No, I’m not the ultimate curmudgeon. But frugal me sees spending lots of money on an engagement ring as a close second to spending tons of cash on the wedding reception. I’ve been to a very lavish wedding costing over $1 million and to one that cost just a few thousand. Neither related to the length or happiness of the marriage. Could this lavish spending reflect the fact that someone other than the bride or groom is often footing the bill?