Goodbye party

I wonder if this is what it's like to be in your own wedding? So happy to see everyone, but so exhausted from trying to see everyone all at once.

I have never before hosted an event so large that was centered around me. Even while I was so glad to see everyone, I couldn't help but notice the things I felt bad about...

Should I have spent more time with each group instead of floating as much as I did? But it was hard enough to spend an equal amount of time with everyone even with all the floating I did.

I should have asked more about someone's life at the beginning, rather than at the end right when they were leaving.

There were a few people I really should have spent more time with than I did.

I feel somewhat bad for not spending more time with the people I've been seeing more of (it's like...I've seen them a lot recently, so I should spend more time on the people I see less).

Mostly the floating though. How to do this well? I usually left a group once the conversation got going (missing the good part though!), since I felt like this group was now self-sustaining and that I should tend to another group I hadn't really spent time with yet, or that had only me as a common ground. This meant that I missed a lot of good parts while answering the same questions again and again as I moved from group to group. (Not complaining! Just analyzing this.) I floated because I wanted my guests to be comfortable, but I wonder if this was the right focus. I floated also because I wanted to maximize my time with each group, but I wonder if this was really the best way to do it. ...I also realize that I am lucky to have so many friends that I am even analyzing this situation.

On the one hand, after having this experience, I can see why some couples just elope. I, too, felt like it would have been easier and way less exhausting to just have ghosted from Houston. On the other hand, there were some people I got to see that I simply haven't seen in so long....and it was a very fun time.