this place was awesome. very grateful to go to an event here while in New Orleans. The home itself was stunning, and we fit 500+ people in the back yard area. It's a bit outside of the French quarter (have to drive), but still doable. if you have a reason to visit, stop by! Would be a magnificent location for a wedding. read more

We had the most fantastic wedding weekend at the Derbes Mansion. The space itself is absolutely stunning and being able to spend the weekend in the same space with friends and family was everything we imagined (the grounds sleeps 20 people). Chris and Jess are super down to earth and went the extra mile to make our wedding spectacular. Their knowledge of the wedding scene in New Orleans is unmatched. We loved the flexibility that the Derbes Mansion provided in choosing layouts for the ceremony and reception to make the day uniquely ours. We highly recommend hosting your wedding at the Derbes. read more

Such a wonderful location! Great and friendly owners. Lovely setting for any event. Had a blast here.

Beautiful place with terrible business acumen! We had our wedding here in October 2017 with contract about all the details and timeline. It turns out that neither the organizer (Rhoda) nor the owner (James) honored the time agreement we had in writing. Empty promises, unfair service and completely ignored all inquires afterwards. Great place but dishonest business people! Message me for more information. read more

Went to a wedding here, it was a beautiful location. but the cops came to shut down the music twice, and that is uncalled for, and people should know about, if they're planning an event here. The wedding planner should've known not to book a place that wouldn't like a loud band. Besides that, this place was amazing, really beautiful, had enough bathrooms, and a very well kept yard. Really spectacular. read more

We had our wedding at the Benachi House in March - It was the perfect setting for our big day! Jim was easy to deal with and had everything in place for us leading up to and on the day of our wedding. There was even a bottle of champagne for me in the fridge in the beautiful bedroom I got ready in. We had a jazz trio with amplifiers outside and didn't have any issues with noise complaints. My photos came out great, too because this is such a beautiful setting, inside and out. read more

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Benachi house is dreamy. The venue reminds me of the move the notebook. It's grand, filled with character and has beautiful gardens. The house has a perfect set up for the groomsman / bridesmaid suite and has a cute balcony on the second floor overlooking the garden. The staff at the benachi house were professional organized and SO nice. This venue was the perfect space for my brothers wedding. I couldn't have asked for a better venue. Highly highly recommend. read more

The venue is undeniably GORGEOUS. It is a photographer's dream. If you want New Orleans charm and ambiance, this place is dripping with it. The neighborhood is quiet and easy to get to most places in the city quickly. When it comes to lodging, I suggest skipping the owner's suite and going for the cottage if you have to choose. You get the entire cottage to yourself 2 bed, 2 bath, full kitchen - right off of the garden. It's rather lovely and very affordable to book via Airbnb. Customer service is a bit hit or miss. It was amazing to have Rhoda take some of the small things off our hands - set up, clean up, coordinating with vendors, etc - however, this is an extra fee for these services. Also note there is a lack of amenities some reception venues include - vases, stemware, linens, bar setup, etc - none of this is included in the price so just be aware it will all be extra/provide your own. And yes, the music IS a problem. Band or DJ, they will be constantly monitored and asked to lower the volume. If you are hosting a smaller party (ie. rehearsal dinner) inside the house, however, it is a perfect space! James and Rhoda are both very kind and warm people. They will do their best to make you feel like part of the family. And don't sweat the decorations - the house is the decoration! Go minimal. read more

We had our wedding at the Benachi House in March 2018 and it was the perfect venue for our day! We don't live in New Orleans, so we didn't get to see the venue in person until the day before the wedding, but James and Rhoda were very helpful via email leading up to us getting there. We loved that we had use of the full house and grounds the whole day of the wedding, which meant that we could spend time there that day relaxing and getting ready before everything got started. We also were very excited that our dog was welcome, as he was our best man and maid of honor. Our guests loved the venue and we still keep getting comments from people saying that they have never been to such a unique wedding. The house and grounds were an excellent backdrop for our photos and it felt grand but homey at the same time. We are so glad that we got married at the Benachi House - it made the day for us! read more

We had been to multiple weddings at Benachi and we loved the space and had heard good feedback from our friends who utilized it, so when we got engaged it was our first (and last) stop. The price is certainly more affordable than the majority of New Orleans venues, as we've become such a destination wedding city at this point. But it's not a "cheap" spot by any means (off-season Friday night event was $2,250 after taking out the refundable security deposit). What you do need to realize going into it is that Benachi is a largely DIY venue. If you want someone to hold your hand and plan your wedding for you, this is not the spot for you. They provide tables and chairs and a basic sound system. Otherwise it's on you to figure out the rest (catering, bar, linens, ceremony music/PA etc.) Personally, that's what we wanted, so it worked well for us. James gave us a thorough tour and let us do some wandering around the grounds on our first visit. Rhoda was personable over email and very friendly the day-of. We didn't ask for any help from the staff really, because we didn't need or want it. The wedding party set up everything (tables/chairs for the reception, ceremony chairs, sound system, decorations etc.) and we were happy to be left alone to do it. There is an option, however (for a small fee), that you can give the staff a layout of how you want the tables and chairs set up and they will do it for you if you're really just not into the idea of doing setup yourself. I did ask for some lightbulbs to be replaced as there were many that had burned out in the front "birdcage" where our ceremony took place. James hopped up on a ladder while we were getting everything else ready and replaced those for us with no issues. The ceremony was beautiful and the reception went well for the most part. As is mentioned in other reviews, the requirements for music are a pretty large bummer. The neighbors seem to be reasonably awful and they essentially don't want to hear a peep from the venue, so it would take some clever setup (probably having the "dance floor" inside or in the driveway) to be able to really have music of any volume going on. I know the owners of the venue are looking for solutions that will both respect the neighborhood and allow party/wedding hosts to actually play music at a danceable volume. I'm just really sad that didn't happen before our wedding. We're both very musically inclined people and we worked for months on a personally curated playlist of our favorite tunes. I had quite a few of my fellow dance krewe members at the event, so we expected a fun dance floor and we simply didn't get to have that. Like, at all. In the end, however, aside from the music we had a very positive experience at Benachi. What we wanted was a beautiful backdrop that we could create our own atmosphere in and that's what we received in spades. We all had a great day of setup and I will always cherish those hours of building centerpieces and hanging decorations with my favorite people. If you're in the market for a beautiful and historic spot to throw a lowkey wedding or party, I couldn't recommend Benachi more highly. If you're a fussier type who wants everything done for you, there are other venues in the city that will better suit your needs. read more

This place is beautiful. But not sure if I could handle the music problem. But worth checking out!

We threw a party last month in New Orleans. Benachi House was the perfect setting for us! The house itself is gorgeous and so interesting to wander around. And the gardens were exactly what we were looking for. The setting is gorgeous on it's own with all the natural feeling landscaping and white lights during the evening. It felt intimate, easy going and comfortable like an old house. James (the owner) was very professional and buttoned up. His event manager, Rhoda Yawn, is easy to get along with, professional and knows exactly how to get the best party at this location. She provided excellent options for every aspect of the party. We were thrilled with our food, music and flowers. What more could you ask for? Our music was low-key so we didn't have any problems with the noise levels -- but I can't imagine a large brass band would go over here. My guests loved the location and so did we ! read more

I could not have chosen a better location for our wedding reception on May 21, 2016. It really was perfect. The house is beautiful and historic and Rhoda and Mr. James are fantastic. We used the front for our cocktail hour and the back for the reception. The decorations I used were minimal because they just weren't necessary. [Pictures to follow ASAP] The brass band showed up to take us out the front to head down Esplanade and then back around the side to get into the reception area. All of our out of town friends loved it. Don't let Mr. James' initial dry demeanor deter you from using his place. He is very upfront and direct laying out all expectations, but he is fair and was willing to work with us on all aspects of what we needed. When we went for a site visit, we weren't sure what to expect because of some of the things I read, but he was kind, knowledgeable, and friendly. He even gave us some of the wonderfully cool history of the house's namesake. We rented tables b/c I wanted a different size and shape than what he offers. When I found out that the rental company charged quite a bit extra for a Sunday pickup, I emailed him to ask guidance. Without hesitation, he said they could pickup the tables anytime Monday b/c he didn't have an event Sunday. I was worried about the "noise ordinance" clause in the contract. We worked with our wonderful DJ (Robbie Cox) to get the best positioning of the speakers as to not have to worry with it. The music was never not loud enough (folks danced for hours) and we didn't have any issues with it being too loud. When it came close to the 10pm time limit for the neighborhood noise ordinance, the security guy was so discrete that I didn't notice him mentioning it to the DJ. One of my wedding party did, but talked about how professionally and calmly it was handled. The house manager, Rhoda, is also great. She even emailed me after to make sure I was happy and to tell me I looked beautiful. We rented the Cottage for my parents and Godparents to share and that was a breeze too. Rhoda texted me every day to make sure everything was ok for them. The Cottage would be a great place to stay on any visit b/c its only a mile from the Qtr. The only complaint from my guests is that they didn't have enough time to explore the house. I hope to get to work with Mr. James and The Benachi House again...maybe for a 10 year anniversary party. ;) read more

The same thing with the music happened to us!! We had our wedding here in 2010 and they told us we had to turn down the music when the band wasn't even using amps! The venue next door was playing music over ours. Was very, very upset and people should not book this venue if having a band. Also don't place the music close to the street. One of the neighbors on that side is the one who calls the cops. Also, there is someone that lives at the house and their cars are parked in the driveway and they wouldn't move them of us. Just F.Y.I. The house was beautiful and everything I had hoped for, but the music was a bummer! read more

Benachi House was the perfect setting for our daughter's fairytale wedding and reception. They allowed us the flexibility of using our own vendors and a very generous time frame for both the day of and the rehearsal the day before. Our guests were impressed with both the beauty inside and outside of the venue. It was an unforgettable place for an unforgettable event. Special thanks to the owner who made sure everything was perfect for our daughter's day. read more

We had our wedding at the Benachi House and it was absolutely wonderful. We searched numerous venues in town looking for something that we could have everything at and this was by far the most reasonable in pricing and it included tables and chairs which saved us a lot of money on rentals. We received so many compliments on the venue and how absolutely beautiful it was, and I have to agree completely. With most of our guests being locals, I feel this is a huge compliment to the venue. The staff were great and made everything very easy on us. My family rented the Cottage for the weekend which gave us almost full access to the property for the entire weekend audit was very nice. read more

I cannot tell you enough how beautiful the Benachi house and grounds are and how useless the staff is. I had a beautiful wedding thanks to the assistance of my friends and caterer, with NO help from the Benachi staff. We had to let ourselves into the Benachi House using a key because NO staff would be arriving until 1.5 hours before our ceremony. I am furious about having to breakdown all of the tables from the wedding the night before, I explicitly told Rhoda we would not be using round tables and I did not want any there. When Pamela arrived 1.5 hours before our ceremony I asked her to take care of the tables, and she told me her back hurt her and she could not break them down. I asked her to set up the sound system and she said, 'I don't know how that works, I will have to call Steven'. My friends had to put together and set up the entire sound system and then figure out how to operate it. My Dad had to clean out the mud and debris in the front fountain in order to make it run. I am shocked by the lack of professionalism and lack of involvement by the Benachi staff. Rhoda, the event planner, arrived after our ceremony. I honestly don't know why anyone from the Benachi House was there, not any point was I ever assisted or asked how things were going. Two days before the wedding we set an appointment with Rhoda (this was also the first time ever seeing the Benachi House in person). Rhoda declined to give us a tour of the house/grounds, instead she handed us keys and told us to 'look around'. I had to ask her to leave her kitchen chair to view a room to ask her opinion on wedding ceremony set-up. I assumed giving advice about wedding set-up at a venue that hosts weddings would happen, but it was made immediately clear that she had no interest in talking to us or helping us plan the layout of the venue. I was asking for 5-7 minutes of her time, but she made it very clear that she would not be helping us. I was so disappointed after meeting Rhoda for the first time, she gave no assistance, no time, no communication, she established little confidence in the operation of the Benachi house. I had to worry about entry the day of the wedding and follow up with staff, because at 7pm the night before our 1pm wedding no one had communicated with us any information on how to gain entry to the venue. It was very stressful to spend the day before the wedding worrying about how to gain access to the venue, it would not have been an issue but Rhoda gave no support/help in advance that no trust was established. The venue is beautiful, but there are many other beautiful venues in New Orleans. I would not want any bride/groom and family to go through the stress that is associated with the Benachi House. It is disappointing that we paid $2500 for the venue and NO staff assistance. read more

We had both our wedding ceremony and reception here March of 2016. I have to say they are fantastic. The grounds are simple yet beautiful with New Orleans charm. They worked with us in coordinating some additional tents, etc to accomodate the rain that was coming and helped us determine estimated sizes for the areas. We used the bedrooms upstairs to get dress in and had great lighting for both hair and makeup. This is the type of venue where you bring in all the additional vendors, but the process was made easy due to the vendor list they provided. This made the decision easier when choosing as these vendors were familiar with the property. The noise level of the band was a concern of mine, but I worked closely with my band to monitor the decibel level throughout the event. I would recommend this venue to anyone. It was a wonderful experience for us and all of our guests! Both James and Rhoda were so pleasant to work with as well! read more

The place is beautiful and it was recommended we have our wedding there. We reserved the date, but the man in charge of the house gave our date away and now we've had the worst time trying to find a new venue. He is very unprofessional. Anyone with common courtesy would have at least notified us, but not this inconsiderate man. Ugh. read more

My fiancé called to ask some questions about what all is included with the price and all she got was a bunch of attitude and sarcastic remarks. Then the owner told her she should find another place because they do not want to do business with her. This guy was nothing but unprofessional and rude for someone who is the business of working with other people. I have never seen anythiny like it. read more

Couldn't have picked a more perfect magical venue for my beautiful wedding! Three days before my wedding we decided to change venues due to storms. Jim and his staff were very quick to accommodate my fiancé & I. I would highly recommend this venue for their beautiful grounds, lovely estate and friendly staff. This property will forever hold a memory near and dear to my heart. read more

Literally the worst customer service experience I have ever had in my life! The man on the phone who answered didn't even say "Benachi House" he just answered with his name so I had to ask if I called the Benachi House, then answered in such a condescending tone that it was. When I asked him about parking because there is a race taking place tomorrow morning and was worried I wouldn't have a place to park he literally talked to me like I was the dumbest person alive stating why was I asking him that since they have on site parking! It got to be so ridiculous I flat out asked him why he was being so rude to me since I had never been there before and he stated "well you're the one who can't understand simple instructions" Literally speechless so I hung up on him. Will NEVER do business with them nor will I recommend them. Horrible horrible customer service. I only wish I remembered his name so I could file a complaint! read more