Planning a Luau is of course half the fun! Thinking of creative ideas for your Luau that your guests will remember for a very long time takes some thought and planning.

Luau's are traditional Hawaiian celebrations that are used to mark significant events such as a birthday, wedding, anniversary or graduation.

The first step in planning your Luau is to create your guest list. This helps you determine how much food you need, how many tables and chairs are required and what other decorative items and party supplies such as Lei's and tableware are needed. After you have set the guest list, start gathering your party materials. Contact your local florist to see if they carry orchids, Hibiscus, Bird of Paradise, Red Anthurium or Red Ginger flowers to set the Hawaiian tone. I hosted a luau a couple of summer's ago and was able to order the flowers I needed on line from a Hawaiian Florist, Hanaflowers.com. They arrived via Fedex and were very fresh and beautiful!

For evening lighting consider stringing clear Christmas lights or paper lanterns through the trees or around your patio. If you have a pool, floral wreaths add a great touch to the scene. we have a pool that can be lit up in the evening so we scattered floral wreaths on the surface of the water. We used fishing line with anchors that settled to the bottom to keep them in place. It was very beautiful.

Use round tables strategically placed around the yard or patio and scatter shells on the tops. If you are using umbrella tables then a flower arrangement or leis around the poles add to the ambiance.

Use bamboo runners and scatter sand on the patio for effect. I found some medium size clear floral bowls and put crinkled fireproof orange cellophane inside, then placed a slow burning candle (like the ones used in Halloween pumpkins) in side. When lit in the evening they sparked beautifully around the edges of the patio. Also Tiki Lights placed throughout the yard add to the feel of an authentic Luau.

If you plan to have a buffet table, place a raffia table skirt along the edge and accent the tabletop with Hawaiian flowers. each dish served at a traditional luau celebration has a meaning. Some foods represent strength courage, while others are indicative of other goals, virtues or aspirations that participants were seeking to obtain. If you have a theme keep this in mind when planning your menu.

For a traditional luau consider Kalua Pig roasted in an underground oven called an IMU. If you do not have the ability to roast the pig underground then consider this slow cooker recipe
or for a more simple approach serve pork kabobs cooked on an outdoor grill served with a

Pineapple Mango Salsa. Of course do not forget the Mai Tai's or try this Hula Girl or Waikiki cocktails! For dessert this Volcano Cake is not only delicious but also adds to the Hawaiian mood.

For serving the food and drinks provide authentic coconut cups and tropical styled plates and napkins.

For a festive finishing touch, consider appointment one of your talented friends to serenade guest with a ukulele as they arrive. If you do not have a person who is able to do this then make sure you play Hawaiian CD's throughout the evening. Finally, for fun games include a hula hoop and limbo contest.

If this is all too much work for you then consider ordering the Pineapples in Paradise Luau - it contains everything you need except for the food, flowers and guests!