Hawaiian-Themed Party Dreams Come to Life

Coming up with my husband’s 30th birthday theme was probably one of the easiest decisions we’ve ever made. He’s definitely going to be one of those grandpas that you always see walking around in a Hawaiian shirt and shades. So for his big 3-0, I threw him a Hawaiian-themed party extravaganza! Although it was a couple of years ago, I still think about it to this day.

I started off as I always do when hosting an event: creating a Pinterest board. It helps me center my thoughts and come up with an overall vision for the party. It’s also a great source for coming up with a list of things I’ll need to prepare or purchase. I used Canva to create a fun Tiki invitation! It fit the theme and also informed guests that they would be required to dress in their best Hawaiian fashion.

We had the party at my dad’s house, which meant an entire backyard to decorate! Tiki torches lined the pool, inflatable palm trees were scattered around, and a tiki bar equipped with a Hawaiian ice machine was setup for slushy cocktails. We had everything from festive straws, shells and nets lining the tables, a light-up neon Aloha sign with a big shiny mylar balloon 30, colorful leis for all our guests, and even an inflatable Limbo game setup. A tabletop torch aided in keeping the bugs away from the food, while added a luau flare.

DIY & Easy Hacks

I DIY-ed a Costco sheet cake to look like a beach, and added leaf tooth picks to donuts to make them look like pineapples. My sister-in-law saved the pineapple husk after cutting it and put faux leaves to make an adorable centerpiece! You don’t need to spend an arm and a leg to get the look you’re trying to achieve. We kept the food and drinks simple: a taco vendor took care of the main entree, while drinks and snacks were all self-serve.

For the cake, I bought my husband’s favorite chocolate sheet cake from Costco. I lined all four sides with uneven wafer cookie rolls and topped off have of the top of the cake with crushed graham crackers to look like sand. For the water portion, I used marshmallow fluff and blue food dye the make it look like a wave rolling onto the sand. Decorated with adorable cake toppers and shiny 3-0 candles, this was one of my favorite DIYs to date!

All in all, it was an amazing event filled with so much fun and happiness. My husband’s dream of going to a party where he’s dressed comfortably came true, and we all had a great time with this super fun and unforgettable theme!

Find everything I purchased here – Hawaii 3-0 Party.