Perhaps my opinion is a product of my own life experiences rather than any knowledge of how things are generally, but for myself, I think of gift giving differently when it is for people starting out than for more established people.
For example, my cousin got married and neither her nor her husband was living independently. After getting they were going to live with his family (culturally not weird) until they had the money to set out on their own. Keeping in mind that they wouldn't have anywhere to put or use household goods, my family gave my cousin a piece of jewelry as is traditional and money so that the couple could spend as they needed or wanted. When my mother's uncle remarried at an older age, as in had an adult child of his own, we still gave a gift. The purpose of the gift however, was more along the lines of what he and his wife might want for entertainment rather than their needs, because they already had the means to establish themselves and were in fact well settled. Giving them a toaster would have been superfluous, but giving them something sentimental or money to choose what they want to buy was a better bet.
Now the end result may be that both the fledglings and the established couple get the same thing, but I'm not going to be thinking, as a practical matter, about the established couple's household needs. If there was a shower for the established bride, I'd be more likely to give her something fun for her and/or her future husband, because I wouldn't want to give her something she likely doesn't need. For the fledgling bride, I'd give something that she might need, perhaps along with something fun if I was close to her. Ultimately, the wedding gift is to show that we are excited for them and the occasion is something worthy of celebration, but the ones who are just starting out get the additional layer of, "Hey they might need some help at this stage of their life."
