Luau Party Theme Invitations and Ideas

by dustytoes

Celebrate a birthday or holiday with a luau themed party. Find ideas for luau invitations, Hawaiian decorations, tropical clothing, and island food.

This page is all about planning a Hawaiian luau party. Luaus are popular for Christmas, where everyone wants to enjoy warmth and celebrate as if they live in a warm climate. Or, if you do live in a warm climate, a luau party is definitely appropriate.
Luaus are a great theme idea for a holiday office party where everyone dresses in Hawaiian apparel and tropical colors.
A luau themed party is also perfect or for a teenager's birthday, or a summer gathering by the pool.

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Christmas Party Luau Themed Invitations

Customize text to use for a home or office party with a Hawaiian theme to use year round.

Christmas Luau party invitation templates come with bright, Hawaiian flowers or other tropical design.  Customize lines to include information for your party needs.  Most templates work for either a house party or an office party.

If the design has no images that refer to the holidays, use the invitation for a birthday, graduation or other special event as needed.  The orange bird-of-paradise flower invitation below is an example.

Hawaiian Luau Office Party Invitations, Printed or Downloadable

The luau themed celebration can include everyone at the holiday season, and not only the ones who celebrate Christmas.
Christmas luau holiday office party invitation.
Christmas luau holiday office party i...
Bird of Paradise Orange Luau Party Invitation
Bird of Paradise Orange Luau Party In...
Luau Invitation in Dark purple blue Hibiscus border
Luau Invitation in Dark purple blue H...
Luau Themed Holiday Office Party invitations
Luau Themed Holiday Office Party invi...

Host an Office Party With a Hawaiian Luau Theme

Hosting an office party is similar to hosting a house party.  It will probably be a bit more subdued, especially with the bosses around, but invitations should specify the type of party.  Include attire expected, and start and end times.  

If the party is being catered, try to choose at least some tropical themed food.  The main entrée could be pineapple chicken and / or barbecued ribs.  Include some fruit that grows in the tropics - mangos, pineapple, and kiwi.  (Be aware that starfruit is not good for anyone with kidney problems.)  Offer punch infused with tropical flavors, and desserts with lime, orange and / or coconut.

How to Host a Luau Themed House Party

Here are some ideas for creating a Hawaiian theme.

As the host of a luau themed party, you will probably want to consider these ideas.  Depending on your budget some, or all, of these things can be purchased.  

First, your own attire!  Get yourself a summer sun dress (paid link), or tropical shirt.  The hosts should lead the way with Hawaiian attire.  Buy something you will wear often and not just for the party.

Start with the entryway and have a welcome mat, or welcome sign or wreath on the door.  As guests enter they should feel the vibe of the tropics.  Hang lanterns, fill vases with flowers, and light candles that contain beach smells of the ocean, coconut, and flowers.

Light up the party area with LED lights of some kind.  Lanterns or tiny white lights are always a good idea and work for other parties as well.

Display food on pineapple shaped platters, and serve drinks infused with tropical tastes. 

 

Create a tropical vibe at the party location.

Sights, sounds and smells as guests enter, should take them away to a tropical paradise. Put on some Jimmy Buffet!
Bright Zeal 20' Long 30 LED Lanterns ...
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Bunch of 10 PU Real Touch Lifelike Ar...
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Mahalo Floral Leis : Package of 12 by...
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Hawaiian shirts for women

Tropical themed shirts or dresses are a must when attending a luau.

View the My Half Hawaiian shirts page at Amazon (click the image - this is a paid link with possible commission earned) to see a wide variety of button up shirts for woman.

The short-sleeve shirts are polyester and machine washable.  The bold and colorful designs contain flowers, jungle leaves, and / or palm trees.

 

What to Bring: Ideas for Guests

Dress up and bring a tropical dish.

If you are invited to a luau party and are asked to bring a "dish to share", you should bring something that tastes tropical.

Pinterest is one of the best places to find recipes of all kinds, so begin your search there.  Many items in the appetizer category are pretty simple.  Many tropical dishes have fruit and / or coconut that comes from the tropics.  Try for a cold dish that can sit out for a bit and still taste good.  It may be difficult for the host to heat up everyone's side dish to serve.  Maybe get with the hostess and see what is needed.

As a hostess gift, bring a bottle of wine or sangria.  Also a little hand towel, or kitchen towel with a tropical print would be nice.

More ideas for what to wear to a Hawaiian Luau party

Bright clothing and big flowers for hair.
SSLR Hawaiian Shirt for Men Flamingo ...
Only $19.99
Marsrut 10PCS Hibiscus Flowers Hawaii...
Only $10.99

Luau Birthday Party

Luaus are popular in summer and winter.

The luau theme is popular at all times of year and for all kinds of occasions.  Celebrating a milestone birthday is probably the number one way to celebrate with this tropical theme.

The luau party works in summer or winter.  When the sun is shining and the pool, or lake, is warm it's the perfect time to contribute to the ambiance by having a luau.  Grills can be lit and used to cook all kinds of delicious food, from kabobs to ribs.

In winter, the luau helps everyone feel a little less shut in by snow and ice.  Turn the heat up and wear short sleeves!  Eat like you are seated at a pig roast on the shore in Hawaii.  Pretending that warmth is present helps to scatter the oppressive cold of winter.  This is probably why so many people have Christmas luau parties.

Luau Birthday Party Invitations

Our invitation designs have beautiful plumeria and bird-of-paradise flowers.
Green Luau Party Plumeria Flowers Invitation
Green Luau Party Plumeria Flowers Inv...
Ocean Bird of paradise Flowers Invitation
Ocean Bird of paradise Flowers Invita...

Indoor vs. Outdoor Party

A few more suggestions for your party.

If you have a luau party in warm months, consider having tiki torches, and other candles burning outside to keep bugs away.  An outdoor party, on a patio or in the yard, helps keep messes at a minimum.  Have small tables set up and plenty of chairs for guests to sit and relax.

If the party takes place in winter, and everyone is inside, keep drink coasters on the tables and have plenty of napkins around.  

Don't forget to decorate the main bathroom that everyone will use.  Have a good-smelling candle lit and replace the everyday towels with something more appropriate for the party theme.

Updated: 12/19/2023, dustytoes
 
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Have you ever hosted or attended a luau themed party?

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DerdriuMarriner on 10/20/2023

The computer crashed before I completed my end-October through beginning-January celebrations-related comments.

Luau-party themes look so workable. It seems to me that turkey camp-fired or grilled works for Thanksgiving and, since I serve no ham or "pig" bacon or pork, for Christmas and New Year's and their Eves.

Boar's Head hummus somewhat triggers in me thoughts of pudding-looking Hawaiian poi.

So perhaps their artichoke and spinach, roasted pine nut, Meyer lemon and dark chocolate and pumpkin pie hummus lines -- all of which I've sampled and then purchased last month and this month -- work respectively for vegetables and dessert nuts, fruits and pies.

My already-worked-out menus for October-January wouldn't have been possible or so quick if you had not written this versatile luau party-themed wizzley.

Thank you again for the ideas and for the product lines ;-D!

Oh, what would you suggest for luau party-friendly hot drinks (even as I already know the chilled and room-temperature will be one of your recommendations: sangria [over the wine]!) and non-alcoholic cool and room-temperature drinks?

DerdriuMarriner on 10/19/2023

And let's not forget New Year's Eve and New Year parties, which are right around the corner.

Is the weather forecast colder for your southernmost Unitedstatesian state than usual? It's looking that way with three coastal states between me and you!

Luau-themed parties sound as though they will get me through every celebration between now and January 2024!

So thank you for the product lines ;-D!

dustytoes on 10/18/2023

Yes, absolutely! And for pre-wedding showers and the rehearsal dinner.

DerdriuMarriner on 10/18/2023

Me too, I agree that the luau theme adapts nicely to weddings.

Mightn't it also work for Friends- and Thanks-giving parties, what with an orange color-themed luau working nicely for including pumpkins and what with turkey being so adjustable to all sorts of preparations, such as camp-firing and grilling?

Tolovaj on 10/17/2023

Luau Party theme could work great for weddings too!

DerdriuMarriner on 10/14/2023

The Hawaiian theme here brought to mind something somewhat related, somewhat unrelated.

It's related because it's Hawaii-related but unrelated because it may be camper-related.

I meant to let you know that my feline sentients like the Alex Loughlin Hawaii Five-O, the Jay Hernandez Magnum PI and the ongoing NCIS: Hawai'i television series. We meet -- "Get there early. Get a good seat" -- in my room for my me-and-feline-sentient-family film night, with them on the bed edge, on either side of me sitting on the floor, facing the chest with its television set.

Wouldn't it be just too precious to set feline sentients up in a Hawaii television series-watching corner for when they want down time from a luau-themed party or should you institute -- ;-D -- camper-family film night?!

DerdriuMarriner on 10/14/2023

Me too, I like that "hint" about leave-taking.

Might I start serving coffee when get-togethers need to end? I think so! What about you?

(An acquaintance from university years liked American parties because even students had plenty of food [even if it was all lasagna and red wine ;-D]). She was from Germany and was impressed with the way that Americans had numbers of covered plates and trays to replace whatever got eaten. She always worried at home that student-life one-serving trays only would give party food for an hour at most ;-{! So that would have been their leave-taking "hints": how disappointing for an hour-limited get-together!)

dustytoes on 10/12/2023

I like that idea as a "hint" that it's time to leave! If that exists in the US, I know nothing about it. Then again, I don't attend many parties.

DerdriuMarriner on 10/12/2023

This comment and its ensuing question appear a bit related because of its family and friends, office parties contexts and a bit unrelated because of its broaching appropriate leaving times.

Tolovaj had an article in which he shared that European party-givers signal that party time is over when hostesses and hosts either go around offering coffee or start setting up a coffee table.

Such a Unitedstatesian equivalent never presented itself in my presence.

Would you know if there's some such similar etiquette regarding personal and work-related parties on our side of the Atlantic pond?

dustytoes on 10/12/2023

I do like blue, and it is also a good color for anything with a tropical theme!


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