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Party Planning
- Theme Party Ideas
- Caribbean Party Theme
Caribbean Party Theme Ideas
The next time you are throwing a party or hosting a corporate or club event, why not consider a fun
Caribbean (Rum and Reggae) or Caribbean Island Hopping
theme?
Wherever you find a few people gathering together in the Caribbean, there is a great party - and you are invited to join the fete. Many of the best parties are centered around festivals, especially carnival- the expression of Caribbean culture which often provides an opportunity to experience and join in the rhythms of the region-reggae, soca, zouk and salsa, among others.
The things Caribbean people do at carnival are unsurpassed. The costumes are nothing less than a work of class. All of these festivals, regardless of what they're called boast a kaleidoscope of color and offer fun-filled experiences.
The key to pulling off a coordinated
event: Evoke your theme throughout the affair. Whether that
theme is as general as a season or a feeling, or as specific as
a special flower, it should be the subtle thread that ties
everything together. Your location, invitations, flowers, menu,
cake, and favors should all cleverly reflect one common concept.
Then, get as creative as you can!
Colors: Your Caribbean party will come to life with Coral Reef colors like: Yellow, Orange, Lime Green, Cerise, Light blue, red, purple, hot pink, raspberry, royal blue, turquoise.
Motif: The motif is the visual representation of your theme, which is created by the use of objects or symbols. For a Caribbean theme your motif
may be influenced by stunningly beautiful, unsullied iridescent white
or black-sand beaches,
islets and cays (pronounced "keys"), volcanoes, palm
trees, coconut trees, pines, bamboo, lush deep green
rainforests,
pineapple and banana plantations, sugarcane, desert zones with dune formations, mighty mountain chains, limestone rock, sparkling
blue/ turquoise
waters, pristine coral
reefs, underwater
life, tropical
fish, rum, sizzling nightlife, crawfish, lobster,
calypso
dancers,
Conch Shells,
cigars, exotic Abaco
Parrots, Bahamian Iguanas, alligators,
flamingoes, neon-yellow fish, billowing rainbow-colored sails, brightly painted roadside stands selling rice and beans,
cabanas,
sailing with regattas and races,
scuba diving, snorkeling, beach
bums, sailors,
fisherman,
pirates.
Location: You can hold this type of party indoors at a reception hall or outside in your own backyard - the choices are limitless! With our help you can create a tropical island paradise that is sure to have the steel drum bands banging at your door!
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Music:
Junkanoo (the music of the Bahamas), invites dancing and good times. Folk music, calypso, jazz, blues, reggae and rock can be heard at hotels, restaurants and bars in the U.S. Virgin lslands. No Caribbean party would be complete without the music of reggae superstar Bob Marley of Jamaica.
This
Ultimate Latin Party Cd will provide some Hot! Hot! Hot tunes
for your dance floor.
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Invitations:
Carlson Craft offers several tropical
invitations that can be imprinted with your party details.
- "Tropic
Breezes" - Swaying palm trees stretch romantically around your invitation
wording.
- "Island
Vacation" - Tropical colors such as orange and
yellow brighten your guests' day.
- "Tropical
Party" ( vivid watercolored elements)
- "Tropical
Cocktail" Escape with this tropical cocktail
invitation.
- "Piņa
Colada" If you like piņa coladas, this
invitation is a sweet choice for your event.
- "Bird-of-Paradise"-
Tropical flowers such as anthurium and bird-of-paradise border
the wording of your choice.
- "Sail
Away" - This invitation is complete with sand and
bright, colorful artwork.
Don't forget to include the dress code in your invitations. Tropical and bright colored clothing are a must.
Black Fruit Hat,
Yellow Fruit Hat,
Braided Black Wig
,
Neon Beachcomber Hat , Dreadlock wigs,
Rasta Hat
, are optional, but a big plus!
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Caribbean Party Decorations
A ballroom or backyard pool area can easily
be transformed into a tropical paradise or rainforest with
tropical
palms & tropical flowers like:
Orchids, Heliconia or Bird of Paradise.
Usage of small trees, such as the 5ft.
Banana Tree, a
3ft. Palm Tree, or a Heliconia or Bird of Paradise
arrangement has been very popular as centerpieces for a buffet table or
salad bar. As an alternative you could use a
3' Inflatable Palm Tree .
Another idea we have used to add a Caribbean flair
to tables is to cover the tops of the tables with colorful fabrics (use shades of
royal blue, lime green, cerise, yellow, orange &
etc.), each table in a different color. Then pin a
Raffia Table Skirt round the edge of each table. To add a Caribbean
touch to your raffia table skirt, lay the raffia skirt out, then
lightly spray paint stripes on the raffia skirt
in shades of royal blue, lime green, cerise, yellow, orange &
etc.
Centerpieces utilizing real fruits are very popular. In the Caribbean, exotic fruits have names like paw paw, star apple, sour sop, sweet sop, ortanique and...stinking toe. (We take for granted such fruits as papaya, pineapples, oranges, bananas, mangos and peaches.) Dig in!
Just place some bowls of these fruits on the tables for an edible
centerpiece.
Use a large footed glass bowl and fill with real pineapples for an exotic centerpiece. Add a couple of tall pillar candle holders on each side.
A pineapple placed
in the center of a real flower lei or
silk
flower lei with
Cocktail Umbrellas
stuck into the pineapple is a simple arrangement.
Add a coconut next to the pineapple for an additional accent.
A table does not have to be fully lit.
Adding a bowl of floating candles or dotting tealights around will
provide atmosphere as well as gentle illumination.
At some point during the planning stages of your event the subject of linens will arise. When it does stop and think of all the possibilities available to you. Remember the tops of the tables provide you with a very large surface area and covering them with a beautiful tablecloth is the easiest way to change the feel of a
room. Beautiful elegant linens will transform your event location into a
Caribbean paradise. It is also the most cost effective way to decorate. Ten tables covered with an elegant theme tablecloth will transform your event location into a party paradise. Lovely
table overlays can be used over coordinating solid colored tablecloths for an elegant, sophisticated look. If you are in the Cypress, TX or N.W. Houston, TX area,
call our consultants for assistance in renting tropical tablecloths for your
tropical event.
Bamboo Torch Candle trimmed with real or silk tropical
flowers sit beautifully on tables.
Tropical Bandanas make great napkins for this theme party.
Use a colorful
Silk Flower Bracelets for a beautiful napkin ring or place a
hibiscus bloom on top of a solid colored cloth napkin. A napkin tucked inside a pair of
Neon Sunglasses is a cute accent.
Accent your Tropical Drinks with apple, pineapple, lemon or
orange
Assorted Fruit Straws .
These
Plastic Shell Plates are great for your tropical party.
You could also start out the truly tacky way and line your front yard with
pink
Flamingos. Your guests won't stop laughing until they get into their cars to leave!
Palm Trees are a must for creating a tropical atmosphere. You can never have too many palm trees, mon!
Decorate with this
5' Inflatable Palm Tree for a beautiful setting at your
party.
This
8' high by 14' wide
Tropical Wall Mural comes as eight easy-to-handle panels printed
on heavy mural paper make decorating a snap. A great backdrop for
pictures.
If you will be partying outside, hang some wind chimes and
Tropical Lights around to add to the ambiance of your Caribbean air.
A great way to keep your cold drinks cold and follow your Caribbean
theme. Just inflate this 30" 2 piece
Pineapple Cooler , fill it with ice and have a great party!
A
Toucan 8" Candle is perfect for your buffet or drink table!
A
46" Inflatable Parrot or
24" Inflatable Sun ranks right up there as a favorite for a fun and spunky decoration!
Place lots of tropical fruit around - large bunches of bananas,
coconuts to add to the Caribbean theme.
Beach towels would also be another economical decorating item - cover chairs with them, or place them in piles around the party site.
Scatter seashells
around some Tropical Centerpieces for a fun look. Try a
Palm Tree Candle,
Cabana Rio Centerpiece ,
Bamboo Torch With Flower ,
or
20" Palm Centerpiece for this theme.
A couple of sets
Solid Neon Maracas on each table would add a cute flair. Who knows? Maybe your guests would actually get up and start their own rhythm!
If you can, make buffet tables from surfboards.
Line straw
Beachcomber Hats with plastic wrap then fill them with different snacks for your guests - chips, nuts, etc.
Conch shells are a perfect item to place on your buffet table.
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Caribbean Party Favors
We already mentioned two great favors that add fun for your guests while they are partying - Funtoos and
Sunglasses. Here are some other ideas for appropriate favors for a jammin' Caribbean party theme!
This 9" fine weave
Beachcomber Hats has been most popular for the Hot, Hot, Hot music at
your party. It's a Conga line favorite.
For that special Konga Line add these
Neon Beachcomber Hat to your list.
Send your guests home with fun
Tropical Beads or
Blinking Fruit Beads , the perfect decoration and favor!
Neon Maracas have
a great sound, and glow in black light. They come in four colors and
are for a Caribbean favors..
You know all that rum you will be serving? Serve it up in
Palm Tree Cups.
Go fishing for a great favor with
colorful tropical fish
or
neon
squirt fish assortments.
Sticky
sea creatures also make great loot bag treats.
Coconut
Votive Holder and Imprinted Coconuts are great to give away. Fill
coconuts with nuts or candy and then wrap the entire thing with fish net and tie with string and a tropical flower.
Place a Mini Palm Tree Votive Candle at each place setting for a cute touch to your table and a perfect gift for each guest!
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Caribbean Party Activities
Hey mon, for this party to really fly you will need to play up the rum and the reggae as much as possible! If your budget allows, hire a band to play reggae throughout the evening and your guests will not be able to contain themselves from getting up and dancing away! For a less expensive alternative, hire a DJ to play lots of reggae and beach music (Bob Marley, Jimmy Buffet, and the Beach Boys).
You may want to organize a beach volleyball tournament for your guests, or hold a limbo competition. Check out
this
Bamboo
Limbo Kit to make it easy!
At the end of the evening, a bonfire would be a nice activity to do -especially if you are holding your party at the beach. Turn the music down a notch and grab some rum punch to relax to the soft rhythm in the background.
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Caribbean Party Food & Cake Ideas
Make small cards that have the names of the dishes you are serving on them and place them inside
large shells to show what the selections are. Arrange the shells in various ways to add interest to the table.
Here are some menu ideas that are sure to add a tropical flair to your event!
Anything that includes crabmeat is an excellent choice! You could serve crab legs (if you wish to go all out!), crab salad, or crab dip for starters.
Cucumber salad works well with this theme.
Great for
finger food at your tropical event. Accent your drinks with fruit.
These 6"
silk flower wood picks will add a
Caribbean flair to your food dishes.
Coconut fried shrimp is not only yummy, it is a perfect choice to enhance that island atmosphere you want to create!
No Caribbean Party would be complete without topping the meal off with some cool key lime pie for dessert!
Caribbean Black Bean Stew
The tang of the citrus gives this
otherwise fairly traditional Southwestern-style chili a taste of
the Caribbean.
2 Tbs (30 ml) vegetable oil
2 onions, finely chopped
2-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3-4 chopped fresh jalapeno chilies, or to taste
2 15-oz (425 g each) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz (425 g) can chopped tomatoes with their liquid
2 cups (500 ml) water
3/4 cup (180 ml) orange juice
1/4 cup (60 ml) lime or lemon juice
2 Tbs (30 ml) chili powder
2 Tbs (30 ml) ground cumin
2 tsp (10 ml) grated orange zest
1 tsp (5 ml) grated lime or lemon zest
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Optional garnishes:
Sour cream
Chopped cilantro (coriander leaves)
Chopped scallions (spring onions)
Lime wedges
Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot over moderate heat and saute
the onions until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add
the garlic and jalapenos and cook, stirring frequently, for 2
minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer covered for 30 to 45 minutes. If you
would like a thicker stew, mash some of the beans
against the side of the pot with the back of a spoon and stir
them into the mixture. Serve with any or all of the optional
garnishes if desired. Serves 4 to 6.
Reproduced by permission of
Worldwide Recipes.
Worldwide Recipes, the world's largest daily recipe service,
delivers a free recipe by email every day - a complete gourmet
menu every week. Subscribe by sending a blank email to
Subscribe@wwrecipes.com or by visiting
http://www.wwrecipes.com. It's easy, and it's FREE!
Caribbean Drinks
We have already mentioned that rum is almost synonymous with the Caribbean and island activity! It is because of this, that you will want to consider serving these rum drinks as well as many others:
Rum Punch
Rum and Coke
Pina Coladas -
Pina Colada Mix
Margaritas -
Key Lime Margarita Mix
Hurricane Drink Mix
Accent your tropical theme party with these colorful 12 oz
plastic
Neon Margarita Cups
. Perfect for appetizers and
desserts.
Be sure to garnish each tropical drinks with
Assorted Fruit Straws.
Related Theme
Ideas
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