Let’s Party Gras! New Orleans Bachelorette or Birthday Party Ideas

My niece just turned 30, and we had to celebrate! Since New Orleans is my new Vegas since moving from California to Texas, we figured it would be a great place to celebrate. Plus, NOLA is the perfect blend of youthful fun and mature sophistication, so what better city to transition from your 20s to your 30s? With the celebration being in NOLA, the theme was easy: Mardi Gras! Or as we called it for fun-time purposes, “Party Gras!” The color scheme was the traditional Mardi Gras color combo of purple, green, and yellow. In addition to being a great birthday party theme, this theme is also perfect for a New Orleans bachelorette party. I’m sharing all the ideas for you here. You’ll want to pin these ones for your own New Orleans birthday weekend or bachelorette party, or even a Mardi Gras party. 

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive commission if you make a purchase using the link.

More Mardi Gras ideas:

• King Cake Cookies (Mardi Gras Cookies Inspired by the Traditional Cake)
• Mardi Gras Candy Melt Pretzels (kid-friendly Mardi Gras food idea)
• Hurricane Mocktail (virgin hurricane drink recipe)
• Instant Pot Jambalaya Recipe with Shrimp and Chicken
• New Orleans-Style Sheet Pan Shrimp
• Instant Pot Creamy Cajun Pasta with Sausage
• Cajun Tortellini Skillet (Easy One-Pan Dinner!)

New Orleans Bachelorette Party Favors

I got these custom hair ties from Etsy seller Gray Duck Greetings.  She has a lot of existing sets in a bunch of cute themes for bachelorette parties, birthday parties, and Bridesmaid invitations, but she’s also happy to customize a set based on your theme and color scheme.

Since it’s hot in NOLA in the summer, I thought these fans were a practical but cute party favor.  I purchased them from Etsy seller Taara Bazaar.  Her communication and customer service were great, and she was so helpful in making sure I was getting the most cost-effective deal for my custom order.  She also has standard options available with personalization.

Other favors: Beads are essential, of course.  I got this pack from Amazon that included beads in our color scheme and feather masks.

New Orleans Bachelorette Party Hangover Kit

I was inspired from some bachelorette party ideas I saw on Pinterest to have hangover kits for each party guest (I knew we’d be spending at least one late night out on Bourbon Street).  

Hangover Kit components:

• Ginger ale
• Water
• Crackers
• Advil
• Pepto-Bismol
• Emergen-C
• Gum
• Band-aids
• Bags to hold everything

I fastened the bags with some ribbon and a DIY bag tag with “Hangovers only last a day, Memories last forever” in the party color scheme.

New Orleans Birthday or Bachelorette Party Cake

The cake we had to get locally.  We found a great bakery, Cream New Orleans, that delivered to our hotel.  Not only was the cake delicious (we got the birthday girl’s favorite: red velvet), but they were also great about creating a lovely cake in our party theme and color scheme with minimal instruction.  I highly recommend Cream as a bakery in New Orleans for their flavor, style, price, and customer service.  

Be sure to pin these for your own NOLA-themed party, Mardi Gras party, or New Orleans bachelorette weekend!  Laissez les bon temps rouler!

Related posts:

• Champagne-Themed Bachelorette Party
• Austin to New Orleans road trip (where to stop, stay, and eat for a drive to New Orleans)
• New Orleans – The Return (More Must-Eat Spots in NOLA)
• Taste of New Orleans (Even More Must-Eat Spots in NOLA)