Start with whoever made it across the threshold.
A Surf City welcome night works best when guests can arrive without asking what they missed. At my table, three friends can try to keep track of a card or talk each other into the wrong answer on a bar bet. The next carload gets a fresh round. No speeches, no buy-in, and no feeling that the person still collecting keys has ruined the finale.
The bridge tells me which way to go. The host tells me when.
Surf City’s bridge connects the mainland and Topsail Island. Tell me which side your gathering is on, the actual street address, and who will have the keys. If the main house isn’t available until check-in, let the booking begin when somebody can show me the room. It is hard to be a gracious host to a magician while conducting a spirited negotiation with a lockbox.
Put me past the spot where people drop bags and say hello. Once the last friends arrive, gather everyone for supper, or ask me to save one card game for both the early birds and the habitual latecomers. I’m not taking bets on which group will win.