Save the date. You might want to send out an email or phone up your friends to save the date a couple weeks in advance. Summer is usually a time everyone wants to enjoy their free time thoroughly, so open schedules often fill up quickly. Get your bash on everyone's proverbial "radar screen" early on so your party leans more toward fantasy island than desert island.
Follow-up with the actual invites. As always, I find e-vites to be wonderful for their convenience and ease for the technically savvy. However, because you don't throw a tropic of cancer do everyday, it might be fun to splurge on paper invitations you can buy or even make (think, cardstock graced with paper hula skirts and frou-frou drink paper parasols, or theme-bordered computer paper from an office supply store). Be sure to let your guests know the theme of the party, dress code (loud Hawaiian shirts? hula skirts? bathing suits?), time, place, and what to bring (if you're having them help kit out the party).
Load up on supplies. This is where the ultra-cheap party supply superstores come in handy. You might want to consider the following elements:
- Decor. I personally have never been to Hawaii as a cognizant adult, and only a handful of my friends have been that way, so authenticity, as far as the luau idea goes, is not a key factor for me. Draw up a quick brainstorm list of things you think of as "Hawaiian" and see where that leads the decoration. Tiki torches are available in many outdoor departments of discount department and hardware stores. Strings of twinkly Christmas (aka, "patio" or "garden") lights are also quite charming, cheap, and readily available. Flowers are everywhere (perhaps already growing in your yard), as are the fake flower varieties of garlands and stems in various craft stores like Hobby Lobby and Michaels. Party stores sell tons of paper crepe decorations (you know, those tissue-papery, accordion-esque, and very cheezy decorations) for barrel-bottom prices. Try finding faux palm trees, tiki huts, even jointed, life-sized paper-doll hula girls and guys in this area of the store.
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