If you don’t find any pre-made invitations that you like, make Hawaiian shirts from tropical themed scrapbooking paper and write the details on the back.
Decorations:
With a luau party theme, the more decorations the better to help set the mood!
Table covers in tropical colors: hot pink, lime green, yellow, turquoise, and orange.
Raffia table skirting
Seashells
Sand Pails and beach toys
Blow up beach balls
Fish Nets
Pink Flamingos
Parrots
Palm Trees (real, inflatable, or made from butcher paper)
Flowers (Hibiscus, orchids, palms)
Fresh Fruit (pineapples, coconuts, bananas)
Tiki Torches
Paper Lanterns
Use real hollowed out coconuts as candle holders
Travel posters to the islands (maybe you can get for free from a travel agent!)
Hint: Serve drinks with those cute little drink umbrellas
Luau Party Ideas for Beach Music:
Jimmy Buffett
Beach Boys
Reggae
Fun Beach/Hawaiian/Luau Music Compilation CD’s Hint: Start the party with music towards your theme, and then after your guests arrive move the music toward regular party music – tunes you and your friends will love. These are often songs that you would have listened to as a teenager or in college. Everyone enjoys listening to music that they are familiar with!
Activities:
Have guests dress for the occasion: luau, beach, tropical wear. Award prizes for the best.
Give each guest a lei to wear when they arrive. If they didn’t come dressed “tropical” for the party, then this will help get them in the mood. (If your budget allows, give everyone a grass skirt too!)
Hula Hoop Contest
Pass the Orange Game (two teams form a line…each team has an orange and passes it from person to person under their chin – no hands allowed! The first team that passes the orange all the way down the line wins!)
Prior to the party look up the Hawaiian name of each of your guests and include it on a name tag
Limbo!
Hire a hula dancer to come do a show and teach a dance
Margarita Glasses from the $1 store (decorate each glass by wrapping beaded wire around the stem – helps the guest keep up with their glass AND then they can take them home.
If you passed out
leis
at the beginning of the party, then those can be a party favor.
