Your card box security

tanyanubin

I never really considered this, but apparently people steal card boxes at receptions! I can understand from a theif's perspective what an opportunity that poses--especially in venues that have 2 or 3 weddings running at the same time! A thief could get away with many thousands! Yesterday at the bridal show we saw a 'new' product--ISIT--which is a tall metal box, about 5 feet hight. There's a screen on it that can show picture montages....and on which you can enter your name to find your table assignment. But it also has a slot into which guests put their wedding cards for the couple. It's locked and the bride and goom have the only keys. While I get the need for security, this whole thing rubbed me the wrong way. It was too clinical, and a little ugly. It was also around $700 to rent for the night!! The question is, though, have any of you seen cards go missing during a wedding? Anyone have any creative ways to stay secure?

Habs2Hart

Make a box that people can't stick their fingers out of or that cards can't easily fall out of and don't have it near a door. 

ILoveToRobot

That sounds pretty tacky but it's definately smart to take precautions. I went to a wedding not long ago where a guest stole cards. It's smart to have a card box that would be hard to get into.

aragx6

Someone is pretty unlikley to make out with a big ol' box -- but this is the reason I don't love the more "open-style" boxes like vintage suitcases. It seems easy to me to grab a couple from the top of the pile and move on.

My advice: make it a box or something else not easily opened and have it in a heavily trafficked spot and I think you'll be OK.

edit: spelling

tanyanubin

Good ideas! wow...it really does happen, huh? That's awful

timsflower81

This happened to a friend of mine, 250 guest wedding and all the cards stolen.  She had them put into a birdcage at the entrance to the reception.  I think a LOCKED box like that is a bit overkill and also a bit insulting to your guests.  I would suggest that whatever you decide to have your cards put into, you put them across the room from the entrance, this should be enough to deter any would-be theif since they would be seen at the table and then have to walk back through the reception hall.  I was at a wedding where they had the cake and card box on the same table - it was near the DJ so there was always someone watching it.  

MyUserName1

My box has a slot cut in the top that is too small to fit a hand in.  It has no other opening. (I'll cut it open after)  I made it by mod podging paper on a regular old cardboard box.

I figure if it isn't near an exit, someone would notice if someone is walking away with my big blue card box.

trixie549

That sounds ridiculous and a huge waste of money.

Just make sure your box isn't open (i.e. birdcage or basket) and that its in a highly visible area. Our reception coordinator will move our card box to sit on the bar after cocktail hour, when most people have already dropped off their cards and gifts. Perhaps you could make a similar request at your reception?

jemmini6

I don't know anyone that it's happened to, but it's definitely a possibility, especially depending on the privacy of your venue.  However, I think a normal cardbox in a well-trafficed location is secure enough.  A big towering lock box would be a little intimidating and totally throws off the mood of the wedding.

chumlee7478

My dad's making the card box.  It's wide enough on the top for any oblong/irregular sized cards to go in, but I can't even get more than a finger in the top of it, and I have tiny hands.  It's secure.

Our wedding venue coordinator is going to watch the box for us, and at a certain point in the evening, it will be removed by her (after speaking to us) and placed in a safe downstairs.  We'll get it when we leave. 

It won't be placed by the doors, and it's large enough that people would notice it being moved.  I think what you're describing is a bit over the top.  I agree with being safe and cautious, but not that much.  I have been to weddings where the boxes have been stolen/compromised (and one where the box was stolen, and the bridal party suite was broken into and robbed as well), but I still think that's a bit much.

tanyanubin

I thought so, too. But it did bring up the topic, and now my daughter and I are aware that it could happen. Just one more thing to plan for I guess!

LittleMissCutiePie

My cousin put her card box and gift table behind the head table. Frankly, I think that's a bit insulting (to me, it just screams "we don't trust you"). Like PP's said, just don't put it near a door. You don't need an attendant, but maybe just spread the word that if anyone sees anyone that isn't a) you or DH b)the parents of the bride or groom or c) the MOH or BM walking out with any presents or the card box, to stop them.

LP11509

We has a box with a small slit on top to put cards in.  Once everyone had entered the reception, our reception coordinator moved it and our boxed gifts up to our hotel room.

The front desk did give a room key to some of our friends who asked for it so they could get into the room to decorate as a surprise though.  Which I didn't care about since I trust my friends, but if it had been some random person I didn't know/trust, that would have been bad. 

StephBeanWed61502

My friend kept her card box on a small table directly behind the sweetheart table - it was in full view of the DJ at all times, completely across from the entrance, and you'd have to walk directly past the bride and groom to get to it - that seemed like more than enough deterrence to me.

specialk84

We made a giant card box from paper mache hat boxes. It sat on the gift table, and a park ranger sat near it. (Our venue required a ranger if alcohol was served.) Both the ranger and our DOC knew my parents were the only ones allowed to touch it. It had a tiny slot for cards, and we had to bust it open the next day.

hoffse

A friend of mine actually did an interesting thing where she provided the table cloth for her gift table and glued the base of the card box onto the table cloth... and then she even wrapped a couple fake wedding gifts to place on the table as a way to secure the whole thing.  Another friend of mine just put bricks inside the card box so that anybody who tried to move it without knowing would have a really unfortunate surprise waiting for them...  lol  My dad's determined to find a glass apothecary jar with a slit in the top to use as ours so that we'd have to physically break it to get the cards out.  I wished him good luck.

MyUserName1

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_card-box-security?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:7080aeea-2fb1-47aa-a303-6d1d02972982Post:79d93daa-5cb9-4cf4-b3d0-76fd02eda11a">Re: Your card box security</a>:
[QUOTE]Duh, that's why you make someone an "honor attendant" and have them guard the box. Just don't make it the same person who oversees the guestbook--don't want to overburden them.
Posted by MeganLindsay5685[/QUOTE]

<div>I enjoy you, Megan.</div>

ootmother2

Sorry, but that sounds pretty obvious.

This was brought up once before on here and it turned out that only two people had actually had a card with money stolen.  Unfortunately, I was one of them and didn't know it for a several weeks because the bride sent me a thank you note for going all that way to attend her wedding and how great it was to see us.

It took me a while to realize that she hadn't mentioned the gift so I asked her mom (my daughter's MIL) to casually ask.

annmarie714

Sadly, I have a several relatives I don't trust.  They're into a lifestyle (drugs) that basically promotes theft to provide for their habit, and they've stolen from family before.  And yes, they're still invited to our wedding because they're family, I love them, and I don't judge their lifestyle choices.  I'm simply aware of what comes with drug problems.  We're locking our card box, but it's a historical mail box (clicky) so it won't be too obvious, with the lock on the back.