Thieves found to be uninvited guests at wedding receptions

Be on the alert for wedding crashers.
Knight Ridder Newspapers
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- A purse left casually in the dressing room. A makeup bag sitting on the counter. Gifts sitting in the hall.
These are the perfect invitations for a wedding thief.
Sadly, that's the lesson learned by some newly married couples.
While Amanda and Jason Wright were saying their vows in September, someone took purses belonging to the bridal party. The purses were in the bride's dressing room at the Cynthiana Presbyterian Church, and the Rev. Larry Bowald said the ceremony he presided over took only 30 minutes.
"I can't tell you it spoiled the whole day ... but it did make it extremely difficult with the 'what ifs'," said mother-of-the-bride Cheryl Case, whose purse was stolen. She added that the wedding party could not give a suspect description because there were so many people.
"It's a perfect time (to steal), and people know that," said Lexington, Ky.-based wedding planner Jacki S. Allen. She encourages the wedding party not to leave makeup and purses in dressing rooms. Allen says it's best to put those things in a locked van -- a job for the wedding planner or a family member.
"It's just as a matter of normal thinking that you are in a church and things are going to be OK," Allen said. "Unfortunately, things like this do happen."
To keep wedding cards and gift cards safe, Allen suggested placing the cards in a box that has a small opening, not something open like a basket. Then, the bride and groom should be handed those cards before the wedding reception ends.
Recognize guests
Brandan Gravitt, a wedding planner at Bride's Assistant in Lexington, said a way to deter potential thieves is to get to know people at the wedding party. She tries to bring assistants with her to help and they "get to know everybody."
"If there is someone I didn't recognize, I would introduce myself to let them know that I can help them," Gravitt said. "It would be a very strong deterrent to the thief ... people are more afraid to do something wrong with us walking around and knowing them."
Sometimes, though, it can be hard to manage guests at a large wedding. Gravitt suggests people could have their wedding invitation-only, or have a hostess check in the guests. "It's just like a night club, you don't always have control of who has access," she said. "I had wedding crashers and the bride and groom didn't know them and ... I asked them to leave."
Although police are not officially collaborating to investigate the wedding thefts, Detective Matt Mitchell of the Versailles, Ky., police has tried to find connections in the three cases.
"They just need to use their judgment at weddings," Mitchell said about people protecting themselves. "They are not questioning people who do look out of place."
Helping hand
The bridal party at the wedding of Amy and Tim Engel in the Versailles First Methodist Church also had their purses stolen. Although all her personal identifications were missing, Amy Engel got through the day and off to her honeymoon with the help of the Versailles police -- the officers made her an ID with a police letterhead and a Polaroid photo.
"We told her this is supposed to be the happiest day of your life and you can't let one person ruin your day," said mother-of-the-bride Bonnie Foley.