I'm considering renewing our vows this coming December, and suggestions on how to keep the cost down?

I can offer advice from what my now ex-wife did at our wedding, a posh affair for 150: 1. PLAN IT YOURSELF. I was a corporate concierge and party planner for years in Washington, DC and I'll tell you right now, it's very easy to spend someone else's money.2.

LOOK ONLINE: things like favors--even custom cocktail napkins can be had cheaper when you look online. Don't be afraid to ask for samples. Any reputable company will gladly send you an overrun lying around the office.3.

If you want live entertainment, VISIT LOCAL PLACES that have what you want. In DC, e over the course of six years, I on-the-job trained and/or directly supervised somewhere over 60 people. Somehow I came across a bandleader--maybe he was playing another event--but it was a jazz trio, all instrumental.It turned out he had about 30 musicians he could call, and so my trio was almost never the same, but it was always good.

He--and they--were happy to have the work so it was never terribly expensive-c lients couldn't believe I could get live musicians that inexpensively.. I was able to work him into the least expensive of functions and he always got great reviews from my clients--and my co-workers and staff used him, too. It was a win-win situation. I think he had something like 50-75 lobby parties every holiday Season.

If you live anywhere DC, send me a direct question if you want his name.4. NEGOTIATE. I learned this one doing business in China, where bargaining is an expected part of doing business.(If you don't do it, you paid too much and you're definitely an outsider.

) I even did it for my clients in DC: "you know, he wants to send his wife this $60 arrangement--you think you can swing it for $50? " 5.In 1996, my ex (then girlfriend) was in grad school in Boston for the entire calendar year. I'd go up there or she'd come to Maryland on weekends once a month.

One day, I got an invite to a meeting planner's convention, with a free pass for two...at the convention center in Boston! My boss gave me a long weekend off and I flew myself up there. We poked around the convention exhibit floor, got lunch there (catered, of course) and I said, "You know, maybe we should stick our noses into a (class) session so it doesn't look like I came to Boston to eat.

" I've always had an interest in the law, so we sat down in "Contracts for Meeting Entertainment." It was so boring we walked out. But there was one thing I learned from there, which I took back to DC, taught my team and everyone I trained after that: "IF IT'S NOT ON THE PAGE, IT'S NOT ON THE STAGE.

" Don't be afraid to spell out everything you want--and use finite numbers. A world_faous hospitality trainer once taught me that a demanding customer is actually the easiest--there"s no guesswork involved. They tell you exactly what they want 6.

LINE ITEM IT. Aka " No, scratch that. " Lay out everything and figure out a bottom line--that was usually what I had to deal with, just like your $1000.. Do we need three bartenders at $12/hr.

Or can we do with one--and save ourselves $100?($96, but who's counting the sixteen quarters at that point?) Do we need three appetizers passed or can we do with two? That kind of thing--make it what you want, but pare it down piece by piece. Do we need seven fancy-schmancy beers or can we do with a regular and a lite?(Buy all of the drinks yourself if you can, if you plan to have alcohol--I used to have a client who would call last minute and want a happy-hour for 100 ready within two hours.My liquor store knew this was a repeat customer for both of us so he was willing to bend the time constraints and sometimes the cost.

Even for soda & coffee, DIY is the name. For those huge parties for 400, I'd buy it from the liquor store and get a bartender through the catering company (if you're using one)--who was cutting me a break on everything else through careful negotiation. Congratulations and send me a direct question for more info if you have questions.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.