Brides Helping Brides ™ - Wedding Crasher - what do I do?

B853 Posted: Aug 12, 2011 10:11 AM

Wedding Crasher - what do I do?

OK I haven't posted on here in a while but I really don't know what I should do about an issue at my wedding at the Riviera at Massapequa.

Here's a long story short. At the end of the night, someone noticed a guy had crashed my wedding in board shorts and a polo shirt. He was drunk and asked to leave, the police showed up to remove him from the property. Then as people were leaving I went to the bridal suite to get the tip I had put up there for the photobooth attendents, it was gone. I told the Riviera but wasn't going to make a big deal about it. The days following a friend asked me if I had got their card, I said I couldn't remember. The friend then said another friend had taken a bunch of cards from the same group of friends, with a card from one of their mothers, and left them in the bridal suite. Now I know I didn't get them because I didn't get a card from my friend's mother and I know that for sure. So now a pile of cards and the tip are missing. I called the Riviera and they said they reviewed the cameras and couldn't see anyone taking anything from the bridal suite because the camera angle didn't catch an area of the suite. They also said they spoke to police and they had frisked the crasher and he had nothing on him.

Well, last night I got the video back and watched it. While my father and I are dancing, the crasher walks right across everyone watching! He must have been at the wedding for at least two hours! He probably got drunk on our $$! He's in board shorts and a polo and no one noticed?! He could have taken stuff and stashed it before he was discovered at the end of the night!

I've called the Riviera and left a voicemail to see what they can do, but what can I really do about this? Just suck it up that this happened and this guy is in my wedding video while I dance with my dad?

And anyone getting married at the Riviera, don't leave anything in the bridal suite, and tell other people not to either! This isn't the first time they've had this problem.

kroert Posted: Aug 12, 2011 10:17 AM

Re: Wedding Crasher - what do I do?

When you saw him walk across everybody, was it towards/in/ around the suite? Don't just suck it up! Call the police and let them know this story. They have a record of this guy, and you have new evidence!!! Just see what they say. And tell that whole group to cancel/put a stop/trace if they wrote checks.

KristynLeigh Posted: Aug 12, 2011 10:19 AM

Re: Wedding Crasher - what do I do?

Wow. I don't know if there is anything you could do but I'm sorry about that. Does their bridal suite have a safe? It's crazy that someone was walking around your wedding like that. Something else to worry about now.

Sorry again.

oct13bride Posted: Aug 12, 2011 10:28 AM

Re: Wedding Crasher - what do I do?

I am so sorry you are dealing with this I would definitely go to the cops with the new info & have them review the tapes from the Riviera themselves. Hearing your story makes me very glad our bridal suite will have a safe & now we are definitely going to be using it.

IrishAli Posted: Aug 12, 2011 10:48 AM

Re: Wedding Crasher - what do I do?

That is insane

Don't people at these places watch to see if something is amiss?

dunnkat Posted: Aug 12, 2011 11:04 AM

Re: Wedding Crasher - what do I do?

Thats very upsetting Im so sorry. You can call the cops and give them the added information, I have to be honest though I don't think much will come of it. Your best bet is to make a list of the missing cards and email them. Tell them the story and ask that they cancel the checks, see if anyones has cleared the bank yet -if so you will be able to find out who took them as they will have cameras at the bank and ways to trace even remote deposits. Then call the police and let them know. Im sure once you tell these people they will cancel the checks and write you knew ones, thats what I would do. Also your Maitre D should have caught this! He doesnt deserve the prob large tip you gave him.

KristyANDMatt224 Posted: Aug 12, 2011 11:38 AM

Re: Wedding Crasher - what do I do?

omg! that's insane! I am so sorry that happened to you. Don't drop the issue-- keep fighting with them

irisheyezrsmilen Posted: Aug 12, 2011 11:44 AM

Re: Wedding Crasher - what do I do?

omg thats horrible!!!!

do NOT drop it! you hired that place to handle your wedding and if im not mistaken isnt it one wedding at a time? so it not like they are overwhelmed with different parties at the same time. they should have had a better heads up on that. and should deff handle this issue better.

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!

futuremrstaheri Posted: Aug 12, 2011 12:15 PM

Re: Wedding Crasher - what do I do?

That's insane! Sorry this happened. I wouldn't drop the issue though - call the police again with the new information you have.

B853 Posted: Aug 12, 2011 12:19 PM

Re: Wedding Crasher - what do I do?

I don't think the Riviera has a safe. During the father daughter dance the guy isn't walking anywhere near the bridal suite really, but a friend just told me they saw him get kicked out a couple of times and just come right back. The way the Riviera is set up, it's kind of easy to get into the bridal suite without anyone noticing unless you have someone standing out there watching the stairs. I can't believe the security cameras didn't catch anything, I think I should try and review them myself. I wish we had paid extra for security instead of valet parking!

I seriously doubt the guy would ever be caught, but I really want future brides to be aware of it!

mara1017 Posted: Aug 12, 2011 12:21 PM

Re: Wedding Crasher - what do I do?

I am sorry you have to deal with this. My uncle had a similar issue with a place in NJ about 10 years ago, although it was one of the waitstaff who was taking the envelopes (my other aunt saw her int he bathroom trying to flush a check down the toilet).

The place was amazing with them and made sure that they showed my uncle how sorry they were that it happened at their venue.

Always make sure the bridal suite is either locked (and do not give everyone the key or code) or that everything is in a safe. It is said but you can not trust anyone now a days!

mara1017 Posted: Aug 12, 2011 12:22 PM

Re: Wedding Crasher - what do I do?

Posted by B853

I don't think the Riviera has a safe. During the father daughter dance the guy isn't walking anywhere near the bridal suite really, but a friend just told me they saw him get kicked out a couple of times and just come right back. The way the Riviera is set up, it's kind of easy to get into the bridal suite without anyone noticing unless you have someone standing out there watching the stairs. I can't believe the security cameras didn't catch anything, I think I should try and review them myself. I wish we had paid extra for security instead of valet parking!

I seriously doubt the guy would ever be caught, but I really want future brides to be aware of it!

I would definitely ask to see the security cameras yourself. Do not trust the venue to tell you whether he is on it or not. They want this to go away as quickly as possible. So it is easiest for them to say there was nothing.

pixietina Posted: Aug 12, 2011 12:34 PM

Re: Wedding Crasher - what do I do?

Posted by dunnkat

Thats very upsetting Im so sorry. You can call the cops and give them the added information, I have to be honest though I don't think much will come of it. Your best bet is to make a list of the missing cards and email them. Tell them the story and ask that they cancel the checks, see if anyones has cleared the bank yet -if so you will be able to find out who took them as they will have cameras at the bank and ways to trace even remote deposits. Then call the police and let them know. Im sure once you tell these people they will cancel the checks and write you knew ones, thats what I would do. Also your Maitre D should have caught this! He doesnt deserve the prob large tip you gave him.

This! I can't believe that happened and that is just horrible. Did you have to pay for security there? I think that is just ridiculous. Don't give up you should definitely fight this issue.

CaughtMyFish Posted: Aug 12, 2011 01:16 PM

Re: Wedding Crasher - what do I do?

so awful!! As for people whose cards went missing, maybe you can politely call and tell them their check went missing and see if it was cashed. I bet the fraud dept at their bank could find out who cashed it, etc. You might (hate to say it) even have some identity theft on your hands if the crasher put forth effort to cash checks.

Chanwich Posted: Aug 12, 2011 02:05 PM

Re: Wedding Crasher - what do I do?

This is definitely not the first time this happened there and was one of our main concerns as well. We were promised that the door to the suite would be locked during the wedding and that they had video. We didn't have any issues but apparently neither of those things helped you

I'm so sorry you are going through that, definitely contact your guests whose cards you know are missing and have them cancel the checks if they haven't been cashed. People really s uck these days

linny11412 Posted: Aug 12, 2011 02:12 PM

Re: Wedding Crasher - what do I do?

So sorry that happened to you!

csteen85 Posted: Aug 12, 2011 04:17 PM

Re: Wedding Crasher - what do I do?

That's awful!!! It's nowhere near as bad, but my purse and camera were stolen at our best friends' engagement party s couple of months ago.

I hope you pursue this and get it straightened out. I wonder who the person was who kept kicking him out?? And did any of your guests speak to him throughout the night?

B853 Posted: Aug 12, 2011 05:31 PM

Re: Wedding Crasher - what do I do?

I just spoke to the Maitre D' from the Riviera who worked our wedding. He said the guy told them he had taken some psychotropic drugs and didn't even know who he was. He had come from the city and was looking for some party in the neighborhood he was going to and ended up at our wedding. The MD said he was walking around looking for somewhere to plug his phone in (in the video he's carrying a phone) and was even playing in the dumpster at some point. They kept kicking him out but he kept sneaking back in. The police put him in a cab to the train station to get rid of him. I don't know why it took them so long to do that!

Secondly the MD said the camera footage they checked was from the hallway and stairs outside the bridal suite, and he said the guy never went up there, but there were a lot of guests going up and down the stairs to take photos and use the bathroom. He said they don't have a camera in the bridal suite because they can't as people use it to change. Long story short, the only person who could have taken the stuff could have been a guest, and that sucks worse that the crasher.