Two types of people walk this planet: those who wouldn’t dream of crashing a wedding and those who would jump at the chance. Wedding crashers definitely exist, and many of these moochers are enticed by destination weddings in particular. Here are three ways to spot uninvited guests at your event.
Look for Unfamiliar Faces
If you don’t recognize a guest – and nobody else does, either – chances are you have a freeloader on your hands. Look for people who don’t fit in, either because they’re dressed differently than everyone else or because you simply can’t figure out who they are.
You don’t want to spend your big day policing guests, but you could enlist someone else to do it. Appoint an outspoken member of the wedding party to periodically scan faces at the bar, buffet table, and dance floor. Or ask your wedding planner to monitor the guest flow. Of course, you’ll want to make sure nobody inadvertently accosts your Aunt Edna who recently lost 100 pounds and got a nose ring.
Look for Big Personalities
Crashers try to trick people into believing they belong. They accomplish this is by wooing party guests with charisma and charm. If you see a stranger doing the Whip Nae Nae with your grandma or the Electric Slide alongside your new spouse, your appointed policeman should probably investigate.
Crashers often invent stories to make themselves seem credible. The leech may tell your cousin that he dated you in high school, then turn around and tell your mother-in-law that he’s your cousin. If a stranger spouts conflicting information like this, chances are he was never on your A List (or your B List).
Look for Wiggle Worms
Wedding crashers don’t usually sit down to dinner. That’s because they don’t have a chair. When it’s time to eat, the typical crasher escapes to the bathroom or bar until the coast is clear.
A crasher will mingle with your crowd, but he won’t stay in one place for long. Unless he’s earned his MFA in acting, he’ll most likely avoid the bride, groom, and wedding planner altogether. It’s also likely that the bum didn’t attend your ceremony, either. He’s there for the freebies and excitement, but he couldn’t care less about the solemnity of the vows you just made.
As sure as barnacles live in the sea, wedding crashers live to raid your hors d’oeuvre platters and line-dance with your guests. Whether your goal is to weed out crashers or embrace them for the novelty they are, awareness is key.