In Louisiana, Mardi Gras is no joke. In south Louisiana it's one of the most important things we do. With Mardi Gras comes Mardi Gras balls. Here is my guide to balling right.
1. The Krewe
The Krewe is the members of the organization who puts the balls together. They are involved year round, going to parties and celebrations. They decorate tables at the ball and have their friends come to eat, drink and dance the night away. The Krewe members normally are in costumes instead of ball gowns and tuxedos to tell them a part from guests. For some members, the Krewe is their life so they have blankets, clothing, cups and everything you can think of with the Krewe's monogram on it. (I'm guilty of this)
2. The Court
Every Mardi Gras Krewe will have have a Queen, King, and Ball Captain as well as girls who serve as maids. These are the people who get to dress up in the costumes and be presented to the Krewe. The Court members are together for around a year leading up to the next year. The Queen, King and Ball Captain know when they will be repressing their Krewe years in advance. The costumes are bright and colorful and weigh more then you could imagine. This is basically a little girl's dream come true.
3. The Costumes
These are no joke to the court. In some balls, each of the current court members will be in an outfit that represents their themes. Some will be wearing what is called a back piece: these are made of foam and shaped into what the ball captain has picked each person to serve as. They are then covered in glitter and feathers. Each of the back pieces weigh between 5-15 pounds. If the Krewe allows, go take a look at each back piece after the presentation is over to get an up close look at how spectacular each one is.
4. The Proper Attire
To be able to ball properly, you must be in a long evening gown for woman, and a tux for men. If you are not in the proper attire you will be turned away at the door. Ladies, when picking a dress, I would stray away from the lighter cloths because things happen, drinks spill and you don't want to ruin your light-colored dress.
5. The Tables
Tables at a Mardi Gras ball is way more important than you think. Each of the Royal Court has a table of up to 40 people, and they have decorations that are up to six feet tall. This is a way for the court to show off what their theme is besides being in a costume. Always go take a look at the court tables--I'm sure they will blow you away! For normal Krewe members' tables decorations stay within the theme of the overall theme of the ball.
6. Dancing Shoes
The most important thing when picking out shoes for a ball is: how much are you going to be dancing? If the answer is a lot (which should be your answer), heels are not the best option. For me, my go to shoes for balling are my Converse. I mean ladies, you are in long dresses where you can't see your feet, so no shame in the Converse game.
7. The King Cake
Rather it's a real king cake, king cake soda, or king cake vodka, at a Mardi Gras Ball, make sure to get your fix of king cake. It's not a ball if you aren't eating king cake while having a glass of champagne.
8.The Food
Food is important, Mardi Gras ball or not. When attending a Mardi Gras ball, your host will most likely have food for their guest to munch on between dancing and drinking. For best results, I advise you eat while drinking, that way no acting like a drunk fool.
9. The Second Line
This is the part of the night that you grab your umbrella or napkin and start parading around the dance floor while traditional New Orleans Jazz music plays. Each court member has his or her own umbrellas that match what their outfits look like, whir Krewe members and guest have mardi gras colored ones. If you want to get fancy you can decorate them up with glitter and boas. You can never do too much for the Mardi Gras.
10.The Pictures
Whatever you do, make sure you take a lot of pictures! These are some of the best nights for pictures. You and your friends are dressed up to the nines, and it makes for cute photo ops. These are the nights that you are going to show off for years to come. For court members-- take a lot a lot of pictures, these will be one of the funniest nights of your life, so you'll wanna remember it through pictures.
If you ever have a chance to go to a Mardi Gras ball, go. Just remember to dance a lot and eat and drink (responsibly). Its one of the funniest nights you'll have! Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!!
