Budget Wedding Secrets – Tip #9: How to Prevent Theft of Wedding Gifts

By Diane Owens

A recent Wall Street Journal story at http://online.wsj.com/article/APda6fffe079af4780ab6724900b5fb66b.ht... reported that a New York wedding guest was apprehended trying to steal envelopes containing checks and cash for newlyweds at their reception.

Most couples planning a wedding probably never give a thought that anyone at their reception could possibly steal wedding gifts. But it does happen on occasion, and it’s something you should consider and take action to prevent during the wedding planning process.

If you’re designating a table at the wedding reception for guests to deposit gifts, take appropriate safeguards. Make sure the table is placed away from doorways against a wall or in a corner, to put as much distance as possible between the gifts and the exits, and to limit access to gifts. If you plan to set out a decorated box or “birdcage” holder for cards with monetary gifts, select one that enables people to slide cards through a slot, but that won’t let guests get to the cards. If necessary, wire adjacent pieces together so that the lid won’t open. Anything you can do to prevent a potential thief from making a quick snatch and get-away, or to slow down his efforts, can be effective.

In addition, ask one or more friends or relatives to watch the gift area during the reception, with an eye toward theft prevention. Or hire someone for the job. Also, designate someone to stay at the reception site during the wedding ceremony if guests may drop off gifts there before the wedding begins.

Finally, consider hiring and stationing an off-duty police officer near the gift table. (He or she can be plainclothes or uniformed; it’s your choice.) In addition to preventing thefts, the officer can also help protect against underage drinking, can remove uninvited guests and can stop potential altercations. For a cost of approximately $25 an hour, it may be money well spent – and can give you great peace of mind.

(To read the follow-up story about the N.Y. wedding gift theft, see http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/wedding_thief_gift_rapped_rX2DLU....)

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