Which Fleur de Lis Room Fits Your Private Event? A Guest-Count Guide
When people call us about a birthday, anniversary, retirement party, or company event, the first useful question isn’t about décor or the menu. It’s about how many people are coming. Guest count decides which of our three event spaces makes sense, and the right room shapes everything that follows: how full the tables feel, whether there’s room to dance, and how easily guests move around.
Fleur de Lis Event Center sits at 1645 N Causeway Blvd in Mandeville, convenient to guests coming from Covington, Madisonville, Slidell, and across the lake from New Orleans. The building has three separate event spaces, and each works best for a different size and style of event.
Start With a Realistic Guest Count
Before comparing rooms, build a working estimate. Count spouses and partners, children, and anyone who helps run the event. A count of “about 60” and a count of “60 adults plus their kids” can point to different rooms.
As a starting guide:
- Private Restaurant: up to about 100 guests, with most events 20 or more
- Jazz Ballroom: generally 50–300 guests
- Pontchartrain Ballroom: generally 100–500 guests
These are comfortable operating ranges, not minimums. We don’t have a hard guest minimum and have hosted events as small as about 10 people.
The Private Restaurant: 20 to 100 Guests
The Private Restaurant is booked as a fully private space. It has its own entrance, restrooms, bar, front courtyard, and covered patio, so your group isn’t sharing a dining room with the public.
It suits events centered on a meal and conversation, such as rehearsal dinners, bridal and baby showers, birthday dinners, retirement luncheons, celebrations of life, and post-wedding brunches. The ceilings are about 12 feet, which gives it a more intimate feel than the ballrooms.
The Restaurant offers several menu and package options rather than a single per-person price, so ask for the current menus when you inquire.
The Jazz Ballroom: 50 to 300 Guests
Jazz is a full ballroom with its own character. It has exposed brick, a brick-top bar, two working indoor fountains, a fiber-optic star ceiling, and soft string lighting over the dining area. There’s an open dance floor with a permanent DJ booth upstairs, a dedicated picture room, and its own private New Orleans-style courtyard.
Jazz fits events that have outgrown a dinner format, where dancing, photos, and a real party atmosphere matter. Anniversary parties, Sweet 16s, holiday parties, and milestone birthdays often land here.
The Pontchartrain Ballroom: 100 to 500 Guests
Pontchartrain is our largest space. It has thousands of fiber-optic stars across the ceiling, real gas lighting, a large dance floor with a permanent entertainment area, and an illuminated architectural backdrop wall. It also has its own private courtyard.
For events under roughly 250 guests, most or all seating is normally on the main floor. Larger events can use the balcony, which seats nearly 100 guests at regular tables, along with an additional upstairs bar. Live bands can be accommodated, and a modular stage is available.
Pontchartrain is the natural fit for galas, fundraisers, Mardi Gras balls, school banquets and proms, and large company holiday parties.
What If Your Count Falls Between Two Rooms?
Many events land where two rooms overlap, around 80 to 100 guests or 200 to 300. In that case, choose based on how the event will run, not just the number.
- Mostly seated and conversational? The smaller room usually feels fuller and warmer.
- Dancing, a DJ or band, and people moving around? Pick the room with the dance floor and space to circulate, even if the guest count would technically fit the smaller one.
- Count likely to grow? Plan for the room that can absorb extra guests.
Ceiling height matters too. Both ballrooms are about 17 feet high, which leaves room for larger décor and installations.
Your Event Stays Private, Even on a Busy Night
Fleur de Lis can host two events at once, usually one in each ballroom. Each ballroom has its own guest entrance, restrooms, bar, courtyard, and dedicated staff. The parking lot is essentially the only shared area. Because the building was originally a movie theater, sound separation between the rooms is strong, and ownership reports that simultaneous events haven’t caused a practical noise problem in about 17 years.
Practical Details Guests Will Notice
- Parking: Free on-site parking for 175+ vehicles, plus adjoining overflow parking.
- Comfort: The building is fully climate controlled, which matters during a Louisiana summer.
- Accessibility: Our primary event spaces are accessible without requiring second-floor access. Second-floor areas are stairs-only, and there is no elevator. Please contact us about specific accessibility needs.
- Bar service: All alcohol is provided through Fleur de Lis under our liquor license. Outside alcohol isn’t permitted. Uniformed security is required at events serving alcohol, and we coordinate it as part of your event arrangements.
What to Bring When You Inquire
To get a useful recommendation and quote, have these ready:
- Your preferred date, plus any backup dates
- An approximate guest count, including children
- The format: seated meal, cocktail-style mingling, or dancing
- Any entertainment you’re planning, such as a DJ, band, or presentation
Tours are available on weekdays and Saturday mornings. Call us at 985-626-9118 or visit our [Private Events] page to check availability, then come see the rooms in person before you decide.
