Sorry Scrava I have to totally disagree with you.
This may be culturally/community driven but IMHO showing up at a small intimate shower gathering where gifts is the main purpose w/o a gift would be MUCH the tackier. Showing up at a wedding where the main purpose is the actual nuptials AND a much larger crowd is present seems less likely to draw notice. In my area folks usually slip into a banquet hall and leave their gifts and go into the sanctuary w/o anything in hand but their purses and a good-looking escort! At least I do! Nobody knows who brought what because for most cultures here the gifts are opened after the guests leave and the honeymoon is over! The family takes the gifts home.
-LuxLivingFrugalis
P.S. Haven't been invited to a bachelorette party in eons!! They gift the fianced there as well nowdays? Well, sorry, I might have brought a bottle if that was going to be the nights theme, but only if I was cashflush at the time! Us Southron'Baptist girls aren't supposed to tipple you know!
{supposedly we'd be toast!