What a Surprise?

Here's the thing I don't get about engaged couples: When you give them a gift and they say, "Oh, you shouldn't have!"

Let's be honest about this. Aside from love and commitment and all that crap, getting engaged is an excuse to get gifts. You know they're coming. Hell, that's why you register, isn't it? Registering after getting engaged is nothing more than a public request for people to buy you stuff. You make a list of all the things you want — dishes, bedding, appliances, silver, etc. — and then all your friends and family have to do is go to the specific stores, print out your list, and buy you something off that list. There's not a whole lot of thought involved on the part of the gift-giver because the couple has basically spelled it all out for you, with the implication that God forbid you get them anything not on the registry. The whole thing is a formality of the engagement process/celebration. And I know many engaged couples check their registries all the time just to see which items have been purchased.

So yeah, I don't get it when you give an engaged couple a gift and they seem surprised by the gesture. There's no need to fake it. Just say "thank you."