A couple from Milton Keynes have pioneered Britain's first tap-and-pay wedding reception, using a contactless card reader placed by the bar to fund their dream honeymoon. Chris Martin and Tasha White collected contributions from their 140 guests directly into their bank account, with a sign reading 'Don't be tight, pay for our flight' accompanying the payment terminal.
The couple, who have been together for 14 years, flew to Mexico the following day. Chris, 35, who works for Mercedes, said the idea came from the realisation that guests rarely carry cash. '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,' he explained. He added that they already have a house and everything they need, so rather than receiving more toasters, they wanted help making their honeymoon to Mexico happen.
The card reader was provided by the payment firm Lopay, which also prepared a QR code for the occasion. Chris said guests 'absolutely loved' the innovative approach, with some even tapping more than once. 'As you can imagine people got more generous as the drinks started to flow!' he added.
The wedding took place at Furtho Manor Farm in Milton Keynes, with a guest praising the setup as 'a great idea' and 'so much less faff than cash or a bank transfer.' Richard Carter, 42, boss and founder of Lopay, said he was delighted to help make the day a success, adding that the card reader and QR code made it easier for guests to give a gift 'without any hassle'. He speculated that the concept 'could really catch on at wedding venues across the country'.
Lopay describes itself as the UK's lowest-cost and highest-rated payment app, currently offering no fees on the first £2,000 of transactions and a processing rate starting at 0.79% – half the cost of rivals such as SumUp, Zettle and Square. Chris and Tasha, who have a daughter aged seven and a son aged three, celebrated with hairdresser Tasha, 33, before departing for their honeymoon.
