When I get wedding invite with QR code, I don’t attend or send money

The integration of technology into our daily lives is undoubtedly a growing trend, yet it should have its boundaries. Consider the example of wedding invitations. It’s becoming increasingly common to see invitations equipped with QR codes.

These allow guests to quickly and conveniently transfer congratulatory funds to the couple through a banking app, completing the transaction in under a minute. Following the wedding, the bride and groom can easily track all the contributions received via their app.

In today’s world, face-to-face exchanges of physical invitation cards are no longer necessary. Digital invitations efficiently deliver all the essential details like the wedding date and venue address to guests.

Wedding invitation. Photo by Pexels

However, merely sending these digital invites without any personal communication isn’t appropriate. Engaging in proper dialogue through a phone call or a message is still important.

Additionally, placing a QR code on the money box or elsewhere at the wedding venue is acceptable. This is because attendees usually intend to give congratulatory money, and a QR code makes this process easier.

However, including a QR code directly on the invitation serves a different purpose. It targets those not attending the wedding, implicitly suggesting they should send money regardless of their presence.

Upon seeing a QR code on an invitation, I choose not to attend or contribute financially. I believe weddings should be more personal, limited to family and close friends. Modern weddings often have large guest lists, leading to situations where you’re seated among strangers, with little to do but eat and leave.

These thoughts were shared by a reader, Song Dong Em Dem, in response to the use of QR codes in online wedding invitations.

Another reader, Tam, echoed similar views, observing that a QR code on wedding invitations appears to be a subtle prompt for guests to send money, regardless of their attendance at the ceremony.

This trend, according to Tam, has transformed weddings into more of a commercial affair, straying from their essence as celebrations of life’s special moments with friends and family. Tam believes that the joy of the occasion should not be diminished by guests’ inability to attend or give money.

The inclusion of a QR code seems to carry an unspoken expectation of a monetary gift, contradicting the traditional sentiment of happiness over guests’ presence.

Reflecting on the common wedding invitation phrase, “Your attendance is our great blessing,” a reader questions its sincerity when a QR code is also present on the invitation. This inclusion seems to communicate a different message – that guests are expected to send money whether they attend or not.

The reader suggests that justifying the use of QR codes as a nod to modern technology is merely a cover for the underlying expectation of monetary gifts.

What are your thoughts on this topic?