Luau Party for Graduation any ideas?!
Luau Party for Graduation any ideas?
I am having a graduation party at my house for all my senior friends. I am cleaning out my garage and covering all the walls with blue sheets and fabric. I want to cover the floor with sand but idk how much it is or if my dad approves. I am going to keep the garage doors open (the big ones where the cars come in) and hang paper lanterns in the door ways. I am going to use card board and paint bright signs that say beach this way and stuff like that.. I am also going to make a cardboard surf board with an ocean view on it. I am getting an inflatable palm tree and some flower petals to spread around. I am hoping to get round tables and cover the tops with blue or green table cloths and wrap a grass table skirt around each. For the tops of the tables I want to have either Hawaiian looking flowers or a coconut candle in the center surrounded by seashells. Also on the ceiling I want to have a blue sheer fabric with white Christmas lights. I will probably have a few beach balls laying around. My dad is making me this tiki bar (a cheap one) using plywood for the table top and using bamboo rods to hold up the top. I am planning on covering it the same way I will do the tables with a table cloth and grass skirt and a grass skirt also for the top (roof) of the tiki bar. I was going to make a little area where people could change but I don't know how I could do that. I was going to make it out of fabric but I thought people could easily pull it open so it wouldn’t be too private. Oh yeah I was also going to get a fish net and hang it over the fabric wall and put fish and sea shells in it. Out side I want to have tiki torches, a sign, maybe balloons. We have this huge black tarp that we always use as a slip and slide, I know its kind of juvenile but it's so much fun! I was thinking about renting a volley ball net, but I’m not sure about that yet. I was also going to have music playing in the garage to set a mood. For food I was going to have hot dogs, hamburgers, chips and salsa and drinks with cocktail parasols to serve at the tiki bar. For gift bags I was going to give stuff like seashell necklaces, ocean or coconut scented soaps and sprays, surf board key chains, maybe a cute notebook idk tell me if you have any ideas especially for guys. But yeah that’s about it if you have any ideas please let me know. If u have done a luau tell me how yours went thanks. I am buying my stuff from oriental trading, dollar tree and wall-mart.
Answers:
I think all your decorations sound so cool! How about coconut drinks?...At night- how about a fire with hawiian dances around the fire...perhaps you could get some people to tell stories or show some native hawiian dances..if you know anyone from there. I would go to the triple a office in your area (or call them) for brochures..use the list of events and pictures of the island to help spark new ideas for you! I wish I was in your class...it sounds like fun. I hope you have a great time. Also- if there is alcohol..don't forget to take keys and supply a designated driver. At my party we took up a collection upon arrival- and distributed it to the DD's at the time they started driving people home! Don't forget to make your dad a hawiian thank you note for his help!
It seems like you have everything down pat. For the changing area perhaps your dad could make a dressing room that you could wrap with the similar fabric. Your guests will know what the area is and if they are mature they will not intrude. You could make another sign that says bikini station.
I had a party similar to this and one thing we did that was really fun was explain what poi was and see who was willing to be in a food eating contest with it. Really it was just pudding and food color.
If you are putting the sand in your garage it should be fine, but it is a MESS! I can't even tell you how long it was until there were no traces of sand around our house.
Also, check some of the local dance schools around you, you might be able to get some hula dancers pretty inexpensively.
And try to make some tropical type foods. You might want to grill some pineapple and serve it with yogurt dip. I know it sounds nasty, but it's delish!
get a lot of tiki torches
inexpensive flower leis are a nessecity. I would also have a shoe storage area. nothing says the beach like barefeet. you could get big rolls of tan paper or newsroll at your local newspaper office and spray paint it tan it is cheaper and easier to clean up than sand. A roll of the paper usually runs about $5-7 and a couple of cans of spray paint are $3-4 and with the spray paint the more uneven the better.