Simply put…beach parties can’t be beat. So when a free summer Saturday appeared on the calendar it was all to easy to plan and co-host a Tiki Party with our neighbors.

The best part of the party preparation was clearly taste testing the tiki themed cocktails, but a close second was deciding on our beach themed decor and menu. Here are some tips we learned along the way.

Beach Party Tip 1: Serve Colorful REEF-reshments

Our signature tiki cocktails for the evening were Coconut Rum Punch and a New England classic the Cape Codder. Be sure to have a few pre-mixed pitchers at the ready to pour for guests as soon as they arrive.

Beach Party Tip 2: Build a DIY Tiki Bar

A beach party isn’t complete without its very own tiki bar. If you don’t have wooden pallets sitting around to DIY your own from scratch (like this one on pinterest)…no worries! We just picked up some grass skirting, duck tape and a Tiki Bar sign at Party City and quickly transformed our kitchen island into one pretty impressive bar station…complete with jello shots (thanks Jim!) and those little tropical print umbrellas  to top off our signature drinks.

Beach Party Tip 3: Lanterns and beach gear = budget friendly and super festive decor!

We picked up everything from paper lanterns to beach balls at Party City. Then we used our beach umbrellas and towels to add some color to the space. Another bonus to living close to the beach…all the gear at the ready to use as decorations, hehehe.

Beach Party Tip 4: Hawaiian Pizza is always a hit

We decided on a menu filled with party time favorites like buffalo chicken dip, pigs in a blanket and teriyaki chicken wings. We also added a few tropical inspired treats like coconut cupcakes and my personal favorite, Hawaiian Pizza! It was all super yummy. All these summer fun recipes can be found on Pinterest.

Beach Party Tip 5: Floral Leis make fantastic favors

Similar to our Halloween shindig, our guests quickly became a part of the colorful backdrop dressed to the nines in their beach attire and lei’s they received the minute the walked in the doors. And don’t forget a few extras for your furry kids.

I hope your next Hawaiian Beach Party is just as fun.

Aloha,

Rae