Niecy Nash-Betts and Jessica Betts Celebrate 5th Wedding Anniversary (Exclusive)

Niecy Nash-Betts and her wife Jessica Betts are celebrating five years of marriage. 

The Grotesquerie actress, 55, and the 43-year-old singer-songwriter held an intimate, Mardi Gras-themed party at their Los Angeles-area home on Saturday, Aug. 30, to mark their fifth wedding anniversary. 

“We fell in love in New Orleans,” Nash-Betts tells PEOPLE exclusively in a joint interview with Betts of why they chose to go with the festive carnival theme. 

Upon arrival, the first stop for guests was a photo booth set up in their driveway with handheld signs like “Krewe of Betts” and Mardi Gras masks to wear for pictures. 

Next it was time to “Laissez les bons temps rouler” (French for “Let the good times roll”) in their backyard, where different sized purple, green and gold balloons floated in their pool. Mardi Gras beads were also draped over alligator decor.

Nash-Betts adds, “And we had a lot of seafood boils. A lot of late nights. A lot of magic.”

There were three different food stations set up throughout their two-level yard — one with all the makings of a perfect charcuterie paired with deviled eggs topped with shrimp; another for New Orleans staples like red beans and rice with andouille sausage, chicken gumbo with okra and crawfish étouffée. 

Centered in the middle was a “seafood boil” table, complete with snow crab legs, shrimp, corn, potatoes and more.

“Simply the Betts” was one of the personalized drinks featured at the bar and consisted of vodka, cranberry and lime.

The guest list was mainly family with a few familiar faces from the couple’s friend group — Ava DuVernay, Jenifer Lewis, Kym Whitley and Angie Beyincé. 

“We thought about doing a traditional vow renewal, and then it just kind of turned into a celebration of love and we wanted to celebrate New Orleans in that way,” Nash-Betts tells PEOPLE. 

About midway through the party, a brass band led by two professional dancers entered, followed by a Zulu Tramp from the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club of New Orleans. 

Nash-Betts worked with her wedding planner, William P. Miller of W.P. Miller Special Events, to produce the couple’s anniversary party and curate the experience for their guests

Five years after their marriage, the couple looks back at their pandemic wedding, telling PEOPLE the celebration then was “the same as you see now, except it was during COVID, [so] less people.”

Their home ceremony included drive-up COVID testing and just 24 people from their inner circle.

“We had a time. We danced all night. It was beautiful,” Nash-Betts tells PEOPLE. 

Betts adds, “What better way to have our fifth right here, in the place that we said our vows for forever.”

Nash-Betts also tells PEOPLE that she was the first to make a move on Betts when they met. 

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“I did,” the All’s Fair actress says with a laugh. “Straight up.”

“People think I got taken advantage of by a young thundercat, but the truth of the matter is,” Nash-Betts says as Betts cuts in, “I got swooped up!”

The Claws alum adds, “Swooped up, baby! I cougared you!”