Then she told us about how for gifts they are registered at only one place: a travel agency. So the only gift they want is a donation to the agency that their honeymoon is booked through (to help pay for the honeymoon). I would much rather make a donaion as a gift than have to drive to some department store to buy something a couple is registered for and wrap it and try to remember to take it with me to the reception.
I love how sensible this woman is. She also bartends at a country club where people spend $20 to $30k for their weddings and receptions when they can't even afford it. To me it makes a lot more sense to get married in a park or back yard and use the $20k instead toward a down payment on a home. I would still have the costume ball wedding I was inspired to do when I read about one in a magazine when I was 13 years old. But that can be done without spending ten to twenty grand. And it's the person you marry that matters, not the size or expense of the wedding.