Send invited guests a token of Hawaii along with luau party invitations.
A party with a luau theme brings multiple design possibilities for invitations. Use bold, vibrant yellows, reds, blues, oranges and greens to set a festive tone, and showcase one or a few of the sights and sounds of a typical Polynesian luau or beach celebration. Within the text, encourage guests to contribute to the party's island-feel by wearing Hawaiian shirts or dresses. Does this Spark an idea?
Floral Designs
Tropical flowers, like the Hawaiian orchid and hibiscus, are essential decorations for luaus. Have a bold, floral print bleed off the left- and right-hand sides of the invitations with the party details centered in the middle. Floral print can be scanned in, hand-illustrated, computer-drawn or actual Hawaiian fabric that is cut and glued onto card stock. Print the wording on a plain sheet of white laser vellum paper. Cover the entire card with floral print, and place the vellum over top to subdue the bright background. Punch two holes through both layers at the top of the invitation, run strips of raffia through the holes and tie them together. Raffia and other materials are found at your local crafts store.
3-D Elements
Glue various items onto invitations to add texture and 3-D elements. Line the top and bottom of the invitations with a skirting of tan or green raffia grass. If invitations feature a hula dancer, glue on raffia over the skirt. An adult luau invitation might picture a cutout of a mixed drink, like a mai tai or blue Hawaii, bleeding off the left side. Wrap the text around the curvature of the glass along the right side, and glue a paper cocktail umbrella onto the image. Include the drink's recipe on the invitation so guests can make it at home. One large or several small silk tropical flowers can be glued onto invitations as accents.
2-D Designs
Photos, illustrations or computer graphics may be used for standard 2-D designs. Include images of a wooden tiki statue with a lei, a pineapple, luau table feast, flaming tiki torch or beach scene. Consider cutting invitations into the shapes of objects, such as a pineapple, tropical flower, cocktail or hula girl. Print the image on one side and party details on the other. A children's luau invitation might take the shape of a surfboard or beach ball. You can also create a cutout using the popular Hawaiian greeting, "Aloha."
Creative Ideas
For larger budgets, add more creativity. Place flower or sea shell leis inside a box with the printed invitation in the middle or on top. You might also include grass skirts for guests to wear to the event as well. Split open a coconut, hollow it out and place an invitation inside with a silk tropical flower. Little Hawaiian trinkets, such as a hula girl bobble, small wooden tiki, bottle filled with sand and tiny sea shells or box of chocolate-covered macadamia nuts, are fitting gifts to pair with invitations. An added touch for paper invitations is to capture the sounds of the blowing of a conch shell and Hawaiian drum music onto recordable greeting cards or small recording chip devices which are glued onto invitations.
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