It is not at all complicated to organize a Hawaiian party! Make it casual, ask guests to dress according to the theme, decorate the house with flowers, plants, scented candles and bright colors to give the impression of being in the tropics; serve fish dishes, offer cocktails and tropical drinks. Also include fun activities, such as balo hula or "Hawaiian bingo".
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Inviting Guests
Step 1. Send out invitations that match the theme
Ask friends, family and neighbors to join the party; mail or email Hawaiian invitations that you can decorate with palm trees, hula girls or surfers. You can also choose postcards featuring pictures of beaches, flowers or marine scenes.
Step 2. Ask guests to dress appropriately
It is certainly not an exaggeration to ask guests to wear bathing suits, sundresses or shorts; Hawaiian-style shirts (flower-print or island-themed), shorts or bathing skirts are readily available during the summer. Remind them to wear sandals or provide cheap flip flops decorated with fake flowers.
Step 3. Offer each guest a lei as soon as they arrive
If you plan to build the wreaths from real flowers yourself, you need to prepare them the night before the event; if not, you can make paper crowns. Place one around each guest's head as soon as they show up to get them into the party spirit right away.
Part 2 of 4: Decorating the Environment
Step 1. Use bright colors
Hawaii is green, lush and full of tropical flowers; tries to reproduce the typical landscape of the islands by decorating the space with bright shades. Choose tablecloths in bright colors, such as red and blue, with floral prints or with the mask of the Tiki divinity; add touches of complementary colors.
Step 2. Make a Hawaiian centerpiece
You can fill vases or bowls with fresh flowers, such as hibiscus, plumeria or sterlizia to give the tables a tropical touch; alternatively, you can pour sand into small buckets and place shells, flowers or even candles on the surface. Also consider hollowing out a pineapple and filling it with flowers or small paper umbrellas.
Step 3. Use bamboo plates and cutlery
Not only is this material biodegradable and compostable, it is also perfect for the atmosphere you want to reproduce. Buy plates, forks, knives and spoons made with bamboo at stores specializing in party supplies or order them online; combine it all with cheerful napkins.
Step 4. Arrange some bamboo tiki torches
They are typical of beach parties and immediately bring the mind to the Hawaiian Islands. Buy some at a garden or furniture center and plant them firmly in the garden. Depending on the area you live in, you may encounter some difficulties in finding these torches; you can then replace them with some kind of outdoor candle or lantern.
Keep a fire extinguisher on hand in case of an accident
Step 5. Arrange a series of scented candles
Choose those with coconut, lime, plumeria or the scent of sea breeze; organize them in the space dedicated to the party to create the right atmosphere and enrich it with a tropical aroma.
Step 6. Add greenery
Use it to decorate the room and make sure guests feel like they are in Hawaii. Go to your local garden store to find the right plants; arrange the ones found in the vases all around the party space or decorate the tables with straw skirts. You can even line serving trays with banana or palm leaves.
Step 7. Get some inflatable decorations
Stock up on such items, such as beach balls, palm trees, and sharks. they are perfect for a pool party, but you can also distribute them in the garden or around the house. You can also use a small inflatable pool to keep drinks cool; just fill it with ice, water and put bottles and cans in it.
Part 3 of 4: Serving Hawaiian Food and Drinks
Step 1. Prepare some fish
Nothing respects the Hawaiian theme of seafood more; you can barbecue raspberry, salmon or serve sushi. Offer a prawn cocktail as an appetizer or make fish skewers.
Step 2. Make a Hawaiian pizza
Ham and pineapple are the typical ingredients of this dish. Organize an area where guests can prepare their own pizza or prepare it in time; if you don't want to waste time in the kitchen, you can also order it in advance.
Step 3. Cook some burgers on the barbecue
Although not typical of the Hawaiian tradition, they are perfect for mixing the island style with the American one; offer a couple of varieties, like veggie burgers, cheese burgers, or stuffed with bacon and onions. Don't forget the toppings, such as lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard.
Step 4. Prepare the poi
It is a traditional Hawaiian dish based on taro root that is mashed with a specific stone pestle; add some water until you get a smooth, sticky mixture and serve it to friends for a real Hawaiian meal.
Step 5. Offer some fresh fruit
Pineapple, guava, papaya, lychee and coconut cannot miss in a party of this type, as well as bananas, raspberries, pitaya and carambola; serve them individually or slice them into a large fruit salad.
Step 6. Cook the stuffed peppers
A spicy dish fits perfectly into the party. Remove the inside of some jalapeño peppers and stuff them with cheese, bacon or shrimp; in the end you just need to sear them a little on the barbecue.
Step 7. Offer typical island drinks
Cocktails such as Blue Hawaii or Mai Tai are a must for adult guests, while for children you can prepare tropical fruit juices, such as pineapple, or fruit-flavored water; garnish the glasses with paper umbrellas or pieces of fruit. You can also serve them in half coconuts to stay on topic.
Step 8. Don't forget the pineapple upside-down cake
It is a perfect dessert for the tropical party; you can cook it yourself or buy it from a pastry shop to serve your guests with a delicious and refreshing dessert.
Part 4 of 4: Organizing Activities
Step 1. Watch a Hawaiian themed movie
This is a great detail that creates the right atmosphere. Consider introducing Blue Hawaii, 50 First Dates or Blue Crush for adults and Oceania or Lilo and Stitch for kids.
Step 2. Play Hawaiian Bingo
Make bingo or bingo cards with marine or beach themes. Use words associated with Hawaii, such as "luau", "hula" and "island"; announce the words and ask guests to cross them off on their cards if they are present. Proclaim the winner based on who completes all the card first or strikes all rows or all columns.
Step 3. Listen to themed music
Get a CD with Hawaiian songs or download them from the internet in MP3 format; if you want to recreate a relaxing atmosphere, you can choose pieces by Kapena or Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. Choose rhythmic music, such as Three Plus or Ten Feet; do some research to find local artists, such as the Peppers and Jack Johnson.
Alternatively, you can hire a group of Polynesian drummers or Hawaiian musicians
Step 4. Dance with a straw skirt
It is a traditional Hawaiian garment that you can buy, make yourself or with a group of friends. If you can find someone who can teach you some hula steps, the party is even more fun; put on the music and dance the night away.
Step 5. Organize Limbo Matches
It is a very fun activity, typical of any self-respecting Hawaiian party. Get a bamboo pole at a home improvement store and use it as a stick to see how far you and your guests can go! Prepare a particularly beautiful lei as a prize for the winner; alternatively, you can give away a floral shirt or sunscreen.
Step 6. Try the hula hoop
Purchase several hula hoop rings to make available to guests; leave them in the garden so that people can use them whenever they want. You can also organize a race to see who can keep the circle moving the longest or who does the most rotations in two minutes.
Step 7. Hire fire dancers
If space and money allow you, consider contacting artists for the party. The dance with fire is an ancient tradition of the Hawaiian people that draws its origins from the volcanic eruptions and the lava that has spread over all the islands; the presence of these dancers creates the real Hawaiian atmosphere.
