A couple in Hanoi added a contemporary twist to the conventional money gifting custom.
Recently, a Facebook video of a wedding blew up on Vietnam's social media because of its unconventionality, Tuoi Tre reports. While most money given as a gift to the bride and groom is placed in an envelope and put inside a box, in the video, some wedding guests can be seen handing their credit cards to the couple to transfer their wedding offering straight to the family. Some other guests are seen scanning a QR code to wire their money to the newlyweds.
Although the video has only recently been attracting attention online, the wedding actually happened in March, according to the couple: Tu and Ha. A friend of the pair said that they wanted to utilize some equipment in their shop for the wedding, thinking that most of their friends — who are from the financial technology sector — would find this kind of money transfer familiar.
A guest would put the amount of money they want to gift to the groom's smartphone, insert their card into a terminal, then sign on the device to confirm the transaction. For people who prefer the traditional way of money gifting, a wedding box was placed nearby so that envelopes could be placed inside.
The video has garnered some positive reactions for its cheekiness and convenience; however, many commenters look down upon the practice as they think the bluntness in the way money is transferred commercializes the event, making the ceremony more materialistic.
Some even said that the method makes it feel like the guests are paying to eat at a restaurant rather than celebrating two people tying the knot. Moreover, it's sometimes considered a social faux pas at Vietnamese weddings to peek at the amount of money gifts from guests during the ceremony and reception. With Tu and Ha's credit card handling method, this supposedly discreet information is known by both the couple and surrounding attending guests.
Check out the video below:
[Top photo via Tuoi Tre / Video via YouTube user ]
