Do any mothers of the bride set up gift displays at home? My mother did when I got married in 1989 and I know several other people my age whose mothers did the same. Or is that another custom that has died out?
^^We didn’t because I wasn’t getting married in my home town, but remember lots of friends that did it. I’ve seen as as recently as 6 years ago, but sure it’s not as common now. Regarding registries, I had one way back when, but they weren’t publicized like they are now with wedding sites like The Knot. They were just word of mouth…I remember calling MOBs to ask where Ds were registered for showers, etc. Of course that means when we registered the same china in several stores in different towns we got lots of duplicates.
We had all the packages (a few were delivered to the house, most came to the reception) opened the next day after brunch at my mom’s. So all that were at the brunch saw the ‘loot’.
Probably some still do display in formal dining room with gifts coming early for big formal wedding - but most modern brides/grooms are starting off life more practical (and with student loans).
We do not plan to display gifts.
I’ve never seen anyone display gifts. I’ve only read about it, usually in books written in the 50s or earlier.
There’s a really classic gift shop in New Canaan called The Whitney Shop that used to have a small table set up in their china area with place settings for couples currently registered there. Or rather, brides. There would be a little place card with her name.
I have to admit that I found this charming. It is so redolent of the kind of idealized well-to-do CT life one sees in movies of the 30s or 40s.
Not that I registered there. B-)
@calmom - Mr. B and I always buy the “odd ones” of the registry, so we would have been excited to see a Dremel listed. In the past, we bought a subwoofer, a Dirt Devil, a patio heater… We figure the other guests will always take care of the towels and cups. 
@Consolation - that is cute and charming.
I love my Dremel, and I would totally consider giving one from a registry.
Especially if I didn’t like the china they picked out, LOL.
Not sure I can imagine looking back in ten years and saying, “Alas, poor mouse sander, I knew him, Horatio,” and remember fondly that Aunt Harriet gave this now dead sander as a wedding gift.
I get it, though. But I do think some of this is marketing. Go to Crate and Barrel or Target (or Home Depot!) and get the scanner tool and click on anything. They make it easy and CB, T, or HD reaps the bennies. I swear, the godson has a disposable pack of chopsticks on the list. Say what?
Did I say, I’m giving money?
One day, maybe while en route to NYC, I’ll go see the Whitney Shop. Love those old treasures.
The whole business of what’s appropriate to give as a wedding gift has changed profoundly as the life paths of young adults have changed.
It used to be that wedding gifts were things that the bride and groom (especially bride) would need to set up a new household.
But today, a lot of brides and grooms are about 30. They already have households. If they live together, they probably have all the household stuff they need. If they live separately, they probably need to get rid of stuff when setting up their new, combined household. The last thing they would want is more household stuff.
There are exceptions, and my daughter and her fiance are among them. They’re moving from an apartment to a house a few months before their wedding, so they need things. But the things they need aren’t pretty dishes and linens. They’re things like a snow blower and garden tools – which are necessary but far from romantic.
“Especially if I didn’t like the china they picked out, LOL.”
That is a big part of my motivation to go for the “oddball” gifts, too.
The only wedding gift I remember was a Polaroid camera (remember those?), given to us by my sister.
We had LOTS of fun with that on our wedding night, taking photos of the sort that one could not send out to be developed, if you know what I mean. 
Unfortunately, I don’t think there is a 21st century equivalent.
I remember most of my wedding gifts, after almost 28 years.
One of our local, now long gone, department stores used to display brides’ china patterns with cards saying “The Bride Selects” with your name and date. They also printed an ad with their registered couples and dates in the Sunday paper once a month. I cut our the one with our names and put it in my wedding scrapbook.
We never displayed gifts. I do remember a few of the gifts and who gave them out of the literally 100s of wedding gifts. My sister gave us a TV and H’s buddies gave us a Video player. I remember maybe 1/2 a dozen gifts by giver.
I live in the South in Georgia. These types of displays are still very common in small towns in the South. Local jewelry/china/gift shops will display their bridal couples’ choices on a table with other items chosen by them for the registry. I do find it very charming and refreshingly traditional. I was just in one in Dublin Georgia called Smith’s Jewelers. Gorgeous store and lovely china patterns.
When I got married in 1981, my mother did set up our gifts in her home. I’m not really sure why, since there were no events at the house, but when my sister got married 5 years later, her rehearsal dinner was a Halloween party at our house (they got married on 11/1) and sure enough, the gifts were again on display. Right now, my son’s childhood bedroom is wedding gift central since they live in a walk-up and all the gifts are being sent here. I have no intention of putting them on display, however!
As for oddball gifts, the best present we received and still talk about 35 years later is a toolbox filled with the basics. It’s now falling apart, but my H still uses it.
your toolbox gift giver was ‘ahead of the times’ @runnersmom . we like practical.
To me, fine china IS practical!
I know I am in the minority. 
Lots of people in their later 20s and 30s have stuff like pots and pans and everyday utensils, but they’ve never gotten nice dishes.
@Consolation we got TWELVE sets of dishes when my mom died. The last thing we needed as a wedding gift was dishes!
My DD wants nice dishes…but to HER nice dishes are plain white dishes from Crate and Barrel or Pottery Barn. She isn’t interested in gold trimmed china at all (and if she becomes interested…she can have mine).
Love gold trimmed china. DH and I couldn’t agree on a pattern, at the time, but fortunately, we got his mother’s and aunt’s and love to use them. One D likes A, the other B, no conflict.
If you’re a minority, Consolation, I’m in there with you.
Our 3rd home was the first one we had with a formal dining room. By then we were married 10 years, and bought china, acquired crystal, and bought sterling. We still use our every day Corelle dishes that we have had for 38 years.
Not sure if either DD will be keen on china/crystal/sterling - but we have it to have them acquire from us.