Real Life Wedding Crasher Swipes Gifts

Aug. 28, 2007 — -- The rings were bought, the band was booked and everything was in place for the perfect wedding day. But in the middle of the most important day of their lives, the unthinkable happened.

While unsuspecting newlyweds Anthony and Jennifer Smith celebrated their wedding vows in the other room, their wedding gifts were stolen by a real life wedding crasher dressed in full wedding garb, including the wedding colors, blue and burgundy.

The couple went on their honeymoon in Florida and said they didn't realize until Jennifer's parents called that almost $2,000 worth of gifts was missing.

Anthony, 23, explained that cash constituted the majority of the gifts they received. "I put her through school, and we're trying to fix up a house -- they decided to give money or gift certificates."

Lucky for them, the thievery was all caught on tape.

A man posing as a guest took thousands of dollars worth of envelopes filled with cash and gift certificates. Surveillance footage shows the man walking in, standing at the gifts table, pulling an envelope from his pocket and licking it, and then pretending to give a gift before walking away. When the thief returned, this time he actually opened the gift box, took envelopes, hid them in his jacket and left.

"We were glad that no one got hurt -- it's better that it was just the money," said Jennifer Smith, 22.

And this wedding crasher may be a repeat offender. Authorities in Garden Grove, Calif., -- where the Smith wedding took place -- say they have received numerous calls about similar crimes at other weddings.

"Maybe they can connect him to all of these other robberies people are coming forward with now. This isn't the first time he's done this -- that's clear from the tape," Anthony Smith said.

While authorities do not have any leads yet, they said they hope the fact that the wedding crasher was caught on tape will help their case.

"We won't let this ruin our day," Jennifer said.

And while Anthony agreed, he added that he is eager to catch the thief.

"That would be the best gift of all," Anthony said.