Can we talk about etiquette and gifts for a second?

So I had my shower about a week and a half ago and as a result, I found myself inundated with gifts.  Showered, even.  It’s really quite fantastic.  Because everyone knew I was flying back to LA with one measly suitcase, most sent their gifts directly to LA, so for about a week or so we were receiving 1-2 Crate and Barrel or Williams Sonoma boxes a day.  I opened everything, took it all out, oohed and ahhed over it, then packed it up neatly in its box and put it in the guest bedroom where it will stay.  Why?  Well, allow me to bring you back to the night of my shower.

Picture this: it’s Saturday night.  MOH Crys and I have just consumed copious amounts of greasy east coast cuisine for dinner and in my food coma, I’ve begun to haphazardly pack my suitcase with the gifts and cards I received that day.  Mom is cleaning up the kitchen nearby.

Me: “Ritchie will be so excited about this Magic Bullet.  He’s going to be making smoothies and be pureeing everything in sight the minute I touch down.”
Crys: “You’re going to open it?”
Me: “Am I…not supposed to?”
Mom: “You’re not supposed to use wedding gifts before the wedding.”
Me: “I’m sorry…what?”
Crys: (wide eyed) “Absolutely not.  You can’t open up or use your wedding gifts until after the wedding.”
Me: “Why the crap not?”
Mom: “Well, in case you have to give them all back.”

Ummm….

I don’t know why I never considered this, but I do know weddings get called off all the time for whatever reason.  So yes, this makes sense, but…does it really apply to me?

Yes, there could be some random act of whatever that could cause us to cancel the wedding.  Hurricane?  Freaky ginormous east coast earthquake?  Tsunami?  Sudden emergency or death in the family?  I do think these things would be reason enough to put the wedding on hold….but to call it off completely?  I don’t know.  It’d have to be something really BIG.  Something I can’t even fathom.

So the idea that I may have to return all my gifts has me spooked.  Was I really not supposed to use these fabulous things that everyone had been kind enough to give to me?  And why had I never even considered or known this before, yet my mother and best friend seemed to think it was common sense?

So now I pack away all our wedding gifts so far and think about when I CAN use them and how awesome it will be.

Did you all know about this rule?  Am I the only one out there who was totally blindsided by it?  What do/did you do with your wedding gifts before the wedding?

P.S. I do have a confession.  Ritchie opened the Magic Bullet.  I use my mixer all the time.  And there MIGHT have been an instance last weekend during the Lost finale when I wanted to make a cheese and cracker platter and that large appetizer plate that I’d put on our registry and received for my shower would have been PERFECT.  So if we do call off the wedding, we’re going to have to do some shopping.  And then some returning.  Oops.