How to throw a Beach themed Party even if you don’t have a beach!

Every year since we bought our house we have hosted our very own summer theme party. This open invitation event for our friends and whoever they want to bring along centers around a uniquely different dress up theme. Each year there is usually a reason for the theme we pick- we rolled my brother’s 40th birthday into our Walking Dead/Zombie Party in 2018 and Nick’s big 4-0 centered around the new (at the time) Netflix sensation Stranger Things. This summer we let our 14 year-old daughter have an active roll in the theme and decided to host a beach party to show off the sand volleyball court we built for her in our field this spring.

With the wide range of ideas out there- here’s some insight into how we created our summer event!

How to throw a beach themed party without a beach- in Seven easy steps!

Step One: Start off with a killer invite!

This is the official invite of the 2023 theme party- designed, drawn and colored by our daughter! The punchy colors set the stage for a sunset beach pallet that can be taken in multiple directions. Adding another element to the theme- Wanderlust- gave the Volkswagen (our 14 year old’s favorite vehicle) even more relevance as the logo and it offered the guests more options to explore a hippie costume vibe.

Step Two: Define your party areas!

A good party for us always includes a bar for drinks and food, an area to sit around a fire and a place for an activity such as a movie projected on the barn or place to sing karaoke. This year we transformed our field into a Wander-land of locations with a netted gazebo for food, a fire pit, a volleyball court and a karaoke stage.

Step Three: Curate some cute foods!

With the vast number of food ideas out there for this particular theme I think it is helpful to know which ones were eaten first and which ones looked the best!

The hula girl water bottles were a big impact decoration while also being a party necessity.

Nutter Butter Flip Flops & Sand Pudding cups!

Crescent Rolls made to look like crabs with googly eyes and Pineapple cupcakes with cardboard surf boards.

Step Four: Don’t Forget a Signature Drink!

These colored straws and sodas were chosen to mimic the colors of a traditional beach ball and blue gummy sharks were mixed in with the ice to give it a coastal vibe.

Step Five: A few big impact decorations is better than a lot of smaller ones.

While it might be tempting to decorate every inch of your party area with flamingos, surf boards and palm trees, knowing where to draw the lines can keep you from party burnout. I always start out with a sky’s-the-limit decoration approach at the beginning of the summer that is gradually scaled down as the party gets closer. An idea for a beach ball arch entering the tiki bar became a few hanging behind the bar to give the area some punch. A better overall use for a few inexpensive dollar store balls.

This beach scene tapestry was purchased for a birthday decoration and worked perfectly here as an additional photo location outside the tiki bar. These types of backdrops are printed on durable fabrics and range between $20-$30 in a variety of sizes. If you can find one that fits your theme as well as this one it is definitely a worthwhile purchase.

Our favorite handmade decoration was the jumping off point of the party’s location. A directional sign using scrap pieces of bead board and painted by our 14 year old over the summer. We dropped an old fence post in the ground- crooked on purpose- threw on a fish net and some sand at the base and it created the illusion there could be a coastal retreat beyond the field.

Step Six: Light the way!

Who could host a beach themed summer party without tiki torches? They have always been a staple of our parties to light the way and keep away mosquitoes but they took on an even more important role in corralling the guests through the trails of our field that connected the parking to the volleyball court to the tiki and bonfire areas.

Step Seven: Have a great time!

Don’t forget to take some pictures and enjoy the fun that you created. It is easy to get sidetracked by refilling food and answering requests for things from your guests. At some point know that if it didn’t make it out- no big deal! Some food might not get eaten and some ideas might get left on the cutting room floor. If you focus on a few of the more memorable items and enjoy yourself instead of sweating the small stuff your party will feel like a success to both you and your friends!

And there you have it! One more summer theme party in the books!