Bravo to Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez. It was vulgar but they did their wedding right

Yes, the guest list was like a Sims game gone rogue, with Kardashian popcorn and underpant purveyors mingling with Queen Rania of Jordan and Legolas.

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And I say – bravo! Mostly for the gift that was the sight of Bill Gates in pyjamas, looking like he’d wandered off from an assisted living facility, but also for refusing to pander to the masses who get very virtuous when rich people throw a party.

There’s been much banging on about how the money could have gone to worthier causes. Fair. But nobody’s suggesting the rest of us skip the bridal registry and buy mosquito nets for Malawi instead. No one critiques Bec and Travis for blowing $25,000 on a marquee, oysters, and a DJ who peaked in 2003.

Interestingly, Newsweek crunched the numbers and claimed the wedding (rumoured to have cost between $50 to $100 million) was “relatively cheap” – for Bezos. The Amazon founder spent about 0.0230 per cent of his estimated $244 billion net worth, which works out to the average American spending less than $250 on their big day.

I wonder how much of the criticism is less about waste and more about discomfort with people reclaiming joy at a certain age. Sanchez, 54, gets roasted for looking hyper-groomed and ultra-glam, like she’s not supposed to be sexy, centre stage and celebrated unless she’s 25 and on the arm of Leo DiCaprio.

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Yeah, it was over the top. It was peak camp. But its vulgarity had an honesty to it. They didn’t do the “intimate ceremony with close family” thing celebrities usually pull when they want to seem relatable.

Instead, Bezos and Sanchez went full cartoon villain with their shamelessly extravagant celebration. If anything, it was refreshing! And the rest of us got entertainment value out of watching the multi-day hostage situation guests found themselves in, which is more than most weddings provide.

Look, if you’ve been married, you know how miraculous it is to find someone once who makes you laugh and knows where your rosacea cream is. To do it twice? That’s worth celebrating – with a big ass foam cannon if there’s one handy.

Honestly, if I had Jeff Bezos’ money, I’d have done the same. Only with fewer tech bros trying to look cool in white jeans.

Kate Halfpenny is the founder of Bad Mother Media. Her new book, Boogie Wonderland, is published by Affirm Press. Subscribers can buy a copy from Booktopia for the discounted price of $24.26 plus postage with the code WONDERLAND10. This offer is available until August 31.

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