Bridal shower

The world has had a ball mocking and harumphing over the Fellini-esque epic known as Jeff in Venice. But in fairness, any analysis of modern wedding stats would show that the Bezos-Sánchez nuptials were, proportionate to the couple's liquidity, a bit on the stingy side.

- Jane Clifton

Actually, it's us non-money-bagses who are the true vulgarian showoffs, staging marry-thons quite out of sync with our means.

The cost of weddings has mushroomed over the past decade or two, largely because it's now the norm to detain one's guests for three days, even when the affianced (and guests) are of modest income.

There's a case for saluting Bezos's frugality; as one of the world's richest people he could easily have entertained and incarcerated his guests for a whole week.

At least his entourage could afford all the travel and frockage required of them, and wouldn't later be billed for the honeymoon, drinks and other sundries.

New data by the UK government-sponsored Money and Pensions Service puts the average cost of being a wedding guest, including travel, clothes and presents, at more than NZ$4500 per year. And often, the wedding and stag/hen do eats into guests' own limited allocation of holiday time.

Weddings: Considerably more expensive than necessary.