The Hawaiian word "Luau" (pronounce loo-owe) means 'a feast'. For the people who live in the Hawaiian Islands, a luau is a gathering of family and friends to enjoy good food, good company, and good times! There may or may not be spontaneous ukulele playing, singing and hula dancing. But it is a great way to enjoy family and friends and special occasions like bridal showers, rehearsal dinners, and weddings.

Because it is a fun atmosphere, luaus are ideal for a party with many people meeting for the first time. Your guests will be more relaxed right from the start.

Invitations:

With pictures of a beach, ocean and palm trees, birds, flowers, seashells etc.

Wording: For couples' shower: Benjamin and Sarah invite you to kick off your shoes and join them on the beach as they "dive" into a commitment of love, faithfulness and life together. Date, time, directions....

Wording: For bridal shower: You are invited to a bridal show for Sarah. Please join her (bridesmaids, mother etc) at (date, time, directions) for feasting and fun in paradise - Hawaiian style.

Luau invitations can be found at our party store.

If held at a beach or pool, you need to tell them what to bring (such as a swimming suit, straw skirt), or that seating will be under the "hut".

Mix things up a bit by using Hawaiian names. See if the bride and grooms' names are at AlohaFriends.com.

At the Door:

Have them walk though an entrance with tropical decorations like green streamers and leis. Door curtains make it easy. Order one at our party store - we have all kinds of decorations and paper goods.

Great the guests with an "ALOHA" and adorn them with a flower lei. Female guests can be given a flower to wear in their hair. The island tradition is if you are single - wear it behind the right ear, if not wear it behind the left. Silk flowers, silk leis and hula skirts can be found at: www.PartyDetails.com

Or you can make hula skirts out of large plastic green garbage bags. Cut the end, slice upwards towards drawstring in 1" strips. The drawstring can now be fitted to any size.

Decorating:

Place inflatable palm trees, or 3-d paper palm trees and plants around the room. If you plan it outside, it's even more fun. Stick pink flamingos on the lawn. Put birds and leaves over the entrance with green streamers or leis coming down.

Pink flamingo mylar balloons can also be found at www.PartyDetails.com

If you have a pool, put a pool fountain in it. Turn on the light in the pool. Add blowup sharks and sea creatures.

Have a tropical wall for a photo opportunity. With a beautiful backdrop it will be a great spot for pictures.

Rocks, tiki torches or citronella candles for the night, plain paper bags with lit candles, string white Christmas lights strung around the deck, on cactus, on bushes. Flowers in pots can be put in corners. Tiki masks on the walls. Hang colorful green, bright blue, and sandy balloons. Put a grass skirt around the buffet table. Use a green tablecloth. On the tables put sunglasses, shells, or coconut cups, pineapples and those little plastic Hawaiian girls dolls that shake their hips. Maracas for people to shake to get the couple to kiss.

Food: Fruit platters including Pineapple, mango, strawberries, oranges, grapes, cantaloupe, watermelon or carved watermelon boat, bananas etc. Snacks- summer fun shaped crackers with cheese, chips, shrimp with dip, Dinner- Hawaiian chicken, chicken fingers, crab, coconut shrimp, fish, mahi mahi filets. Salads: stuffed tune pasta shells, veggie salad or platter. Dessert-large sheet cake covered in blue icing and umbrella toothpicks surrounding it, pineapple upside down cake, macadamia cookies. Blue lemonade, punch, tropical slushies and orange juice to drink.

Authentic Hawaiian recipes can be found at:
http://www.hawaii.edu/recipes/

Sprinkle colorful tropical confetti on the buffet table or the guest tables.

Would you like to avoid clean up? Colorful tropical table covers, napkins, plates, aloha cups and other paper ware can be found at www.PartyDetails.com.

     

  

Music: Play Hawaiian and limbo music. Consider songs like Wipe Out, Hawaii Five-O from The Ventures, the Pina Colada song 'Escape' by Rupert Holmes, Surfin USA. Or, choose artists such as Don Ho, The Drifters, The Platters beach music, and The Beach Boys. For authentic music - you will want songs like Hawaiian Breeze, Maui Magic, Jamaican Nights, and Honolulu Moonlight.

You can find a wide selection of Hawaiian music at www.Amazon.com

Games:

Fun luau games like pass the coconut, the 'loudest hula shirt contest, and traditional games like spear throwing can be found at www.AlohaFriends.com

Banana swinging race. Tied a banana at one end of a string and the other end was tied around the guest's waist (with the banana hanging between their legs). The object of the game is to swing the banana (hips only!) and hit a ping pong ball to the finish line.

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