FAQs
Our most frequently asked questions.
Our Most Frequently Asked Questions
THE VENUE & SPACES
Here’s what a full wedding experience at Fleur de Lis looks like — typically spanning 4.5 to 5 or more hours from ceremony to grand send-off:
- Bridal party arrives and gets ready in the bridal suite (mimosa bar included). Groom’s party gets ready in the groom’s suite.
- Ceremony — approximately 15–30 minutes, coordinated by our bridal team with sound, music, and chair setup handled by us.
Fleur de Lis Event Center · Mandeville, Louisiana · Master FAQ · Page 2
- Immediately after the ceremony, guests are ushered into the reception space where hand-passed appetizers begin, the bar opens, and buffets are fully staffed. Guests are never standing around waiting.
- The Fairytale Dinner — while guests enjoy cocktail hour, the bride and groom are escorted to a private area where our staff serves them a personal meal, with aprons provided so nothing spills on their attire. This intimate 10-minute experience is one of the most cherished moments of the evening.
- Grand entrance, first dance, father-daughter dance, mother-son dance, and any other special dances.
- Cake cutting, garter and bouquet toss, open dancing.
- Grand send-off — guests gather outside for the couple’s exit.
From ceremony start through grand send-off, a typical Fleur de Lis wedding spans 4.5–5+ hours. Our 3-hour reception time is the guest experience in the ballroom — the ceremony, Fairytale Dinner, and grand send-off are all additional time on top of that.
No. You have full flexibility.
Yes. We have stages available for rental at approximately $350, and our ballrooms are designed to accommodate full bands, DJs, and live production setups.
Yes — we have multiple photo-friendly areas, including staircases, courtyards, bridal suites, balconies, and various indoor backdrops throughout the facility.
We have a backup generator that supports part of the venue’s power needs.
Yes — approximately 277 self-park spaces in our lot, plus a shared agreement for about 300 additional spaces in the neighboring lot. Parking is never an issue.
Yes. We have restrooms on all floors.
Yes, including entrances and restrooms.
Is the venue visible from the main road and easy to find?
Both ballrooms reach approximately 17 feet. Our Private Restaurant is approximately 12 feet.
Yes. Fleur de Lis was originally a movie theater, which we transformed into a wedding venue. The space features brick and stucco interiors, a New Orleans-inspired design, brick-top bars, starry night ceilings, and 17-foot ceilings in both ballrooms.
Yes — fully climate-controlled with an abundance of air conditioning capacity to handle even the largest events comfortably. Louisiana summers are no match for our system.
Absolutely. Both ballrooms are designed to host ceremonies inside at a moment’s notice. If weather forces a change, we move everything inside quickly — the room flip from ceremony chairs to reception takes approximately five minutes.
Yes. We offer outdoor courtyard ceremonies as well as indoor ceremonies inside either ballroom. Both options include full coordination, sound, and setup.
Yes — our spaces are completely autonomous. There is no sound transfer between rooms, and each has its own entrance, exit, courtyard, and restrooms. One thing we don’t do is start or stop events simultaneously. If one room starts at 7:00 PM, another might start at 7:30 or 8:00 to keep each event feeling exclusive and unhurried.
We have three distinct event spaces. Our largest is the Pontchartrain Ballroom, ideal for 125–500 guests. Our mid-size room is the Jazz Ballroom, best suited for 50–300 guests. Our smallest is our Private Restaurant, perfect for intimate gatherings of 20–100.
About 850, which is the combined use of our Pontchartrain Ballroom and Jazz Ballroom.
TIME, EXPERIENCE & VALUE
Think about the last wedding you attended. What do you remember most? Almost every answer comes back to four things: the food, the drinks, the music, and the atmosphere of the room where you spent the evening. Not the centerpieces — the experience.
At Fleur de Lis, we build every package around all four — starting with the food, because in South Louisiana, food is how we show hospitality to the people who showed up for you.
It’s virtually impossible to price match because the offerings are completely different. A quote that looks $2,000 less from a competitor may not include food, catering, staffing, a DJ, or bar service. When you add those items individually, the total often exceeds ours, while delivering less. We believe the right question isn’t ‘which venue is cheaper’ but ‘which venue delivers more for what my guests will actually experience.’
Great question — and an important one. We recommend using a four-element framework: food, drinks, music, and the venue itself. Those four things are what your guests actually experience. Before comparing price tags, make sure each quote delivers the same level on all four.
For example, Is food included or is it separate? How is it served — hand-passed, action stations, full buffet? Is a DJ or entertainment included? What is the bar package? What does the ballroom actually look and feel like for the 3–4 hours your guests are inside it?
We’re always happy to walk through any quote alongside ours — side by side. An honest comparison benefits everyone.
From the moment you arrive to get ready through your grand send-off, your day at Fleur de Lis is designed to feel effortless and memorable. One unique highlight is our Fairytale Dinner — immediately after portraits, our staff escorts you to a private space, puts aprons on you, and serves you personally so you can eat in peace before joining your guests. It’s a 10-minute experience that couples consistently describe as one of their favorite moments of the entire day.
Yes, at any point — even during the event. Extra reception time is priced at $17 per person per hour. Extra suite time before the event is $100 per hour.
Our standard reception time is 3 hours inside the ballroom. But that’s not the whole picture of your wedding day with us. Your full experience at Fleur de Lis typically spans 4.5 to 5+ hours when you include:
- Suite time for getting ready (bridal and groom’s suites open 1 hour before ceremony; extra suite time available at $100/hr)
- Ceremony (~15–30 minutes)
- The Fairytale Dinner — private couple meal during portrait time (~10 minutes) • 3-hour reception with all guests
- Grand send-off (~15 minutes)
Extra reception hours can be added at $17 per person per hour. You can even add time during the event itself.
PRICING, BOOKING & PAYMENTS
Yes. Each event is treated separately with its own contract.
No. We operate on a first-come, first-served basis.
October, November, December, and April tend to book the fastest. Most wedding clients book 7–24 months out.
Yes, and we encourage it.
Yes. We offer virtual guided tours on our website, and we have online booking available. Many couples have booked without visiting first.
Yes. Our insurance fully covers loss of income, and if we are unable to perform the event, we will reschedule to the next mutually agreed-upon date.
If you cancel and we successfully rebook your date, all paid amounts will be returned. If we cannot rebook, monies paid can be applied toward a future event. Rescheduling is available as long as the new date is open; pricing may increase based on the demand of the new date.
Yes — $500 off for ballroom events, $250 off for our Private Restaurant.
Yes. Our quotes are transparent and specific about what’s included and what’s not.
Cash, check, credit card (with fee), Zelle, Venmo, Cash App, PayPal, and Apple Pay.
Yes. Just make sure each payment is clearly noted with the name of the event and the event date so it’s applied correctly.
After the initial deposit, payments of $500 per month continue until 14 days before the event, when the full balance is due. We can accommodate lower monthly payments if agreed upon with the owner.
In most cases, no — the deposit is not refundable. However, if you cancel and we are able to rebook your date, the deposit will be returned.
A $1,000 deposit (for ballrooms) or $500 (for our Private Restaurant) plus a signed contract. No date is held without both.
It means we handle food, bar service, coordination, entertainment options (DJ, Photo Booth, cloud machines), planning, and more — essentially a one-stop shop. While there are things we don’t do (like bake cakes), we’ll help you find vendors for everything else. We often joke: we can help with everything except picking out your groom.
When we send a quote, it typically includes food, drinks, and full service for your reception — all taxes included. Optional items (like DJ, ceremony, Photo Booth, cold sparks, etc.) are always clearly listed with their costs. We do not require or add gratuity.
Our pricing is based on a room rental rate plus the per-person cost of your event. The room rental rate varies by demand — Saturday evenings are our peak pricing, followed by Friday evenings, Saturday daytime, and Sundays. Weekday events offer the best value.
We also use three seasonal pricing tiers:
- Tier 1 (highest demand): April, October, November, December
- Tier 2 (mid-season): February, March, May
- Tier 3 (best value): January, June, July, August, September
These tiers primarily affect wedding pricing. Non-wedding and weekday events are generally priced on a more consistent per-person basis throughout the year.
