Summer is finally here and what better way to celebrate than with an unforgettable beach party? Being an island, the UK has some incredible coastlines, from white sands to golden beaches to windswept shingle and grassy dunes. Once you’ve chosen the perfect location from the UK’s best beaches, here’s how to organize your beach party and make it an event to remember.
Get the Beach Theme Right
Your beach party doesn’t need to be themed but it can make things even more fun for your guests if you tie the event together with an overarching theme. Here are some fun ideas for beach party themes.
A Hawaiian Luau Beach Party
A Hawaiian Luau is a traditional Hawaiian celebration with music, entertainment, and a feast. Get your guests in the mood with colorful décor and tiki torches. You can make your beach party authentic by including traditional games like Ulu Maika, which shares similarities with bowling and involves rolling a smooth disc-shaped stone down a path between two stakes. Oh, and don’t forget the hula hoops!
A Retro Beach Party
If you long for the simplicity of yesteryear, then why not throw it back to the heyday of the British seaside holiday with the 1950s or 1960s-inspired theme? Or if that isn’t vintage enough for your liking, you could take your guests even further back in time to the Victorian era when people visited the coast to ‘take the air and the waters’! Fancy dress and photo booth props will help get your guests into character.
A Pirate Beach Party
A beach is the perfect setting for a pirate-themed party and this one can be adapted for both kids and adults depending on the ages on your guest list. Think treasure hunts, inflatable sword fighting and fancy dress for the younger crowd, and sea shanties and rum for the grown-ups!
Food and Drinks
When planning a beach party, it’s important to respect nature and not leave behind any trace of your festivities afterward. Most beaches don’t allow glass for safety reasons so choose biodegradable or recyclable alternatives like paper plates, cups, and straws.
The food and drink you serve will depend on your theme. For a tropical feel, you might want to have a drinks bar and serve fresh salads and watermelon slices. For that retro vibe, a picnic and an ice-cream truck will go down a treat. Or you could go full Americana with hot dogs, burgers, and beer.
Fun and Games
Whether you’re going for a laid-back beach vibe or a lively celebration, you’ll want to include some games or entertainment to keep your guests occupied. You could hire professional entertainers, like a Punch and Judy Show for a vintage family-friendly party or a fire dancer for your Luau! Or plan some party games that everyone will enjoy. And remember, no party is complete without music so be sure to create the perfect beach-party playlist and use DJ equipment to blast those tunes and get everyone dancing on the sand!
