How to Host an Elegant Hawaiian Party Theme

Looking for Hawaiian party theme ideas? Follow these simple tips to hosting an elegant luau party friends and family won’t forget.

Whether you are hosting a casual get-together, summer or birthday party, hosting a tropical Hawaiian luau is a super fun way to celebrate.

There are many ways to throw one but to me, the best parties are the ones that are easy to pull together.

So my best advice is to keep things as simple as possible with Hawaiian party theme decor, menu, and activity ideas.

Today, we are hosting an elegant Hawaiian party with friends in the potager garden as part of my monthly virtual supper club where my friends and I are sharing luau party ideas.

But you can see the food for luau ideas here.

So be sure to check out all of the inspiration at the end of this post. And if you are coming from Libbie’s from a Life Unfolding, Mahalo!

Wait until you see how easy it is to host a Hawaiian party theme!

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What Is a Luau?

They are so much fun!

A luau is a Hawaiian party or feast that is accompanied by some form of entertainment like hula and fire dancers.

Have you ever been to a luau before?

We’ve been to Hawaii twice and enjoyed the most beautiful luau dinner parties.

My inlaws live there, so it is a wonderful place to visit and hang with family.

How to Host an Elegant Hawaiian Party Theme

Luaus are so much fun with lots of activity, beautiful decor, and a delicious feast with incredible entertainment.

If you have the opportunity to visit the beautiful island of Oahu, you have to go to Germaine’s Luau.

It is AMAZING!

Book early if you want to experience an authentic Hawaiian luau.

While we can’t all be in Hawaii with an authentic luau, we can create our own at home with these tips.

Send Physical Invitations If Possible

I realize it’s EASIER to use an app like Evite to send to guests electronically, but there’s just something about receiving that invitation in the mail.

Especially in today’s digital world, it will FEEL more special if you send a physical invitation instead of using Evite only.

And I know that’s not always practical or possible, but if you can and have the time, it will set the tone of the party.

Oh and you get extra points if you make DIY invitations for your Hawaiian party theme too!

Choose Hawaiian Party Theme Table Decor

Selecting luau party decorations may look different to each host.

From grass skirts to large green leaves, shells, bright pretty flowers, and pineapples, there are lots of options to decorate a table for a Hawaiian party theme.

Choose the decorations that speak to you.

With my garden style vibe and rustic glam approach to decorating, I’m skipping the grass skirt for a table that’s a bit more elegant with lots of bright, beautiful colors.

Make a Beautiful Centerpiece for the Dining Table

Every table needs a gorgeous centerpiece to dress it up.

Use what you have and create a centerpiece that will wow guests using greenery, flowers, and other organic seasonal elements.

Centerpieces can be super simple and basic with a vessel and some flowers.

Or you can be a bit more creative with a centerpiece design.

Whatever you choose to work with, consider the things that remind you of Hawaii and decorate with those.

Since we don’t all live in Hawaii or similar climates, seek elements that are readily available to you but lend a tropical feel.

You can even load your houseplants out and around the dining area.

For my Hawaiian party theme, I made a beautiful centerpiece using pineapples as the vessel, cored, and filled with fresh flowers from the market, as well as my garden.

But the best part?

I was able to use the pineapple that I cored out for this dump cake pineapple recipe that is to die for!

And let me tell you how amazing it smells. Between the pineapple and the roses, I’m not sure which one is better but it smells incredible out here!

In addition to the pineapple centerpieces, I tucked in some beautiful snapdragons and helianthus ‘sunbelievable’ in mason jars to create more floral interest.

Include Organic Elements in the Table Decor Design

In addition to flowers and greenery, consider adding fresh fruits and vegetables to make the table feel more bountiful.

They brighten up the table while adding more texture, interest, and character.

And the best part?

You can use what you have on hand.

Open the refrigerator, harvest from the garden, or pull out some seasonal items.

And it doesn’t matter whether you use fresh or faux organic elements either.

Just be sure it looks real and authentic.

Decorate the Luau Party Table with Cozy Layers

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, always decorate a table in layers.

Whether you use a tablecloth, table runner or lots of pretty dinner table accessories, layer it up!

For this tropical luau party tablescape idea, I started with this gorgeous lightweight green bohemian tablecloth with pretty white fringe detail.

Don’t you love it?

It adds just enough texture with a rustic glam vibe.

Add Beautiful Dinnerware

To make this table feel more elegant, I used my wedding Lenox, layering my dinner and salad plates with a gorgeous bright fuschia pink linen napkin in between.

If you have vintage dishes or beautiful hand-me downs, break them out!

Just because it’s a summer dinner party doesn’t mean you can’t use the good stuff.

Life’s too short…don’t keep your special dinnerware tucked away.

Use it!

Table decor does not need to be matchy matchy either.

To create more visual interest, I used these vintage amber wine goblets with my grandmother’s crystal water glasses.

And finally, I organized my gold flatware in these adorable cutlery pouches with pretty ribbon.

Think Outside the Box

And to add a bit of whimsy, texture, and dimension to the table, I added pineapple tops.

Doesn’t that look so cool?

We aren’t planning to use the salad plates for a salad, so the pineapple tops are on the smaller plates to keep the juice off of the dinner plates.

Add Mood Lighting

No table is complete without some cozy mood lighting.

Add lots of pretty tapered candles and votives to create a warm and cozy atmosphere at the dinner table.

And if you can add string lights, do it!

Play Luau Party Music, Get Up, and Dance!

OK so maybe not everyone will feel like dancing, but set the mood with some festive luau music.

Prepare to host a limbo with a large pole.

And if you want to do something really fun that might require a bit more preparation?

Hire a dance teacher to drop by and teach the hula!

How fun would that be?

Thanks so much for dropping by my luau party!

I hope you found a lot of great inspiration from the celebration.

Next up in our Hawaiian party supper club is Michele from Vintage Home Designs.

I LOVE how she decorated her table this month!

Mahalo!

More About Hawaiian Party Themes

Have you hosted a Hawaiian party theme before? If so, do you have any tips or tricks you want to share? I would love to know more in the comments below.

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More Hawaiian Luau Party Ideas

One of the best parts about our supper club is the different perspectives we all have on decorating a table for that particular theme.

And this Hawaiian party theme has some beautiful ones.

Wait until you see the different luau party inspiration!

Looking for More Supper Club Ideas?

Our supper club has been so much fun and we’ve covered so much over the last year.

Whether you are in a supper club or just want some dinner party theme inspiration, check out the themes we’ve hosted before.

And click here if you want to learn how to organize and host your own supper club. They are so fun to do and provide a great reason to gather regularly with family and friends.

• Galentine’s Day Brunch
• St. Patrick’s Day
• Spring Brunch
• Cinco De Mayo
• 4th of July
• Picnic Date
• Tailgating Party
• Thanksgiving Dinner Party
• Christmas Dinner Party
• New Year’s Eve
• Cozy Winter Dinner
• Afternoon Tea Party

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