Can Wedding Bars Replace Traditional Gift Giving In Connecticut?

According to the Knot, 57% of couples still go with the open bar at their wedding. That’s great for your guests, but for you? It’s a $3-5k hangover before the honeymoon even starts. Some people cut corners by making guests pay for their own drinks, but one couple in the U.K. took it to another level.

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Instead of asking for wedding gifts, they rolled out credit card machines at the bar and told guests they were helping pay for the honeymoon. Think Dave & Buster's, but instead of your server dropping the reader on the table, it’s your buddy from college saying, “Congrats—now tap here to send us to Mexico.”

They even had QR code signs with the slogan: “Don’t be tight, pay for our flight.” Apparently, the guests loved it—especially after a few cocktails loosened up the wallets.

The idea wasn’t about greed, either. They’ve been together 14 years, already own a house, and don’t need another toaster. They just figured nobody carries cash anymore, so why not make it easy to swipe and sip?

The payment company, Lopay, says they hope this catches on. So don’t be surprised if your next wedding invite comes with a note that reads: Open bar… sort of. Bring your Visa.

The real question is: would this ever fly in Connecticut? I spend half my life defending the people here, trying to convince outsiders we’re not exactly what they think we are. But honestly, I could see this idea blowing up fast at a Nutmeg wedding.

Would your Connecticut guests confront you about sticking credit card machines at the bar to fund your honeymoon? Of course not. They’d smile, swipe, and then spend the next 50 years talking behind your back. That kind of long-term grudge turns into chronic hemorrhoids for one of you and an eating disorder for the other. Next thing you know, the marriage caves in and suddenly your family’s the subject of a Dateline NBC episode.

So yeah, maybe the honeymoon-funding gimmick isn’t worth the drama in Connecticut.