Keeping gift checks safe from the wedding to the bank
A recent article in The Washington Post featured a newlywed couple whose wedding gifts were stolen by a well dressed wedding crasher.
Anthony and Jennifer Smith left Garden Grove, California for their honeymoon in Florida thinking they would come home and put their monetary wedding gifts to good use. They returned home to bad news; their wedding money had been stolen. At their wedding!
The wedding crasher was caught on surveillance video but so far there is no news on his capture. He even dressed like the wedding party. Perhaps he knew someone wedding?
Before you start thinking that you need to keep things secret or start suspecting your friends of any mishaps, consider an alternative to protect your gifts.
Most weddings have a gift table with some sort of box in which to deposit cards and checks. If you have a dependable wedding coordinator, family member or friend, ask them to empty the box periodically throughout the night and remove the cards and checks to a locked car. An on-location event coordinator will likely have an office in which to lock valuables. Also, tape your box closed. Be sure it sealed well so that cards can go in, but none can come out.
And, finally, before you head off for your honeymoon, although it does seem a bit mercenary, although it really is just safety insurance for you and your guests, set aside a few minutes when you and your new spouse can open your cards and collect the checks. This is especially important if your wedding is in a destination location and you cannot deposit your checks immediately, or if you are leaving the country. If you are leaving the country, don’t take the checks with you.
Marc and I got married in Florida, honeymooned in Jamaica and live in Maryland. We sent my Aunt home with our checks, and a full list of those checks and the amounts. She held them for us until we got home. And she only stole a few of them!
wedding, gifts, money, checks, stolen, safe keeping, how to protect
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