We were celebrating my sweet 16 with family and friends from as far as sweden, to the US, to just down the street. It was meant to be a gathering for my cousins and friends that were 4 years old to relatives and friends that were 50+ years old. Since i'm an august baby, we threw a Hawaiian/summer/beach themed party in a small dance hall (complete with speakers, microphones and cd players) with mirrors all around making it seem as though it was larger yet cozy. the personalized invitations were printed with island images complete with palm trees. As each guest entered (dressed in hawaiian outfits), they were "leid" (leis bought at the dollar store) by the younger children and given flowers. Each table was covered with plastic tablecloths and furnished with grass skirts all around the edges. centre pieces were small tabletop torches (also bought at the dollar store) that were lit when the hall was dimmed and it was time for dancing. At the end of the buffet table we served a whole roasted pig garnished with bright greens and an apple in its mouth. we played a few beach boys, line danced and later played hip hop for the younger guests. my best friend and her sister performed a couple of tahitian dances, a cousin sang, few friends relayed some loving messages. as giveaways, we had bottles of various sizes and shapes filled with colourful sand in great designs (also bought at the dollar store). As each guest left for the night, they exited through a door with a tall torch on either side (may be purchased from the local hardware store or walmart). a friend of the family was a professional photographer and took tons of pictures throughout the night. those pictures were culminated and later put together in a wedding-like album highlighting my sweet 16 celebration! - the album worth over $1500 US was given as a gift that christmas!