Beach Party Ideas

The beach, the babes, love, jealousy and of course skydiving, all packed into the classic Beach Blanket Bingo of 1965.  (If you haven't seen it, you need to!)  Summer or winter, rain or shine, everyone loves a beach party! Your guests will love having the sights and smells of the beach – no matter where you are. Throw the perfect waterside bash with these easy beach party ideas!

Beach Party Invitations
Your guests will start looking for their bikinis and board shorts the minute the invitation arrives. Choose a personalized beach invitation, perfect for your beach party.  Pick your design, decide on the wording and leave the rest to Party411.com – it’s that easy.

If you’re having a Beach Blanket Bingo party in the summer (and it doesn’t have to be, think how popular Christmas in July parties are?) why not use a bottle of suntan lotion as your invitation? Print the party information on a colorful label and attach it to the bottle. Include some flower confetti for extra fun. Be sure to mail the invitation in a padded envelope.

Beach Party Decorations
Let your guests know that it’s time to “hang ten” as soon as they enter the party. A colorful personalized banner announcing your party is the perfect way to welcome your guests. These great banners are easy to hang and weather resistant so they can be used indoors or out!

• Sunglasses
• Beachcomber hats
• Bucket hats

No matter where you have your party, palm trees and sunshine are a must. Place inflatable palm trees within your party area on the beach, or scattered about in your party room. Complete with coconuts, these are “must have” decorations.

Even if your party is inside, you can still see the water! Ocean view scene setters look so real, you’ll think you’re definitely at the beach. All that’s missing are the sea gulls.

Beach balls are a must at this party. Use them for games, party favors or just scattered about as extra decorations.

Beach Party Table Decorations

• You can't get too crazy with table decorations when you are outside so I say skip the flower unless you know you will have shade.
• An easy beach party idea for centerpieces is to fill a large sand pail with sunglasses, lotion and small beach balls. Guest can grab what they need!
• Glass hurricane vases filled with sand and shells with a candle inside are a great option for indoors and out.
• Mini coolers filled with ice and cold drinks are a fun and functional table centerpice.
• Balloon bouquets always look wonderful. Helium will wilt in the heat, so fill them with air instead and use balloon stick to hold them up. You can even stick the sticks in a pail of sand!

• Hamburgers and hotdogs are a must! Hopefully your site has grills available. Make sure you bring ketchup, mustard, mayo (pick up singe serving packets from a fast food joint), diced and sliced onions, cheese, sliced tomato, lettuce, pickles and bbq sauce. Don't forget buns and charcoal!
• If grilling isn't an option, make sandwiches and wrap them in wax paper. Roast beef and turkey hold up really well.
• A large sub sandwich will do the trick too!
• Serve individual bags of chips and pretzels.
• Buy disposable cups with lids and fill  them with single servings of fruit salad, macaroni salad or potato salad (keep them cool in a cooler with ice)
• Fill a cooler with ice and a variety of drinks... water, soda and something not carbonated like lemonade or fruit punch. Check the beach rules about alcohol, some won't allow it and most do not allow glass bottles! You can personalize your party with cute custom summer water bottle labels.
• Dessert... easy is cookies and brownies since they travel well. If you have a fire or a grill you must do s’mores (what’s tastier than toasted marshmallows?)
• Cover your tables in bright colored table clothes and be sure to bring tape or table clips so you can attach them to the tables.
• Use disposable paper goods. You can add a bit of decoration by using a fun summer pattern.
• One of our favorite beach party ideas is making easy to use silverware bundles by wrapping plastic silverware in a napkin. No flyaway napkins here! Tie the bundles closed with a piece of raffia or a string of beads (they make a wonderful favor).

Have some extra fun with your beverages. No matter what you’re offering, be sure to serve it in great light up glasses. Your guests will ooh and aah as the sun goes down and these glasses start flashing. For an extra touch, use brightly glowing light up ice cubes too.

Beach Party games and activities

Just being at the beach is entertainment enough, but your guests will enjoy some planned activities as well. Because of the location we like more active games like limbo and charades. Keep the games short and moving and offer fun, reasonably priced prizes like glow necklaces or beach towels.

Beach Party Favors
Unfortunately, all good parties have to end but your guests will have sweet memories when they leave with a delicious milk or dark chocolate candy bar. Hand out a personalized flip flop candy bar with a beach theme image and a personalized message. It will be a tasty reminder of a wonderful party.

Give the kids little custom favor bags filled with a few fun goodies:

• Flip Flop Lollipops
• Beach Theme Mint Tins
• Inflatable Turtles or Fish
• Bubbles

After all their fun in the sun at your Beach Party, your guests will anxiously await your next event. Together you and Party411.com will guarantee that all your parties will be a success!