Tiki is making a comeback in a very big way – and we couldn’t be more excited! From bright colors to tropical design motifs (hello pineapples and flamingos!) – and of course the refreshing iced cocktails – a tiki party is the perfect way to celebrate summer with friends. Today we’re partnering with St-Germain to continue our summer cocktail party series with a modern tiki party!

Let’s start with my favorite part: the invitations! Watercolor is the perfect complement for this laid back tropical party theme. Watercolor artist Courtney Khail created the most beautiful watercolor party invitations and Michele from Meant to Be Calligraphy worked her calligraphy magic in white ink on grass green envelopes in a very loose and informal lettering style. Such a gorgeous combination!

We wanted a modern and sophisticated approach for our Tiki party – so we started with a clean white setting and layered in bright pops of color, wood elements, vintage midcentury modern glassware with gold details for sparkle – and brought in some exotic elements in the floral arrangements. Michele was also kind enough to allow us to use her beautiful midcentury home as our venue – thanks Michele!! I made a simple tassel backdrop from colorful ribbons in shades of blue, yellow, and purple to add a bit of color without overpowering the bar and cocktail display.

Our drink menu included our spin on two classic Tiki cocktails – the Mai Tai and the Hurricane – and our take on rum punch (with coconut milk!) that we’re calling Shipwrecker’s Rum Punch. We’ll have all the recipes for you a bit later!

The floral arrangements were so much fun to create! Since local flowers wouldn’t give me the tiki vibe we were going for, I focused on creating arrangements with a consistent color palette – in this case shades of pink and orange – and lots of texture. Our main arrangement (created in a coconut shell that I found at Party City) featured two kinds of protea, garden roses, cafe au lait dahlias, and eucalyptus leaves for extra texture. Smaller arrangements featured pink ginger flowers, orange pincushion protea (in wine glasses), more garden roses mixed with ferns to add some wild texture, banana leaves, and even a potted palm (which you can easily find at your local hardware store).

Full cocktail recipes are coming up in just a bit!

Watercolor Invitations: Courtney Khail

Calligraphy: Meant to Be Calligraphy

Styling & Floral Design: Nole Garey for Oh So Beautiful Paper

Photo Credits: Nole Garey for Oh So Beautiful Paper

This post is brought to you in collaboration with Bacardi and St-Germain. All content, photos, recipes, and words are our own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that help make Oh So Beautiful Paper possible!