This episode provides examples of:
- Big, Screwed-Up Family: Both Jake and Helen come from this trope, but this episode highlights how messed up the Barksdale side is. Rita marries and divorces frequently and is the one who benefits from Parental Favoritism; Helen has all her resentment bottled up, driving her to get drunk during the wedding; Erin barely knows her fianceé, who is clearly going to mooch from her family's money; and Amy is basically a grown-up Daria.
- Berserk Button: Amy gives her car to the valet and warns him that she doesn’t mind if he takes the change or takes the car for a ride, or even leaves a few dents, but he will be dead if he changes the radio station.
- Distaff Counterpart: Luhrman to Daria. He seemed to have made enough of an impression on her that when she and Aunt Rita decided to ditch the wedding reception, Daria made it a point to let him know that she was leaving and even invited him to come along. He opted out wanting to watch the carnage unfold.
- Empathic Environment: It starts getting cloudy right before the wedding ceremony, and it's an understatement that nobody is happy about this wedding. Then it gets sunny just as Erin and Brian are getting married.
- Everyone Has Standards: Daria's even drier-witted escort Luhrman asks Daria at one point if she wishes to share a bottle of drain cleaner with him, which silently alarms Daria. Subverted in that Luhrman quickly explains his remark was meant solely as a joke and not an indicator of self-destructive behavior.
- Generation Xerox: Aunt Amy is basically an older Daria, both in appearance and personality. Aunt Rita is a lot like Quinn in personality, though not physically.
- The Ghost: Despite being the one paying for the wedding, Mother Barksdale doesn't show up at all...which might have been a good thing considering the fallout.
- The Glorious War of Sisterly Rivalry: Helen and Rita slowly boil over throughout the wedding until the whole thing ends up in a screaming match between the whole family in the middle of the reception.
- Has a Type: Rita is implied to have dated a series of adventurous but unstable men; as such, their surprised by her current boyfriend, who's a dull (but self-obsessed) businessman.
- Horrible Judge of Character: Aunt Rita's list of recent significant others: the sculptor was dumped, the skydiving instructor had a horrible accident, and "Bruno" is in a federal prison somewhere.
- I Need a Freaking Drink: Helen spends the reception drinking.
- Informed Flaw: The seamstress keeps complaining about Daria's body, giving her an ill-fitted bridesmaid dress. In the previous episode Daria is shown to be even more curvy than Quinn.
- Mandatory Line: Jane only appears in two early scenes and gets no subplot of her own.
- Mistaken for Gay: When Mack and Kevin hang out at the bridal expo, a wedding ring salesman mistakes them for a gay couple by saying that he sells rings for same-sex couples and "what [they] do with them is [their] business".
- Only One Name: Daria asks if "Luhrman" is his first or last name. His only response is "Does it matter?"
- Pedophile Priest: While he keeps mentioning he's not a priest, note the minister spends the wedding reception making disturbing advances toward the fourteen year old Quinn. This eventually gets him beat up by Quinn's escort.
- Running Gag: People ask Daria why she is not dressed like the other bridesmaids since Daria's ill-fitted bridesmaid dress doesn't look in the same design as the other bridesmaids.
- Screw Politeness, I'm a Senior!: The tailor at the bridal shop insults Daria's body to her face.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Right when it was clear a fight was about to break out, Daria and Aunt Amy both decide to leave for quieter pastures. They settle on a bowling ally where they run into Erin's new husband who had gotten chased off earlier and now appears to be spending his time at the bar.
- This Is Gonna Suck: Jake's apt observation about the wedding when he informs Daria what's happening.Jake: Your cousin Erin is getting married.Daria: So I figured.Jake: You know there'll be Hell to pay.
- Unfortunate Implications; Discussed In-Universe. Daria and Jane note how the idea of a high school running a bridal expo seems sketchy to say the least. Jodie later realizes they had a point.
