Summer Party Invitations

Host a Tropical Bash This Summer

Summer is a season ripe for celebrating because the weather makes us want to get outdoors and party! Tropical parties are very popular during the summer and there are several themes that can be used to get your mind and your party going.

A Luau

Luaus are great fun. After all, what’s more relaxing than imagining you’re on a tropical island?  Create the atmosphere by using bright, tropical colors and lots of plants.  If you’re short on plants, you can find plastic palm trees at a party store.  Present guests with leis as they arrive, and don’t forget to give the ladies flowers for their hair. Colorful streamers and tropical party lights can brighten a patio, and a little straw can turn a potting bench or porch into a tiki bar.

Simple mango salsa with chips is a great appetizer, as are fresh fruit and macadamia nuts with a sweet kahlua fruit dip. Caribbean seasoned chicken or pork makes a great main dish for this party, and you can serve grilled vegetables and fruits as a side dish with a tropical sorbet for dessert.

The traditional drinks of Hawaii include the mai tai and the rum runner, but any tropical drink that suits your guests will do. Don’t forget the Kona coffee for dessert.

Music is a must for this party- and traditional Hawaiian music is easy to find for downloading. For some fun activities, plan a hula contest for the ladies and a ukulele contest for the guys.

Beach Party

A beach party is also a great way to provide summer fun. With a beach party you can customize the theme and events to match your region of the country. For example, on the southern Atlantic coast we might have a shagging contest and our menu would surely include crab claws. On the California coast, sushi would be the main menu item and the theme might revolve around surfing. Northeasterners could plan a lobster boil!

Whatever your beach theme, here are a few ideas to make it a bit more authentic:

Sand – That’s right – bring in some sand. Sand is relatively inexpensive at home improvement stores. If you’re handy, you can construct a huge sandbox from plywood to keep the sand contained. Not only will your guests love digging their toes in the sand, but you can have a sand castle building contest as a party activity.

Flip flops – Check out flip flop floating candles for a great decoration. Painting and embellishing plain inexpensive flip flops is a great activity to keep the kids busy, and makes a fun favor for them to take home. See if your bakery can make a flip flop shaped cake. 

Keep the food cool for this party – literally and figuratively. Your guests will appreciate a cool menu with items like fruit, chicken salad and deviled eggs. But keep in mind that many cool summer foods spoil easily in the heat, so be sure you have plenty of ice on hand for keeping foods chilled. Placing your food table in the shade will help, too.

Outdoor tropical parties are a favorite summertime event. Go to MyExpression.com right now to pick out your favorite tropical party invitation.