It’s bound to happen. A movie has been made about them, brides and grooms dread the thought of running into them, and some sneaky professionals even turn people into them! Weddings are often very large affairs, and they go unnoticed. I am talking about a wedding crasher.

For most weddings, particularly those that are not taking place in a large, high-profile city, this is a fairly low probability event, but it does happen. There are people out there who do crash weddings, for a variety of reasons. How do you avoid wedding crashers? For starters, talk to your service providers about this very situation! While most service providers wouldn’t dream of doing such a thing, there are a few out there that will invite potential clients to OTHER weddings they are serving to check out their work! If any service provider even suggests such a thing, walk away, and tell them exactly why you are doing it!

Receptions held in hotels and resorts with public traffic and often multiple simultaneous events can draw the simply curious as well as those looking for free drinks and food and a convivial atmosphere. They can also draw a variety of criminals more interested in what's in people's pockets or in making off with some of the gifts.

You should evaluate your situation to decide just how seriously you need to take the issue of security. If one of you has a problem with an ex-lover, talk it over and decide whether there's a possible threat warranting hiring security. Perhaps having several friends aware of the problem and staying alert for trouble is all that's required.

You need to remember that you aren't going to be thinking about crashers or other security problems and you shouldn't have to. All you really may need is to have several people who can - and will - be able to ensure that everyone attending was invited. Checking that attendees have invitations may be useful. Having a guest book for everyone to sign as they arrive creates another security barrier.