| Whether your wedding is in February or not, you can | | | | ask your caterer to go easy on spicing or provide two |
| have lots of fun with a Mardi Gras themed wedding. | | | | versions of key dishes such as jambalaya and shrimp |
| Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday and signifies the time | | | | creole. While traditional recipes use pork products, you |
| to eat heartily before the Lenten season. It has also | | | | can also still prepare a seafood only jambalaya, a |
| evolved into a time to party, dance and listen to good | | | | vegetarian gumbo or meatless red rice and beans. |
| music. Mardi Gras captures the imagination of a fun | | | | If this is a mid-day picnic event, try fried (or baked) |
| party atmosphere with plenty of food and having good | | | | catfish sandwiches with sweet potato fries instead of |
| time with friends. You can bring that same joy and | | | | burgers and regular french fries. If hard liquor will be |
| energy to your wedding by doing some simple things | | | | served, offer bourbon based drinks instead of other |
| or you can go all out. | | | | selections. For non-alcoholic drinks, try café au |
| Colored Mardi Gras beads and masks can be used to | | | | lait or ice tea sweetened to taste with sugar syrup. |
| decorate your reception tables and other parts of your | | | | Music is big in the Big Easy so bring that to your |
| reception venue. You can also give the beads and | | | | wedding with a Dixieland band or at least a few key |
| sequined masks as favors to your guests as well as | | | | instrumentalists like a trumpeter and saxophonist. You |
| create interesting reception games based on them. A | | | | can swing down the aisle to "When the Saints go |
| few carefully placed metallic ribbon curtains and large | | | | Marching In" and dance at your reception to tunes like |
| decorative masks can also be used to give that New | | | | "Mardi Gras Mambo" and "Bourbon Street Parade" |
| Orleans French Quarter feel. | | | | You and your guests will have a great time. As they |
| Consider a Cajun or Creole inspired menu. The food | | | | say in New Orleans, Laissez les bon temps roulez! |
| need not be spicy hot to get the theme across. Just | | | | |