How To Throw a Fun Luau in Your Backyard

Aloha! A luau party offers the perfect opportunity to relax and have fun. Get away from your troubles and get together with the people you care about.

Welcome your friends and family to a Hawaiian- and Polynesian-inspired celebration. Get ideas on how to throw a fun luau in your backyard.

1. Create a Lush Space

Unless you live in a tropical location, you’ll have to get creative when it comes to setting the luau scene in your backyard. Transport your guests to a beautiful island paradise with some or all of the following ideas:

• Use bright colors like hot pink, ocean blue, and pineapple yellow and earthy colors like lush green and rich brown.
• Use silk, paper, or real flowers to decorate tabletops, hang on walls, or festoon overhead.
• Dress tables with wrap-around grass skirts.
• Put leis on tables.
• Use real or prop coconuts, pineapples, and banana leaves throughout your outdoor space.
• Make your buffet and beverage table look more bountiful by staggering the heights of serving plates and bowls.
• Use outdoor citronella candles and torches to keep mosquitoes at bay and add a tropical ambience.

2. Play Island-Inspired Music

The next key to throwing a fun luau in your backyard is to play island-inspired music. Play a curated playlist in your outdoor living space to create a fun mood. You can choose from a variety of genres, and from mellow and relaxed to upbeat songs.

Authentic Hawaiian musical genres offer a lot of variety, and you can mix in familiar tunes from groups like the Beach Boys. An eclectic mix of music focused on island and beach vibes will deepen your party’s luau theme. You can install outdoor speakers to ensure you get a full sound throughout your party space. And, as a plus, integrating technology is one of many ways to create a modern outdoor living space.

3. Offer Fuss-Free Food and Tropical Drinks

It wouldn’t be a luau without great food and drinks. Luau fare highlights grilled food and tropical fruits, so emulate this in your own offerings. You can grill different meats, vegetables, and fruits for skewers and burgers. Rice dishes also work well at a luau.

Along with water, you can offer guests cocktails, mocktails, and simply refreshing fruit juices. For added flair, dress drinks up with colorful drink umbrellas or wedges of fruit on the edges of the glasses.