(SHOCKER ALERT!!!!)
I agree with Popa.
Both my husband and I and our two married children all received engagement presents that were either not to our taste or not something we could use. We wrote gracious and appreciative notes to all the givers, but it was a waste of their money, as those things were never used by us.
I will give you just ONE example. Someone (long since passed away, so no chance of her reading this, and her family would not know about it) gave my husband and me a plastic table top radio that was designed to resemble the American Flag. That was actually one of the nicer impractical or not-to-our-taste gifts. I appreciated the thought of ALL givers of gifts, but money is the one thing that is ALWAYS the right color, usually the right size, and will be put to good use.
If someone is not sure of someone else’s taste, give cash or get something with a gift receipt (though it’s not always convenient to have to return things, also). I used to protest about this, but now I see that it is very practical to have a gift registry, where items have been pre-selected. If an item is too pricey, more than one person can chip in for it.
No one has a strict chiyuv to give gifts (hence the expression “gift” and not obligation). But if you already are giving one, it should be done in the right way, IMO.