Hawaiian Luau Ideas

Spirit of the islands

Once you have decided to host a Hawaiian Luau, the first step is to set a party budget. Hawaiian luaus can be planned on a variety of budgets. If you want a traditional luau, you might choose hire authentic hula dancers, Hawaiian caterers, and plan to purchase leis made of real flowers and other authentic party supplies. You could also choose to find Hawaiian recipes online and make food yourself in order to lower costs.

Now it's time to send out party invitations and plan Hawaiian party decor. Invitations should match the Hawaiian luau theme and include the date, time, location, and attire for the event. A great way to welcome your guests to the party is with a lei greeting. You can choose to purchase real flower leis online or plastic leis from your local party supply store. Tiki statues are also a fun way to decorate. If your event is going to be in the evening consider using Tiki torches for lighting. You can also use items from around your home and make your own Hawaiian decorations. You can easily create a luau feel by decorating with tropical flowers and creating hula skirts from raffia palms.

Hawaiian entertainment ideas

One of the best ways to bring the authentic feel of a traditional luau to your event is by hiring island-style entertainment. For Hawaiian entertainment and other Polynesian entertainment you might choose to hire a ukulele player, poi fire performer, or other interactive performer. To create a more traditional luau, consider hiring professional hula dancers. In general, guests will love dancing to beach music performed by a Beach Boys tribute band, surfer band, or Reggae band. Hire a DJ to add beach music to your event, or book a cover band to play familiar favorites. But let's be honest... what's a beach party without a Jimmy Buffett tribute artist?

Chow down, Hawaiian style

Many options are available for the menu of a Hawaiian luau. If you want a traditional feast, consider hiring a professional caterer and choosing from a list of their specialties and creative Hawaiian luau food ideas. Authentic food served at luaus is often poi, kalua pig, lomi salmon, and poke. Poi is a traditional Hawaiian staple food made from mixing taro roots and water into a smooth consistency. Kalua pig is pork cooked in a traditional Hawaiian underground oven. Lomi salmon, small pieces of salmon mixed with tomatoes and onions, is often enjoyed by locals when served with poi. Poke is Hawaiian-style raw fish marinated in lemon juice and coconut cream.

If traditional foods do not sound appetizing to you consider preparing sea food, crab cakes, summer salads, and pineapple fruit skewers. If you're hosting a backyard Hawaiian luau, grilling on the barbecue is always a good idea. If you plan to serve alcohol at your event, add a tropical flavor by hiring a flair bartender to serve tasty mixed drinks (complete with fresh flowers, fruit wedges and umbrellas, of course) to your guests while entertaining them with juggling, flipping and magic tricks.

Sand between your toes

A few other details you may want consider when planning your Hawaiian luau are party favors and event photography. It is always a good idea to give your guests a party favor to thank them for attending your party. You can choose to purchase unique personalized party favors or give general themed favors. Ideas for Hawaiian luau favors could include sunglasses, sea shells, or leis. You also want the memories of your event to last forever. Consider hiring an event photographer to capture all of the special moments of the party. If you cannot afford a professional, make sure either you have a camera handy or designate a friend or family member to be in charge of photographs.

If all of this still sounds like a lot to take on, you could always hire a Luau event planner to handle it for you. However, with the right resources you can do it yourself and have fun doing it. GigSalad is here to help you every step of the way as your one stop shop for all your Hawaiian luau planning needs!