Make your annual summer party a bit more exotic this year and host a luau. With a little planning and imagination, you can turn an ordinary get-together into an event to remember.
Below are some ideas to get you started planning your own luau.

Invitations - Get your guests in the luau party mood right from the beginning by sending luau themed invitations. You can choose from many pre-designed luau invitation or you can create something more unique. Be sure to tell your guests to come dressed in their best Hawaiian shirts and grass skirts. Here are some invitation ideas:

· Write your party details on Hawaiian Postcards and address them to your guests.

· Decorate plain note cards with flower stickers and create invitations.

· If you are computer savvy, you can find many tropical pictures on the Internet and create great party invitations.

· If your guests are close by, you can pin a note card to a pineapple and hand deliver a unique, edible and unforgettable invite.

Luau Decorations - Be sure to decorate the inside and outside of your house for the party. Create a tropical atmosphere with your decorations. Tiki torches and citronella candles are both useful and decorative for the outside. Both inside and outside you can drape fish nets and attach paper fish, crabs, seahorses and lobsters to the nets. Hang paper parrots and toucans on the walls. Be sure to have an Aloha Banner where all can see when they first enter. You can decorate the food tables with grass table skirts, hula-girl centerpieces and fresh or silk flowers. Hawaiian music is a must as well. In addition to purchasing some Hawaiian CDs, pick up a few inexpensive Ukuleles. You never know who has hidden musical talent.

Luau Costume Attire - Grass Skirts and Leis are luau staples. Plan to have extra grass skirts on hand for those guests that didn’t bring their own. When one thinks luau, they think leis. Plan to provide at least 3 leis per guest. If you can, greet each guest at the door with a lei and say Aloha. Additional fun luau attire includes flower headbands, flower bracelets, flower hair clips, coconut bras. After a few tropical drinks, your guests will have a ball dressing up with the Hawaiian costume accessories.

Food - While it would be great to roast a pig, you can serve anything you wish if you present it in a festive way. Use colorful plastic bowls for salads. Create pineapple and watermelon bowls for fruit salads by cutting the fruit in half and scooping out the fruit to leave the shell. Place mixed fruit salad in the hollowed out watermelon and pineapple. Serve chips and snacks in beach pails. Be sure to use festive paper plates, napkins and colorful plasticware.

Drinks - Fruity and frozen drinks are perfect for your luau. Pina Coladas, Daiquiris, and Margaritas, Mai Tai’s and Punch are great. Be sure to have those little umbrellas on hand to decorate the drinks.

Games - The limbo is a great luau game. All you need is a broomstick and some great music. Round up a couple of hula-hoops and have a contest to see how long your friends can hula. For the kids, set up a baby pool filled with sand and have them dig for treasures in the sand.

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