Luau

Always wanted to go to Hawaii? Beautiful beaches, great cultural experiences, historical sites… We finally made it this past May and were able to attend a traditional Hawaiian luau. The dancers were amazing and the pork was delicious. It is something worth experiencing.

But if you’re like we were and have to save up for years to go on such a vacation, try bringing the luau to you.

Luaus are a popular theme for birthday parties, graduation parties, school functions, etc. We have hosted/been to many over the years so thought we would throw out some suggestions on how to throw a great luau themed party.

Decorations

For Mallory's brother's high school graduation party several years ago, her mom decided to have a beach theme. She bought/borrowed table cloths, banners, giant inflatable trees... We had cups from previous parties (and two from vacation), some shaped like coconuts.

She had chafing dishes to keep food warm and the giant inflatable tree, which doubled as a cooler. Just place ice around the base and make sure it's in a place where it won't matter too much if it leaks.

If you're looking for something more simple, just try tropical themed table decorations. For our friend Britney's birthday one year, we simply used a few flowers and leis for our table.

Food

For the birthday party, Hillary, who has become an expert in watermelon carving, made an awesome fruit shark. At a different party, Mallory made margarita and s'more cupcakes (which do not go with the theme per say but are still delicious). She also tested her cake decorating skills at one of our many luaus by making a ukulele cake. Mom had a guitar pan!

A good choice for non-sweet treats is grilled chicken and veggies. We even found an awesome recipe for a Hawaiian marinade. We did not attempt to roast a pig. ;)

http://www.cooks.com/recipe/jd0ej3hj/hawaiian-grilled-chicken.html

And no grilling for a luau is complete without your hula skirt.

Activities

The perfect place to host a luau is at a swimming pool obviously (or the beach if you live close to one). And no, you're never too old for pool parties.

And if you don't have a large pool at your disposal, a small one will work too.

Hopefully, some day you will make it to a real Hawaiian luau, but until then, stick with drinking margaritas by the pool with your friends.