Ultimate Tips for Throwing a Tiki-Themed Party

The warm weather is here and it’s only going to get hotter! It’s time to start planning your tiki-themed party for friends and family this summer. Nothing says relax and enjoy yourself more than tropical adult beverages served from a tiki bar, kabobs on the BBQ, and hula dancing with your buds. Keep reading for fun tiki party decorations and ideas for your summer get-together. 

Invitations

To get your tiki-themed party started, you’re going to need some fun invitations! You could always go with the tried and true party invitations sent in the mail. Invitation printing companies can customize tiki-themed invitations or you can order blank ones and fill in the information. A fun twist on mailed invitations is to use postcards from tropical places! If you’re not into traditional snail mail, you could go with a free electronic invite app. For apps like Evite, you’ll only need your recipient’s cell number or email address. They also have fun tropical invitation themes that can fit with your tiki party. 

Tiki Party Decorations

It’s best to start planning your party early so you have plenty of time to find all the tiki party decorations, tableware, and other party supplies that you’ll need. Big box retailers usually focus on birthdays, baby showers, and gender reveals when it comes to party decorations. To really make your party tiki-themed you’ll need some tropical decorations, tropical flora and fauna tableware, and Hawaiian leis for your guests to wear. Don’t forget to dress your drink serving area to look like a tiki bar! No tiki-themed party would be complete without the tiki bar.

Tropical Food

You're going to need some good tiki party food ideas to really drive home your tiki theme. Some fun ideas for tiki appetizers are pork and pineapple sliders on Hawaiian bread, Huli Huli-style grilled tuna tacos, and tortilla chips with mango salsa. Since it’s summer, your guests are going to expect some yummy grilled food for the main course. Some of our favorite tropical BBQ ideas for a tiki party include tangy shrimp and pineapple kabobs, teriyaki chicken thighs, and pineapple-braised ribs. You’ll also want to have some sweet treats for dessert to seal the deal. When we think of tropical desserts, we think of fresh fruit and tropical flavors. Pineapple upside-down cake, coconut cream pie, passion fruit ice cream, and Hawaiian ambrosia will make your guests fat and happy. If you don’t want to worry about making and serving food at your tiki-themed party, consider getting catering from a local restaurant.

Tropical Cocktails

And of course, we can’t forget the tropical adult beverages. Think tropical cocktails like Bahama Mamas, Mai Tais, Blue Hawaiis, Piña Coladas, Rum Runners, strawberry mojitos, and margaritas. Many tropical drink recipes can be adjusted to make a tasty alcohol-free drink for kids. As we mentioned early, you’ll need a tiki bar at your party for serving beverages. If you have someone to man the bar and serve drinks for your guests, that’s great! If not, don’t fret. We have the perfect idea for tiki party drinks. Pre-mix your cocktails, add ice, and use large drink dispensers so guests can easily serve themselves. You could use glass drink dispensers with a spigot, gallon containers with a handle, or sports-style coolers with a spigot.

Tiki-Themed Party Activities

These tiki party games are perfect for people of all ages:

• Hula hoop contest - People who can hula hoop the longest, use the most hula hoops at once, or do the craziest hula hoop style are the winners. 
• Coconut rolling - You can incorporate coconuts into traditional games. For a bocce ball alternative, you can roll coconuts to see who can get theirs closest to the small ball. Or, you do coconut bowling and use empty two-liter bottles as your bowling pins.
• Piñatas - While piñatas didn’t originate in Hawaii or any tropical region, they are still often thought of for these types of events. A tiki-themed piñata will be perfect at your party. Fill it with candy for the young at heart, or fill it with miniature bottles of liquor for an adult party.
• Limbo - Limbo sets are affordable to purchase or you can easily make a DIY set up from things you already have around your house. When you play the game, be sure to find some limbo music on your phone!

The Big Kahuna - A fun way to get your guests dressed in tropical clothes is to announce a contest on your party invite. The best Aloha shirt, coconut bra, prettiest floral hairdo, or most fun outfit will be named the Big Kahuna winner.

You don’t need to live in a tropical area or by the beach to have a fantastic tiki-themed party! The Ultimate Party Super Store can help supply you with the perfect tiki party decorations and summer party supplies. You’ll find a large selection of tropical banners, party signs, tableware, balloons, and floral decor. We also carry unique tropical party favors so you can send your guests off with summer vibes. Get started planning your tiki-themed party now and browse our party store!