Janet Baraclough wrote:

> It used to be common here (UK), to display all the wedding gifts at
> the reception after the wedding. That was in the days when everyone who
> was invited to the wedding, was automatically also invited to the
> reception after, however formal or informal that was.
>

In the US, in days before couples lived together prior to the wedding,
it was common to display the gifts rec'd before the wedding at the
parents home. People could oooh and ahhh and admire, yet it didn't
clutter up the wedding day itself.