Let The Good Times Roll With A Mardi Gras Quinceanero!

Christmas Tree

Brightly colored masks! Spectacular floats! Strings of shiny beads and a joyous celebration! This is Mardi Gras--and it could be a fabulous theme for your Quinceanero. In fact, your masked Quinceanero ball could be the hit of the season--especially if your birthday falls during the winter months--and you would reign as princess!

Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday", and it refers to the practice of the last night of eating rich, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which starts on Ash Wednesday. People around the world celebrate this event with parades, floats and joyous partying!

Imagine coming into the ballroom of your Quinceanero on a beautifully decorated float! It won´t be as big as the floats in a parade, but the float--on wheels and pushed gracefully into the ballroom by two of your chambelanes--is the perfect way for you to make a memorable entrance on this very special occasion. If this sounds like the Quinceanero you´ve always dreamed of, here are some ideas for invitations, decorations, Quinceanera favors, your gown and accessories.

Invitations Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras (or Carnival, as it´s called in some places) is famous for exquisitely creative masks and fabulous costumes. Look for some examples of Mardi Gras masks online. You´ll notice that the prevailing colors of Mardi Gras are purple, green and gold. Purple represents justice, green is faith and gold is power. Your invitation design can include a mask, or you can create a mask-shaped invitation. Give your masks more pizzazz with real feathers and some glitter!

Decorations

Choosing a Mardi Gras theme makes your decorating decisions easy because you´ve got a ready-made color palette. Fill the room with bouquets of purple, green and gold balloons and sprinkle sparkly confetti on the floor. Table centerpieces can be gold vases filled with purple flowers (and their green leaves, of course!) Add some gold glitter to the flowers and scatter purple, gold and green bead strands around the base of vase. The beads also make great party favors!

Favors

Purchase inexpensive Mardi Gras-style masks at a party supply store and put one at each place setting at your reception tables, so your guests can put them on when they arrive and get into the Mardi Gras spirit! Other favor ideas are antique-finish place card holder/photo frames and "Bourbon Street" streetlight place card/photo holders. Bourbon Street is a popular locale in the French Quarter of New Orleans, LA, where the biggest Fat Tuesday celebration in the US is held every year.

Float

Building a small float is a project that will require some help from family and friends who have carpentry skills. Start with a design for your float, which has to be on wheels and big enough to include a place for you to sit. Perhaps you can have two beautiful swans on either side of the float, or maybe feature peacocks with real peacock feathers for a spectacular look! You might want to surround yourself with flowers or even images from a favorite movie or book. If you look online at photos of Mardi Gras floats, you´ll see that, when it comes to Fat Tuesday floats, anything goes!

Gown

For a beautifully color-coordinated Mardi Gras-themed event, choose a gown in one of the three theme colors--purple, green or gold. Whichever color you select can be accented with gold jewelry in keeping with the color scheme. Just think how regal you´d look in a stylish, golden gown!

Accessories

Regardless of your gown color, complete your Quinceanera attire with a glistening tiara and scepter. Talk about a grand entrance! There you´ll be, sitting majestically on your float as you enter the room. Your family and friends will be more than impressed by the event, from beginning to end, and you´ll always have colorful, happy memories of your Mardi Gras Quinceanero! As they say during Mardi Gras in New Orleans, "Laissez les bon temps rouler!" "Let the Good Times Roll!

Susan Hawkins is a writer for Favors in the City, where you can shop for Quinceanera favors, wedding favors, party favors, wedding decorations and all kinds of party accessories including favors, gifts, cake toppers and more.