Somehow, I have been getting countless catalogues devoted to convincing me that I need personalized plastic cups for my wedding. I can understand why one would get into the wedding business, because, according to the Association for Wedding Professionals International, it’s an $86 billion/year industry. People like to spend money on weddings, and so it’s the wedding industry’s job to think up as much useless crap that someone might think they need for their wedding and put it all in a catalogue. Why not spend it on the junk offered by my favorite catalogue, Oriental Trading Company Weddings?
After looking through a wedding merchandise catalogue like the one Oriental Trading Company publishes, one might  "Unity candle")
question the sanity of the perceived wedding consumer. Almost the entirety of the catalogue bases the value of its products on the option of printing your names and wedding dates on the item.
In case the symbol of lighting a unity candle weren’t meaningful enough, one might consider personalizing it and spending $10 more on it than a regular white pillar candle. This candle is included in the section of the catalogue titled “Bridal Elegance.” This assumes the need of the bride is to feel elegant – the aesthetic duty of all brides. You can also buy an “elegant” aisle runner with your name and wedding date printed on it. This might be a good idea, in case the wedding party is so nervous walking down the aisle they forget why they are walking down an aisle. They can then look down and see the names and what day it is and remember what’s going on. This also might be a good option in case someone else tries to walk off with your aisle runner. It is the metaphorical marking of territory on the aisle.
Another section of the catalogue was “Ceremony.” I found it interesting that tiaras were included in this section. "Tiara")
I don’t understand what a tiara has to do with the ceremony. How does it help one commit more to their partner? In addition to uselessness of a tiara, it contributes to the princess-for-a-day theme that most weddings have taken on. The bride is pampered, and her every need is taken care of by everyone around her. She might as well play the part by wearing an actual tiara, right? It is the ultimate symbol of the spoiled princess, and the bride gets what she wants. The groom is just there to marry the bride. He doesn’t do much else in the wedding.
I think my favorite item in the entire catalogue is the Light-Up Party Fountain. This multi-tiered treasure will not only hold punch, but it also lights up! It can bring any wedding up to a level that could never have been  "Fountain")
imagined before. In a nutshell, it’s ridiculous and a waste of electricity. One more item that has nothing to do with the actual meaning of marriage, but looks tacky enough it might actually be cool.
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