A DIY Bangin’ Luau Bash!

Aloha! Every year for the past 50+ years my extended family has gathered together to celebrate where the roots of our family come from. We can actually trace our family all the way back to the American Revolution, and WE ARE PROUD OF IT!

Every year we get together for a reunion to embrace the history, share our current family stories, and to just plan HAVE FUN! For years they have passed the planning torch down from generation to generation.. and I am the current Reunion Planner! It’s a proud hat that I wear, because 2 generations ago, my Great-Grandmother wore that same hat! This was my 3rd year doing so!

This is the Martin Family. The youngest in the photograph was my Great Grandmother.

I have chose different themes, and this year it was a Bangin’ Luau Bash! I wanted to do something fun and cheerful… and SUNNY, sense this summer in PA has been mostly non-existent.

We kicked the day off with registration, and a catered lunch buffet meal at one of the local restaurants in the town where our roots were first founded. While at the restaurant we all chat about what our last year has been like! It’s really nice to catch up and hear of all the joys of the past year.

Good food, good conversation, good people!

We can all crack jokes, and share stories… but when it comes down to it… our family is always there for each other. Thick and thin!

After that, we all head over to a family members house in the area. It’s an AMAZING abode! They have this gorgeous house on a secluded piece of land, with trees, ponds of fish, and even a huge pool! It is the perfect local! A place where we can all relax and enjoy each others company.

That’s not a mirage… It’s heaven. 😉

Catching up!

Sharing history together, and creating it!

These big guys are welcome guests every year!

I decorated the place with a mix of store bought (Dollar Tree) decorations, and homemade items! I had a fun afternoon fixing these up! I took the afternoon to prepare them, so it really wasn’t much work at all!

All of my handmade items have super easy tutorials that will be popping up on the blog soon!

The focal table really made it FEEL like a paradise vacation!

This cutie was a great find at the Dollar Store!

These are the Easy Paper Product cupcake stands!

And these are the tissue Hawaiian flowers that gave a great impact for the backdrop. These were a huge hit because of the colors and added texture. *SWOON*

I chose to keep the tables simple. Each table had one paper lantern and a few different flower leis! The colors were fabulous and added a hint of the warm ocean waters. I also added a board game on each table to allow for conversations to lead into a fun battle of the Families. ha!

After awhile of fun, we all enjoyed another meal together! This meal is up to me to provide. Because I didn’t want to make it too difficult for myself, I chose a simple meal of my legendary Ham BBQ Sandwiches, Hot Dogs, Potatoes Chips, Fruit Salad, and yummy treats from the amazing baker, Batter Bake Shop!

Here are a few other great moments from the reunion. I really had a great time, as always, and I can’t wait until next year already!

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Overall it was suuuuch a relaxing day (even though I was running the event)! I really enjoyed seeing everyone and sharing stories. If you want to bring cheer into a reunion, a Bangin’ Luau Bash is the way to go!