Planning a vegan waffle party, or any other type of party, can be both exciting and challenging. But it doesn’t have to be that challenging.
You can make the process more fun by determining which type of party you prefer to have. There are at least two types, defined by your purpose for throwing them.
First, there is what I call the connective party. This is an event where you place a relatively high priority on spending a little more time with your guests, actually conversing with them, catching up with them, and so on. If you decide this is a priority for you, it’s probably wise to invite a smaller number of people. This will simplify some of the logistics, especially if you’re baking waffles or doing other food prep during part of the event. That will give you more time to mingle.
Second is what I call the paying it along party. This is an event where you place a relatively high priority on inviting a broad range of people in your social event network, not just because you enjoy hanging out with them, but because you enjoy returning the favor for all the cool parties they’ve thrown and invited you to. In this case, you might invite a larger number of people, accepting that you may not have time to connect with any of them in as much depth.
These two types of parties are by no means mutually exclusive; it’s certainly possible to host events that do some of both. Most events probably fit both categories to some extent. The important thing is knowing your priorities before you finalize the guest list and send out the invitations, so you don’t veer further in one direction than you’d like.
I’ve personally had fun with both types. In many cases I’ve co-hosted much larger parties, but as I’ll talk about in an upcoming post, we experimented with a smaller party this year. It was also a lot of fun. While it meant leaving out some people that I’d normally have enjoyed inviting, it also meant having more time to connect and engage in meaningful conversation with the friends who attended.
And who knows, perhaps there will be a second relatively small gathering later this year, where another group of friends is invited.
Whatever type of party you plan, have fun! Check out some other tips on how to throw a waffle party regardless of your budget and space, successful vegan waffle party pointers from other hosts, and tips on hosting a large waffle party.