wedding gifts

Wedding gifts, to me, are abhorrent.
If anyone can see a way that there's an honor in wedding gifts, and not see it as a prostitution of the union, the undermining of love and the replacement of real and earned emotion with unneeded materialism, please let me know.
Until then, I hope all you first-world kids who think you need nicer stuff from your friends and normally forgotten relatives because you're entering into an institution that's more than likely to fail, one day see the light.

I've tried to anticipate the argument against me.
1.) It's tradition.
-Tradition doesn't make something right or wrong. Slavery was tradition for many years. So was stoning to death wives who weren't virgins.
2.) It's important to have nice to start a family
-That's not true. In fact, it's probably better to have cheap stuff if kids are going to be around.
3.) There's no other way to get nice things like fine china table settings.
-Yes there is: Save your own money.
4.) It's a way for guests to express congratulations.
-Why is their presence and warm wishes not enough? Wouldn't a heartfelt card mean more to you?
5.) Guests get to eat, drink and dance for free. The gift is their way of paying.
-Then they should pay the people who pay for the wedding (more than likely the parents). But, if it is the bride and groom, it's pretty tacky to have a party and ask the guests to pay. But I suppose if that's your M.O. this is a reasonable defense.