When was the last time you left a party (that you really loved), and all you could think about was how much money was spent? If guests leave thinking about the money, then usually they didn't have a good time.

Good parties are not about the money.

The smartest (and most successful) hosts and hostesses know that creativity is what people enjoy, and remember, about wonderful parties.

Some parties require special invitations. But not all parties.

Beautifully engraved invitations cost a fortune, and yet most people hardly give them a second thought. Why spend hundreds of dollars on something that the guests forget?

If you're throwing a casual gathering for the couple celebrating their wedding anniversary, do you really need mailed invitations at all?

If the answer is no, here's the quick and easy (and free) way to handle the invites -- save the money for the party itself.

1. Telephone your guests (get some siblings, or friends to help) and it hasn't cost you a thing... except, maybe, some long distance charges.
2. Use E-vite -- a website for inviting guess to a party. Find it online at www.evite.com. The service is free, and you can create fun invitations.

But you're reading this article, so you probably want (or need) to send special invitations through the mail.

The best mailed invitations are ones that say to the guest: this party is going to be fun! If you can make your guests remember the invitations they will genuinely look forward to the celebration.

Here are three wonderful (and inexpensive) ways to invite your guests in a smart and creative way that costs a lot less than paying for engraved invitations.

Get a copy of one of the photographs from the couple's wedding. I think it's more fun if you choose a fun photograph -- the one of the spouses feeding cake to one another; or the one of them driving away from the wedding.

Sure, you can use one of the "formal" photographs of the happy couple. But this is a party! Use a festive photograph!

Buy heavy vellum paper -- you can find packages of them at office supply stores for about $10 for 250 sheets. This will be plenty!

Tape the photo to a sheet of paper, then type or handwrite the party details on the bottom.

Go to Kinko's and make the copies you need. It's usually wise to make a few extra in case you think of others you'd like to invite, or if you make a mistake when addressing the invitations.

What about envelopes?

Don't need them. Simply fold the vellum paper in half, secure with tape, and write the names of the guests on the outside and mail! (This is why you use fancy vellum paper, rather than typing paper.)

Trust us -- your guests will love receiving a photo of the happy couple from their wedding day. And what a great (money-saving) idea for the invitation!

Quirky -- and handmade -- invitations are always a huge hit. Why not let the children make your invitations?

Using fine paper, print out one sheet with the party details in the center of the page -- when, where, date, names of guests of honor. Don't forget to print the information in the center of the page, leaving plenty of white space around the information.

At the bottom type: "This card was expressly made for you by (names of the children)."

Go to Kinko's and make plenty of copies.

Then gather together children (the grandchildren of the couple celebrating the wedding anniversary are ideal!) and have them write -- in crayon or with colored pens -- quick notes on each invite: "We love grandma!" "We love grandpa!" "Come to our party!"

Or have the children draw small pictures on each one. It usually works best if you help each child develop one picture that they will draw over and over -- like a rainbow, or a pet, or a sun. You get the idea. It is usually easier for the children to repeat a drawing, rather than trying to draw something new on each invitation.

It's best for these "drawing parties" to be held over a couple of days if you are sending out a lot of invitations. The children are more patient when they aren't expected to draw a lot for a long period of time.

Of course, there's no reason that adults can't pick up a crayon and help, too!

Once the handmade invitations are made, simply fold the pages over, address them and mail them. No need for (expensive) envelopes.

There are lots of Make Your Own Invitation packages available at office supply stores. They include paper, envelopes, a software program on a CD (that is really easy to install) and cut-and-paste ease.

Making your own invitations can be a lot of fun, and it gives you an opportunity to really personalize the invites.

What is the cost? Overtures Embossed look professional and are easy to make on your computer -- for about 75 cents each, including envelope! Click the link to buy it at Amazon if you're short on time and can't use some of the ideas described above.

And the cost is so much less than paying a printer to create engraved invitations!