Forrest Grove Plantation

Inspired by Vintage Banquet-Style Dining

Holds ceremonies and receptions

4.8

Verified reviews from real couples

I can't express how easy and stress-free it was to have my wedding at Forrest Grove! Shelley answered every email within 24 hours (most of the time within the same day). We used the venue's decor, and they set everything up and it was beautiful! Our day of coordinator Jessice, kept the day running so smooth. She communicated with our DJ and photographer to keep the timeline on track. It was a beautiful experience!

Toni G.

5.0

I called the venue and asked if the date that I was looking for was available, and when I was told it was, I dropped everything and headed that way. I fell in love with the facility as soon as I pulled in. This place is well-maintained and loved by the caretakers. I gave Mrs. Shelly a deposit. I was probably the most difficult-to-contact client she's ever worked with, but when I tell you I'd never know, I truly mean that. The team at Forrest Grove Plantation blew it out of the park and exceeded our expectations. The venue is stunning, the staff is friendly and attentive, and the open bar selection is top-tier. My parents want to host their anniversary party there now, once she likes a business she is a loyal customer. Mrs. Shelly I cannot thank you enough the stunning venue and amazing staff, you guys are awesome! 20/10 recommend this venue!!

Crystal B.

5.0

Shelley Fontenot

MANAGER

Typically responds within 24h

Forrest Grove Plantation is a wedding venue in Denham Springs, LA, boasting all-inclusive services and gourmet catering. A banquet hall-style space, the property provides the use of the gardens and house for nuptial events. Couples are sure to appreciate the care and attention given by the team to maintain the grounds and leave a positive impression on guests. In short driving distances from Baton Rouge and New Orleans, the property is well situated to appeal to couples planning a destination wedding. Enclosed by mature trees and overlooking a pond, Forrest Grove is a two-story structure featuring a wraparound porch and white columns. Couples can stroll along the garden path past lampposts and a white picket fence, and take advantage of the fountain feature for photographs. A garden pergola shrouded in foliage and twinkling lights can perform as an outdoor ceremony venue or for entertainment purposes later in the evening. Boasting a home-like atmosphere, the estate is private and intimate with modest-sized grounds. The main ballroom is characterized by an arched entrance and carved white pillars, creating a clean and structured effect. Chandeliers hang above a wooden dance floor and natural light streams in through large windows surrounding the ballroom. Wedding decor services are available to couples to complement the ballroom interior and provide a simplified process. From linens and chair sashes to floral arrangements for the tables, the team behind this venue strives to prepare the smallest details. The simple and modern elements of the space are sure to appeal to couples for their big day. Forrest Grove offers a featured full-day package to couples for wedding events. A designated planner is assigned to assist couples with preparations. From an opportunity to rehearse the ceremony to a get-ready room, the venue preempts every moment. White chairs are provided for the ceremony and both indoor and outdoor options are available. On-site catering is also included, featuring an unlimited buffet of entrées, carved meats, hor d’oeuvres, and specialty dishes. Boasting gourmet cuisine crafted to high standards with the freshest ingredients, the in-house chefs promise authentic Louisiana fare aimed to satisfy hungry guests. Couples are welcome to take home leftovers, along with a complimentary gift basket from the team.

Woman-owned Business

25+ years in business

Speaks English

Medium team (11-20 members)

Amenities + details

Amenities

Ceremony Area

Covered Outdoors Space

Dressing Room

Handicap Accessible

Indoor Event Space

Liability Insurance

Outdoor Event Space

Reception Area

Wireless Internet

Ceremony Types

Civil Union

Commitment Ceremony

Elopement

Interfaith Ceremony

Non-Religious Ceremony

Religious Ceremony

Second Wedding

Vow Renewal Ceremony

Settings

Ballroom

Garden

Venue Service Offerings

Bar & Drinks

Cakes & Desserts

Food & Catering

Planning

Rentals & Equipment

Service Staff

Any questions?

Meet the team

Jessica Walker
Coordinator/Social Media Manager
I’m Jessica, your wedding coordinator at Forrest Grove! I have a love for beautifully organized chaos and a passion for sharing the magic as it unfolds. I don’t just manage timelines — I create calm, curate seamless experiences, and ensure every detail feels intentional, elevated, and effortless. You’ll often see me with my phone in hand, capturing the behind-the-scenes moments that make each wedding day so special. From quiet, meaningful glances to joyful celebrations on the dance floor, I share the beauty of the day through the venue’s social media, giving future couples a real look at what it feels like to get married here. My goal is for couples to enjoy every moment while I quietly handle the logistics, keep everything running smoothly, and capture the magic happening all around them.
Shelley Fontenot
Owner/Events Manager
Hi, I’m Shelley, proud co-owner of Forrest Grove — a place where love stories unfold beneath the trees and lifelong memories are made. For me, Forrest Grove isn’t just a venue — it’s part of my family’s story. My parents poured their hearts into creating this space from the ground up, transforming it into a beautiful, welcoming venue for couples to celebrate their love. After 20+ years of hard work, they stepped into a well-deserved retirement — and I was honored to take the reins along with my husband, Joe and carry on the dream we built together. We spent years working side-by-side, learning what it truly takes to host unforgettable weddings — the attention to detail, the passion, and most importantly, the personal connection with every couple who walks through our doors. That legacy means everything to me. 💍 Why I love working with brides: 💗 I believe every bride deserves to feel seen, heard, and celebrated. 📸 I get to help turn Pinterest dreams into real-life memories. 🌸 I love creating a calm, joyful experience from start to finish. ✨ I cherish the honor of being part of one of life’s most meaningful moments. 🗣 And above all — I believe communication is key. I’m always here to answer questions, offer guidance, and make sure nothing gets missed. Whether you’re planning something grand or intimate, your vision becomes my mission. Forrest Grove has always been a labor of love — and I’m so proud to continue that tradition with every couple who trusts us with their day.

4.8

out of 5.0

29 reviews

Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.

Review Summary

This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.

Forrest Grove is praised for its stunning venue, top-tier open bar selection, and attentive staff. Reviewers highlighted the professionalism of Shelley and Jessica in ensuring a smooth and stress-free wedding day. The all-inclusive nature of the venue, including food and bar services, was highly appreciated, with the team exceeding expectations and meticulously handling all details. Overall, Forrest Grove comes highly recommended for its beautiful setting and exceptional service, making it a top choice for weddings.

Search reviews

Blair S

Highlighted review.

3/31/2024

Truly the best experience. Shelley was so easy to work with and always available to answer my questions. Jessica made everything on wedding day run smoothly so I could enjoy the da...

y. The venue is beautiful, all inclusive with food and bar and truly has the BEST staff.

Toni G

3/03/2025

I can't express how easy and stress-free it was to have my wedding at Forrest Grove! Shelley answered every email within 24 hours (most of the time within the same day). We used th...

e venue's decor, and they set everything up and it was beautiful! Our day of coordinator Jessice, kept the day running so smooth. She communicated with our DJ and photographer to keep the timeline on track. It was a beautiful experience!

Any questions?

Crystal B

12/17/2024

I called the venue and asked if the date that I was looking for was available, and when I was told it was, I dropped everything and headed that way. I fell in love with the facilit...

y as soon as I pulled in. This place is well-maintained and loved by the caretakers. I gave Mrs. Shelly a deposit. I was probably the most difficult-to-contact client she's ever worked with, but when I tell you I'd never know, I truly mean that. The team at Forrest Grove Plantation blew it out of the park and exceeded our expectations. The venue is stunning, the staff is friendly and attentive, and the open bar selection is top-tier. My parents want to host their anniversary party there now, once she likes a business she is a loyal customer. Mrs. Shelly I cannot thank you enough the stunning venue and amazing staff, you guys are awesome! 20/10 recommend this venue!!

François T

5/15/2024

This is a test - please disregard or dispute.

Maggie M

12/02/2023

Everything went so smoothly because of the staff. We would highly suggest this venue for any wedding!

Response from Forrest Grove Plantation on 12/02/2023

Thank you so much, Maggie! We enjoyed working with you and Corey so much! Congratulations...

again!!

Colleen G

9/28/2023

We had the best wedding at Forrest Grove!! The venue was absolutely perfect; we utilized the bridal suite, the outdoor area for the ceremony, and the inside for the reception. We r...

eceived so many compliments from our guests on the venue and the food. Shelley and Jessica were amazing to work with, they handled everything! They really make sure that you don't have to worry about anything on your big day!! I can't recommend Forrest Grove enough, especially if you're looking for a "one-stop shop."

Response from Forrest Grove Plantation on 09/28/2023

Colleen! Your wedding was so beautiful and romantic and we loved everything about it! Than...

k you for the great review! Congratulations again to you and Jacob!

Falynn S

1/27/2023

Shelley and Jessica were amazing to work with! They went above and beyond to make our day absolutely perfect. Everyone LOVED the food and told me how beautiful everything was. I'm ...

so glad we decided to get married here. My pictures look amazing with the greenery/lights on the back patio. 10/10 recommend Forrest Grove!!!

Response from Forrest Grove Plantation on 01/27/2023

Thank you, Falynn! We enjoyed working with all of you so much! Send me some of those pictu...

res!

Dorian H

1/24/2023

Forrest Grove Plantation was a beautiful spot to have my wedding! They were incredibly helpful and accommodating, doing most of the work for us! The food is GREAT and they let us t...

ry it before we settled on them (How good the food was ended up being our deciding factor on why we went with them.) They were incredibly responsive to all of my questions I had during the year I planned my wedding, and then my wedding went off without a hitch! Can't say enough good things about Shelley and her team!

Response from Forrest Grove Plantation on 01/24/2023

Thank you for the kind words, Dorian! We enjoyed working with you and Adam so much! Congra...

tulations to you both again!

Britney N

11/29/2022

Shelly and her team at Forrest Grove were the best! They took care of everything and were so supportive during the whole process. I didn’t have to worry about one thing the day of....

We had a perfect day. One of the best priced and quality in the area and they only do one wedding a day so they can focus on you and your day only.

Jordan M

9/10/2022

Shelley at Forrest Grove is an absolute ANGEL! We had both the ceremony and reception there and they were wonderful. It rained all day and despite the rain they set up the entire c...

eremony outside like they knew I wanted. They have so many decorations and happily work with their brides to make sure everything is exactly as you want it. They provided a day of wedding coordinator and they were a lifesaver! Checking in on me and the wedding party every few minutes to make sure we had everything we needed. The food selection was wonderful and absolutely delicious. The bartenders worked tirelessly making excellent drinks and the staff cleaned everything up so quickly I never saw anything out of place. Gorgeous venue and very courteous staff

Macie H

7/19/2021

Our experience with Forrest Grove was phenomenal! The venue, food, & service was wonderful. Highly recommend!

Amber L

11/20/2019

We had both our ceremony and reception here. They took care of the set up, the food, decorations and the clean up. It was so easy working with everyone there during the process of ...

booking and picking out the details. We had Ms. Monica as our coordinator on the day of our wedding and she was absolutely fabulous. The food was delicious too. There was plenty of room inside for guests to sit and eat, or dance and mingle if they so chose. This place is beautiful inside and out!

Response from Forrest Grove Plantation on 11/21/2019

Thank you, Amber! You and Kevin were a pleasure to work with!

Kaitlyn H

11/20/2018

Everything about this place was perfect! The venue itself is absolutely gorgeous and the food was delicious! The wedding coordinator made everything so stress free and helped make ...

sure the day ran smoothly with no problems! And Shelley is a delight to work with!

Michal B

9/07/2018

Beautiful venue with professional staff, our wedding was perfect! We couldn't be happier with the quality of the food and service that we received. If you want an affordable but el...

egant hassle free wedding, this is who you call.

Arabia W

6/10/2018

I cannot express how satisfied I was with this venue. The place itself is beautiful. I mean amazing. They’re very helpful. The food is AMAZING....this is coming from someone who is...

picky about food. Everyone talked about how great the food was. The wedding coordinator that they have, Caitlyn (spell check), she’s absolutely the best. She was around the entire night and made sure my husband and I had everything we needed. I would totally recommend to anyobe in need of an awesome venue. anyone

Jess B

10/23/2017

Forrest Grove is a great venue. This business has been family owned and operated since they opened and their dedication shows. It is obvious that they have their set up down to a s...

cience. Heather was our day of coordinator and she did an absolutely phenomenal job, things went so smoothly. We even had a blunder when we forgot our flower girl basket and she found a basket and got us the flower petals we needed! Her quick thinking really saved the day! She also completely handled getting our wedding party set up with timing and knowing where they needed to go and coordinated with DJ so that everything went seamlessly! The staff was on point and the food was ready as soon as the ceremony was over and they even helped our family and bridesmaids clean up and bring everything to their cars! Thank you to all the staff for helping make our day so perfect!

Sarah H

7/18/2017

They were absolutely incredible! The planning process was easy, they helped us every step of the way, and answered all of our questions. The price was great and it included the use...

their decorations, their incredible food, and their super helpful day-of coordinator. They sent my husband and I away with a giant bag of food to eat as well as all of the leftover food and cake packaged and ready to load into my parents' car. Overall, the perfect relaxing experience that I wanted for my wedding! They were amazing!

Kristen E

6/18/2017

The venue is beautiful! It made for a very elegant outdoor ceremony and indoor reception. Many people commented about how beautiful the wedding was. Our wedding coordinator, Heathe...

r, was awesome! We loved her; she was so helpful and sweet! We were grateful that the FG staff allowed us to come the morning of the wedding (which was on a Friday) to put some of our stuff out. Depending on how nice you want the ceremony to be, you may want to bring your own chair covers for the outdoor chairs, as they are not provided. The chairs they have aren't bad, but chair covers dress them up and make them look much nicer. FG provides beautiful centerpieces for the tables at the reception, and they will let you choose which ones you do/don't want to include. The food was great, too. The reception area has plenty of room, so it's big enough to have tables and chairs for all guests, a dance floor, a DJ setup, a cake table, etc. it was important to me to have room for everyone to sit and eat, so that was a huge plus! I only have a couple complaints. In our initial consultation, we were told that full clean-up was included, and that we could pick up our things, which would be boxed up, at a later date. However, right after the reception, my parents were told that they had to clean up all our stuff, so they were stuck picking up everything that night, along with the kind guests who volunteered to help last minute. Had we known we had to pick up ourselves, we would have been more prepared. Also, the landscaping out front (by the pond, not in the ceremony area) is not maintained and currently looks pretty bad. We wanted a few photos in front of the beautiful fountain/pond, so the photographer carefully placed us in an area where the ugly landscaping (or lack thereof) wouldn't be seen in the photos. Despite this, it still ended up being a beautiful wedding, and Heather made the wedding day as stress-free as possible, helping wherever and whenever needed. We are happy overall with the venue!

Response from Forrest Grove Plantation on 06/19/2017

Thank you for wonderful comments, we are pleased you enjoyed your day! We are truly sorry ...

if there was any confusion on the end of the night timeline. We always have the family get any of their own items that night, as we set up for the next event at the conclusion of all of weddings. We give them time at the end of the event to do that, after the bride and groom have left. We were happy to hold on to the things left here that your parents couldn't take that night! Thank you again for the review, and we are excited to use some of your beautiful photos we have received from Amy K Photography!

Heather M

2/07/2017

Unfortunately, the only regret I have about my wedding was the venue. The coordinater was no where to be found at my reception. My photographer had to help me through most of the ...

reception such as cake cutting, signing the certificate, getting everyone outside for the walk out to the limo, and much more. Because of this the flow was clunky and appeared sloppy. This made my reception so unnecessarily stressful for me. Im not the type to give bad reviews but I've given it a lot of thought and just don't want another bride to have to deal with that on their big day without prior knowledge this may be a weak point going in so the bride can make arrangements for like a relative to pick up the slack if the cordinater disappears. Other than that the food was great and the venue was beautiful.

amanda a

1/11/2017

Forest Grove gave my daughter her dream reception, so elegant and beautiful .A dream come true, everything and everyone was perfect. I WOULDN'T HAVE USED ANYONE ELSE! brides mom C...

amilla Anderson

Kendyl K

1/08/2016

Forrest grove plantation was amazing! Everything turned out how I envisioned and the staff was there to make sure everything went smoothly.

Celeste B

7/08/2015

We could not be happier that we chose Forrest Grove for our ceremony and reception. Diane and Shelly were so helpful and friendly in helping us prepare for the wedding and Heather ...

did an amazing job coordinating everything the day of the wedding! The whole experience was completely stress free! The food was excellent. We have received many compliments on the food as well as the facility.

Ashley R

6/12/2013

Forrest Grove and their staff went above and beyond to make our wedding beautiful. The food was excellent. The staff was friendly and helpful. They even through in some extra touch...

es for us that we were not expecting. They made our wedding day perfect!

Holly S

5/07/2013

We had our ceremony and reception at Forrest Grove Plantation on April 20, 2013 and it couldnt have turned out any better. Throughout the whole wedding planning process they were ...

there to answer any and all questions we had. The staff are very friendly, courteous, and professional. The food was amazing! The location was perfect for our evening wedding!!! We get compliments on the food everyday!!! Thank you ladies for all of your help and hard work it is much appreciated!!!

Christine H

11/11/2012

We were married here October 7, 2012. Mrs. Diane and Shelly were great to work with. They were quick to answer any questions that I had during the planning process. We were ma...

rried outside and had the reception inside. I did like the option that we could have moved the wedding indoors if needed. The venue is fully decorated in neutral colors. We were able to use their centerpieces which allowed for us to save some money. We did add on the chair covers with the colored sashes to tie in our wedding colors. Mrs. Cindy was at our rehearsal and wedding. We had our rehearsal the night before the wedding. Mrs. Cindy listened to everything that we wanted and worked to make everything happen. Our wedding was wonderful. Our guests thought everything was beautiful and the food was excellent. We still receive compliments from our friends and family.

Lindsay S

8/07/2012

Could not imagine my wedding anywhere else! It was beyond perfect. The staff was more than friendly and helpful. They orgainzed everything and at the end of the night they had ever...

ything loaded up in our vehicles and ready to go! Didn't have to worry about a thing and spent my time at the reception enjoying the night!

Alana L

4/24/2012

I did not have to worry about a thing on my wedding day. They let us go in and decorate early & answered all of my questions quickly. I was 100% satisfied.

Jackie L

3/27/2012

The venue was absolutely gorgeous and the staff was so accomodating to our special requests in decor! I loved the experience and would definitely have another event here!! My onl...

y gripe is that the staff did not have the bottle of champagne poured for the cake cutting. We had to stand around and waste about 15 minutes just waiting for the glasses to finish pouring. Also, they mentioned that we would have 2 carving stations but turned out to only be cold sandwich meat on trays. This was upsetting.

Tonya C

11/18/2011

Forrest Grove took care of all of the details and our wedding was amazing and stress free!! I would reccomend Forrest Grove to a small group of 100 to 200. The dance floor is larg...

e and the place is so beautiful!

Service area & Contact info

8743 Stephenson Drive, Denham Springs, LA

Open map

(225) 665-4080

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Forrest Grove Plantation

Shelley Fontenot

Manager

Typically responds within 24h

Forrest Grove Plantation's photos

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Forrest Grove Plantation

About this venue

Review Summary

Service area & Contact info

Wedding vendors in Denham Springs

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