Realtor: Prince Harry’s Wedding Will Have a Tiki Bar. Do You Dare Tiki It Up, Too?

Getty Images; realtor.com

With Meghan Markle and Prince Harry tying the knot this Saturday, everyone’s abuzz about the royal wedding. And although many of their plans still remain under wraps (like whether Markle’s dad will be walking her down the aisle), one wedding detail is definitely confirmed: The royals are having a Tiki-themed after-party.

You read that correctly. Tiki-themed.

Reformed party boy Harry has reportedly requested a “carnival- and festival-themed wedding after-party” complete with a stocked Tiki bar. The bash, which will follow the formal reception hosted by Queen Elizabeth II, will be modeled after his favorite London nightclub, Mahiki, known for its tropical cocktails and celebrity patrons such as Rihanna and Paris Hilton. After years of boozing in the original Dover Street club (which has been around since 2006), Harry’s friends opened Mahiki Kensington last year, well within stumbling distance of his home at Kensington Palace.

So, it’s safe to say Harry has been a fan of the whole Tiki trend for a while now.

According to The Mirror, Harry and Markle’s 200 guests will be welcomed by a steel band and have their pick of rum cocktails mixed by Harry’s groomsmen, who will reportedly be staffing the bar. Other delicacies will include “South African wagyu beef, iced beers, champagne, and ice luges filled with vodka.” Sounds like a shindig fit for a modern royal couple!

ATTENTION TIKI LOVERS TONIGHT: #MahikiMonday will move, for one night only, to the fabulous @mahikikensington Join us for the same delicious drinks, the same popping party BUT in a fabulous new venue! For information, Guestlist and table bookings email Monday@mahiki.com . . . . . . . #Mahiki #MahikiMondays #MahikiMonday #MahikiMayfair #MahikiKensington #London #Mayfair #monday #mondaymotivation #kensington #instagood #instadaily #tiki #tikibar

A post shared by Mahiki (@mahikilondon) on Feb 19, 2018 at 7:51am PST

Is Tiki going to take off?

For months we haven’t been able to turn on a TV or tune in to Twitter without hearing about the royal wedding. So with all eyes on Harry, Markle, and the events surrounding their nuptials, we can’t help but wonder: Is their Tiki-themed bash going to permeate other areas of daily life—specifically the ones inside people’s homes?

Some experts think it’s only a matter of time before we start seeing Tiki influences in interior decor.

“The royal wedding reception does have the potential to influence home decor,” says Drew Henry, founder of Design Dudes in San Antonio. But he also believes the re-emergence of Tiki has been bubbling for a while.

“It has already been making a comeback, due to the resurgence of Tiki bars,” Henry adds. “With those places opening up around the country and world, it only makes sense for the trend to creep back into decor.”

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A brief history of Tiki decor

“Tiki,” by the way, is the name of a mythological figure worshipped in Polynesian culture. In the 18th century, once British explorers ventured onto the islands in the Polynesian triangle—including Hawaii, Easter Island, New Zealand, Tahiti, and Samoa—the word “Tiki” became a catchall to describe an assortment of carved statues from the area.

The Tiki trend caught on big with Americans during World War II, when deployed soldiers became enamored with the beauty of the South Pacific and subsequently brought their excitement back to the states with them.

“It was a weird moment in history, when the whole country became fascinated with the South Pacific, mostly because it was unknown and exotic,” Ken Albala, a professor at the University of the Pacific, told NPR. “Tiki bars and restaurants became wildly popular.”

Although the first Tiki bar—Don the Beachcomber—was opened in Los Angeles in 1934, Tiki culture washed over America like a tropical wave during the 1950s and 1960s, its heyday. Restaurants and bars depicting a romanticized interpretation of Polynesian culture were filled with Tiki god statues, palm tree motifs, tropical fabrics, rattan furniture, and—more importantly—colorful, elaborate cocktails.

How to do Tiki without being tacky

While part of the appeal of this latest Tiki trend is to fully embrace the kitsch, those who are reluctant to bring touches of Tiki into their home can do so in small doses.

“The Tiki look works really well for outdoor spaces, and can also be easily incorporated into Mid-Century Modern interior decor,” says Henry. This makes sense, since both Tiki and MCM decor reached their fever pitch together in the ’50s and ’60s.

To do it right, stick to bamboo and cane accessories, pillows or small works of art in palm prints, and glassware made specifically for Tiki cocktails (e.g., hurricane glasses).

Henry is currently crushing on a rattan bar cart ($149.99, Target), which would suit both an indoor and outdoor lounge area. String lights—both mini paper lanterns and Edison bulb strands—will add to the tropical island feel.