” she says. “We have this beautiful property, and no one was using this space on the water. I think people just love the water view and sunsets. Even if it’s overcast or raining, you still have the water view.”
The venue is the latest improvement to the scenic golf club, located at 4477 Buccaneer Trail. Founded in 2000 as an 18-hole golf course – the Royal Amelia Golf Links – the Tom Jackson-designed course plays to 6,808 yards from the back tees. Besides the 18-hole golf course and the new event venue, the grounds include a clubhouse with a restaurant and Performance Center/Pro Shop.
The Performance Center, which opened in 2022, provides tee times, golf merchandise and appointments for lessons and golf club fittings. Performance bays help club pros work with their clients.
The Bar & Grill offers a full-service menu for breakfast and lunch and a happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. The Bar & Grill patio was refurbished and expanded.
However, the event venue was destined to become one of the club’s most popular attractions. Weddings are already booked as far as June 2026, Michelle says.
“Everyone has been so complimentary. They are excited to have a new venue on the island,” she says.
The event building emerged from an earlier iteration – a 5,250-square-foot tent. The tent was installed in May 2022 along the waterfront and became a popular spot for outdoor wedding receptions and other events. The tent had plastic side panels that could be installed for inclement weather.
But, Michelle says, “The tent was so much work, and it got to be a bit much. I also wanted to start hosting more corporate events. But corporate events needed security from the weather. Planners told me, "If this wasn’t a tent, you’d be booking this all day long.”
That led the Millers to plunge into construction of the building. The foundation of the event center was poured in August 2024, and the occupancy permit was received in December, just in time for a corporate event.
“We didn’t sleep or eat for five months. It was stressful,” Michelle says.
The building maximizes natural light and emphasizes indoor-outdoor activity. The venue grounds include a grassy area facing the waterfront with an arbor for wedding ceremonies as well as a large patio for drink or dinner tables. With an occupancy rate of 359 people, the venue is one of the largest in the area. Since most events are held in the evening, there is ample parking for event guests at the golf club, Michelle says.
The center was designed to be easily transformed into whatever party planners dream up.
“With the tent, everybody loved the fact that it was a blank slate, and they could transform it into whatever they wanted,” she says. “I wanted to keep that same idea with the event center. I wanted it to feel like you were still outdoors. We put up as many windows in the front as we could, and sliding doors along the back.”
Michelle chose a white interior and white and green landscaping.
“That way, people can bring it whatever colors they want. You get the same feel as the tent, but you have the comfort of air conditioning or heat.”
The building has restrooms, a bride’s room, groom’s room and a separate space for caterers with a building-adjacent parking pad for catering trucks. Planners can utilize a dance floor and band space and arrange tables, chairs, couches and drink and food stations to their liking. The flexibility of the space reflects the trend among couples to create unique weddings and receptions that fit their personal styles, Michelle says.
“Lately, it seems the reception trend is to have more of a strolling reception,” with less formal table seating for guests, she notes. “You have more couches and such. It’s more of a party feel. I get to see how every group or couple transforms the space.”
The venue rental does not include party planning or catering, Michelle says. She provides the space, and couples are required to have their own wedding planner or day-of-event coordinator.
“Since we don’t do catering, I want to be really good at one thing – and that’s taking care of the venue,” she says.