A pair of newlyweds decided against traditional wedding gifts and instead set up a contactless card machine for guests to contribute towards their honeymoon on their special day.
Chris Martin, 35, and Tasha White, 33, from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, recently celebrated their wedding in their hometown before heading to Mexico the following day.
The couple, partners for 14 years with a daughter aged seven and a son aged three, felt no need for the typical household items you find on a standard wedding registry.
Mr Martin, who works for Mercedes, explained: ‘Tasha and I already have a house and everything we need – no one needs another five toasters!
‘What we really wanted was help making our dream honeymoon to Mexico happen.’
As a result, they requested that their 140 guests provide a unique form of support by placing a card reader near the bar at their reception at the expansive Furtho Manor Farm.
Attendees also had the option to scan a framed QR code to make a payment, which was cheekily signposted: ‘Don’t be tight, pay for our flight.’
The groom, thrilled with the uncommon approach, said that their guests thoroughly enjoyed it. His bride, Ms. White, who works as a hairdresser, shared in the enthusiasm for their novel fundraising method.
The couple, captured in a photograph, opted for a card machine so that their guests could tap in and help fund their honeymoon in place of traditional presents.
Chris Martin , 35, and Tasha White, 33, from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, recently tied the knot in their hometown before jetting off to Mexico the next day. Pictured: The newlyweds with guests on their big day
The couple (pictured), who have been together for 14 years and share a daughter, seven, and a son, three, had no desire for all the homeware of a normal wedding registry
‘I’m not going to reveal how much the total came to, but they were very generous. Some of them even tapped more than once.’
Mr Martin continued: ‘People don’t carry cash anymore so we thought we could have a bit of fun and raise money for our honeymoon at the same time…
‘As you can imagine people got more generous as the drinks started to flow!’
He also pointed out the reader and QR code, produced by payment firm Lopay, were cheap to use and install, helping to cut wedding costs, which can easily rack up.
One guest said: ‘I think the card reader and QR code were a great idea.
‘No one knows what to really do about wedding gifts nowadays so it’s usually money. This was so much less faff than cash or a bank transfer.’
Lopay’s boss and founder Richard Carter said: ‘I’m delighted that we at Lopay could help make Chris and Tasha’s wedding day such a success.
‘Having a card reader and the QR code made it so much easier for guests to give the couple a present on the day without any hassle.
The couple (pictured with attendees) instead asked their 140 guests at the sprawling Furtho Manor Farm for a different kind of contribution, installing a card reader by the bar at their reception
Attendees also had the option to scan a framed QR code (pictured) to make a payment, which was cheekily signposted: ‘Don’t be tight, pay for our flight’
The groom, who was delighted by the fundraising efforts with his bride Ms White, said: ‘Our guests absolutely loved it’
‘I’m not going to reveal how much the total came to, but they were very generous. Some of them even tapped more than once’, he continued
He also pointed out the reader and QR code, produced by payment firm Lopay, were cheap to use and install, helping to cut wedding costs, which can easily rack up
One guest said: ‘I think the card reader and QR code were a great idea’
‘No one knows what to really do about wedding gifts nowadays so it’s usually money’, they continued
‘And I’m sure some of them were even more generous after a few glasses of celebration bubbly.
‘Who knows? This could really catch on at wedding venues across the country.’
Lopay, the UK’s lowest cost, highest rated payment app, offers no fees on the first £2,000 of earnings users process through it.
The service is contract-free and payment processing rates start at 0.79 per cent – half the cost of rivals like SumUp, Zettle and Square.
And this rate can even be offset completely to 0 per cent when users get an Expense and Rewards Card – a kind of debit card to allow them to spend their earnings.
