Whether you want to throw a luau in your backyard to celebrate a birthday or to simply give your friends and family a reason to have fun, you'll need to do some planning to make the event's meal a success. Use this guide to create a fun and memorable event, and enlist the help of your caterer to ensure everyone has a delicious meal.

Plan The Menu

Making your luau authentic starts with choosing the right menu. Ask your catering company if it has luau packages to choose from, and if not, ask if the staff can create one for you. A typical menu might consist of slow-cooked pork, short ribs, fruit salad, and sweet rice. Be sure to take any dietary restrictions for your guests into account, and discuss a few vegetarian or vegan alternatives for a second main course. If you are considering doing a pig roast, ask the catering company if there is anything you need to provide or if it can handle all of the arrangements for you.

Create The Buffet Area

The buffet area of your luau is the centerpiece of your party decorations. Freshly cut fruit and trays of Hawaiian menu items bring beautiful, bold color to the table, so look for ways to showcase your food. For example, you can use boxes underneath a tablecloth to create pedestals for the foods to sit on. This gives your buffet a unique look and prevents all of the food from sitting on a boring flat surface. Use cake or dessert trays to arrange fruits, and put rolls in baskets instead of on trays. Use several long tables to create the buffet, and separate the foods on the tables by appetizers, main courses, and desserts.

Add Some Decorations

Decorating the buffet table and dining areas can be a lot of fun. Head to your local party supply store for inspiration, and look for different ways you can decorate each area. You can use grass skirts as table skirts for the dining area, and silk floral leis can be placed in between buffet table trays for a fun look. Consider buying plastic leis in bulk to decorate the space. You can cut each lei and tie them together to create a festive garland, or you can wrap them around glass vases to make unique centerpieces for your tables. Your grocery store can also provide some inspiration for party decor. For example, purchase fresh pineapples for simple decorations, or get crafty with these fruits by hollowing them out to create unique candle holders.

Be sure to discuss the amount of time it will take to set up with your catering company, as this will help you to determine what time your event will start. You may also want to consider to ask the catering company if it offers themed uniforms for its servers, such as Hawaiian shirts, to add an even more authentic feel to the event. Companies like Marians Island Wide Catering can help.