I went to one of my best friend’s weddings last night. What struck me about Pam and Paul’s wedding (her second, his first) was how warm and wonderful it was — and how low-key. It was billed as a cocktail party, but when the guests got there, they were treated to Pam and Paul exchanging vows in front of a family friend who is a judge and their pastor.

And then everyone got to spend the next 3 hours socializing with the bride and groom, family and friends. Which for my money is the best part of any wedding.

As I was preparing for my radio show this morning, I found myself thinking about big fancy weddings (I once attended a wedding that easily cost in excess of $250,000 – and that was nearly 20 years ago), bar mitzvahs, birthday parties (my sister once attended a birthday party and James Taylor was the entertainment) and how it’s possible to have as good — or better — a time for a lot less money.

My friend Pam’s wedding last night wasn’t expensive, but it was lovely, meaningful, and special — there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

So I’ve decided to spend at least part of this morning’s show talking about how to throw a party on a dime instead of a dollar. And, I’ll be taking my own advice for a party I’m throwing this weekend – my second annual January Blues party.

I’ll also talk about a new survey, released at last week’s National Association of Home Builder’s show, that looks at what Baby Boomers are really thinking about when it comes to second homes.

The Ilyce Glink Show airs from 11 to 1pm EST (that’s 10-noon Central) on Sunday mornings. You can listen to past episodes on the website.

I hope you’ll tune in.

Jan. 22, 2006