wedding registries v. straight cash homie

I head to lots of weddings these days and I've formed an opinion on the gift protocol. I think its inappropriate to ask for cash. When people say no boxed gifts they want you to give them money. Perhaps a gift card goes well here, but there's no real personal giving. And I'm against wedding registries. That's absurd... You want me to go and buy your domestic goods for you? That's even worse than giving cash. Now you want the cash and you want me to go to the store and buy it for you. I love getting gifts that are surprises. Can't we go back to that model??