Preventing Vandalism at a Wedding

Sky_Render wrote: I've already done that. One or two of them are the type that are going to do it *just because I asked them not to.* I'm pretty close to throwing them out of the wedding. So berkeleying what if I have 2 groomsmen to my fiancee's 4 bridesmaids.

Agreed - no point in inviting extra people to "balance things out", as if they are there for decorations instead of being the people who matter enough to you to be invited to play a special part in the wedding. Shoe polish in the window and cans tied to the bumper are one thing. Dumping urine in a car seems downright malicious - it's not even in the line of "we thought that wouldn't be a problem..."

On a related note, at my brother's wedding, the car they drove away in was a 1930s Packard that belonged to the father of the bride. She drove the car as my brother didn't have much of any practice with driving prewar cars.

You guys are missing the obvious solution.

Don't get married.

I'll hand in my car guy card...

It's a car, and it won't have hurt feelings if it's not in the photos. Leave it home, take a rental and pay for the damage waiver.

The day is going to be about you and your wife and the friends and family that are there to share the event with you. We all have friends that aren't perfect, but there are reasons that we are friends with them. These are still people we hang out with and spend time with despite those faults.

If you really must have it in the photos still get the rental for you to use, but have a trusted friend get your car from from home, drive it to the photo location and then as soon as the photos are done take it back home.

Leaving my wedding in a jeep that was covered in silly string, oreos, shoe polish, and had a pinata hanging from the roll bar, and the subsequent attention in traffic, is one of my favorite memories from that day. :shrug:

Fox piss in the interior and such - yeah, WAY over the line. Normal decorating I enjoy.

Apexcarver wrote: As far as how I can attest... Take one STS miata. do the following: 10lbs of bird seed over the top of the car and INSIDE THE CAR (my mom stole my keys, whole 'nother story). It got in all the drain channels, filled the "shelves" in the engine bay through the hood gaps. Window chalk, not a big deal, but they put it on my tires and despite me scrubbing them in the bathtub with cleansers and brushes, still on there. Only thing touching it is STEEL WOOL. Streamers on the car (no real biggie there) Filled it with balloons (not a huge deal, bride hates balloons (popping) though.) Deer Piss in the center console (one of the groomsmen was a hunter)(thank god for enzyme cleaners) Silly string on the car. IT BONDED TO THE TOP. IT WAS PINK. It postponed us leaving for our honeymoon by a day. 4 people, 4 hours of cleaning. Much of it scrubbing the bajesus out of the top. (finally settled on a product meant for getting pine sap off of horses.) Center console and seats had to be removed. Had to unbolt the front fenders and get plants out of them a few weeks later (birdseed sprouted), still getting seed out of the rain rail area. The two groomsmen who might see this on here I hold pretty much blameless. They were really only part of the harmless stuff. (in fact the mother-in-law saw one walk away disgusted while the others were doing it).

Damn that is ridiculous. If people did that to my car, they would be drinking their meals from a straw.

People decorated my car at my wedding with window markers and some silly string but only on the windows. A little silly string got on the seals around the window and won't come off but whatever.

@Sky If you are getting married in Frederick, You can use my garage to stash the car if you want. I don't think any of your "friends" know me.

DILYSI Dave wrote: Leaving my wedding in a jeep that was covered in silly string, oreos, shoe polish, and had a pinata hanging from the roll bar, and the subsequent attention in traffic, is one of my favorite memories from that day. :shrug: Fox piss in the interior and such - yeah, WAY over the line. Normal decorating I enjoy.

Was it a $25k jeep in question?

Honestly, some of you guys in this thread are responding like complete asses. Clearly the op does not care if people want to have a "good time"_ sounds like he draws the line at having his friggin car damaged.

The fact that some of you guys can not grasp that concept means you are either trolling, or incredibly stupid.

Apexcarver wrote: Offer still stands. Even if you dont ask, we are still going to do our best to be sure nothing happens. Call it us wanting vengeance for my poor miata at my wedding, would love to confront ANYONE attempting that kind of stuff. As far as how I can attest... Take one STS miata. do the following: 10lbs of bird seed over the top of the car and INSIDE THE CAR (my mom stole my keys, whole 'nother story). It got in all the drain channels, filled the "shelves" in the engine bay through the hood gaps. Window chalk, not a big deal, but they put it on my tires and despite me scrubbing them in the bathtub with cleansers and brushes, still on there. Only thing touching it is STEEL WOOL. Streamers on the car (no real biggie there) Filled it with balloons (not a huge deal, bride hates balloons (popping) though.) Deer Piss in the center console (one of the groomsmen was a hunter)(thank god for enzyme cleaners) Silly string on the car. IT BONDED TO THE TOP. IT WAS PINK. It postponed us leaving for our honeymoon by a day. 4 people, 4 hours of cleaning. Much of it scrubbing the bajesus out of the top. (finally settled on a product meant for getting pine sap off of horses.) Center console and seats had to be removed. Had to unbolt the front fenders and get plants out of them a few weeks later (birdseed sprouted), still getting seed out of the rain rail area. The two groomsmen who might see this on here I hold pretty much blameless. They were really only part of the harmless stuff. (in fact the mother-in-law saw one walk away disgusted while the others were doing it). I dont pamper my miata 1/10th as much as i know Sky does his Mustang. I see someone approaching your car with intent, well...

Groomsman here, and probably the one that was walking away in disgust. The birdseed, at the time, was just stupid - so I wanted no part in that. Never even knew about the deer piss because I was done that that point. The main instigator really deserves to get what's coming to him. My only regret is that I didn't know about all the cleaning that had to happen the next day, or I would have been there in my daisy dukes with a scrub brush. Never imagined the silly string would bond to the top, but that is some funky stuff.

Nope.

If he doesn't want his car touched, that's cool. I don't get it, but I don't have to. I think framing what many people consider a friendly tradition to be vandalism set the tone. I opened the thread expecting to read about racist graffiti on the church or paint being thrown on the bride or cars getting keyed or something malicious. Decorating the car is part of the community celebration, not vandalism. If he doesn't want to partake, that's cool. I'd recommend leaving the car at home in that case. It's not just drunk jackass friends who may be inclined. I know that family has been part of the festivities more times than not.

shaving cream is, for all intents and purposes, the same thing as keying the car … it'll still have to be repainted …

cans tied to the back, and shoe polish on the windows might be something he would put up with (even if he didn't like it) … but I'm sure I wouldn't like to have to repaint my car because someone didn't understand how much my car meant to me

HiTempguy wrote:

DILYSI Dave wrote: Leaving my wedding in a jeep that was covered in silly string, oreos, shoe polish, and had a pinata hanging from the roll bar, and the subsequent attention in traffic, is one of my favorite memories from that day. :shrug: Fox piss in the interior and such - yeah, WAY over the line. Normal decorating I enjoy.

Was it a $25k jeep in question? Honestly, some of you guys in this thread are responding like complete asses. Clearly the op does not care if people want to have a "good time"_ sounds like he draws the line at having his friggin car damaged. The fact that some of you guys can not grasp that concept means you are either trolling, or incredibly stupid.

Or we have normal friends that wouldn't damage something as a "prank," so it sounded strange.

So, those of you saying "don't bring the car"

It's his wedding day. You know, the day that is supposed to be all about him and his new wife.

He has every right to bring his own car and expect people treat it the way he wants it to be treated.

If his "friends" don't understand that or are otherwise incapable of behaving like human beings, they don't deserve to be friends.

Would you be ok with one of YOUR friends being a total douche at your wedding, then when you call them on it you get the "dude, chill, it's just a prank" speech?

Good grief, my wife wonders why I only call a few people my friends. "friends" like that are exactly the reason.

I know what OP's cars mean to OP. I own one of them. If he says he doesn't want his car berkeleyed with, he doesn't want his car berkeleyed with. For all intents and purposes, this thread should really end at that. Shaving cream will tear up paint. You can grow grass out of drip rails with bird seed. I don't wanna know what cleaning fox piss out of a car takes. Either way, it's his car and his jam. If his groomsmen are shiny happy people, and he wants to boot em for being shiny happy people, boot em. That's less people he has to deal with. A wedding is one of two times in your life when E36 M3 is all about you and berkeley everyone else. If he wanted everyone in kilts or they couldn't go, that's his game. Personally, I applaud the dedication, and having met him in person, I know this is something he takes seriously. I'm with him on this.

I had an entirely different problem at my wedding. My brand new FIL thoroughly liquored up and out of keys to all HIS vehicles (MIL had hidden all of them in advance) decided that he wanted one of MY cars to go "up the hill". He has a 30+ degree incline he likes to drive things up. I had to convince him that neither the ms3 or the MINI would have made it through the ditch TO the hill. He was satisfied with that.... and somehow got the keys to a Samurai. That DID go up the hill.

I say go speak with a local security firm. Tell them your story, you're a car guy getting married, with questionable wedding guests attending. Ask them their rate to have two guys watch the car during the ceremony. I would be willing to bet they would give you a killer rate, just for the feel good aspect. Worth a try anyway, just for peace of mind.

Do you know anyone in a motorcycle club? If so, buy them a keg o'beer to drink while standing around your car.

z31maniac wrote:

HiTempguy wrote:

DILYSI Dave wrote: Leaving my wedding in a jeep that was covered in silly string, oreos, shoe polish, and had a pinata hanging from the roll bar, and the subsequent attention in traffic, is one of my favorite memories from that day. :shrug: Fox piss in the interior and such - yeah, WAY over the line. Normal decorating I enjoy.

Was it a $25k jeep in question? Honestly, some of you guys in this thread are responding like complete asses. Clearly the op does not care if people want to have a "good time"_ sounds like he draws the line at having his friggin car damaged. The fact that some of you guys can not grasp that concept means you are either trolling, or incredibly stupid.

Or we have normal friends that wouldn't damage something as a "prank," so it sounded strange.

Yeah, the "prank" culture has a lot of malice/anger around it. There's a HUGE difference between laughing AT vs. laughing WITH. These same dudes would get all aggro if the same were done to them. I was never in a fraternity, so I'm not friends with people who get off on humiliating me and/or wrecking my E36 M3.

They're the same types who need to make everything about them--making a scene at an event not's for them, getting obnoxiously drunk, etc...

That damn new-fangled prank culture doesn't explain the pic in my parent's wedding album of a VW beetle that says "Just married" nor the 40-something Ford with the same messaging that I ran across in my grandad's old things.

pilotbraden wrote: Do you know anyone in a motorcycle club? If so, buy them a keg o'beer to drink while standing around your car.

It worked for the Rolling Ston... oh, wait.

Ive never heard of this being a thing. Thats terrible, balloons and streamers, whatever, something that damages the car, wtf kind of "friend" are you?!?!?!? Nope, no one in my group of friends would think of doing this to each other, ever. Doesn't matter if you drive a $500 Crapalier or an AMG MB, thats not cool. Destination wedding if you are worried, I just got tossed into the warm waters of the Caribbean sea by my buddies after the ceremony and pictures, no big deal.

Fobroader wrote: Ive never heard of this being a thing.

A google search for "Just Married Car" returns 63.8 million hits.

Just tell the groomsdudes that you will be driving away in one of their cars picked at random at the last minute. The lucky groomsman can drive your car home if necessary, and if there are any shenanigans, you have the option of adjusting his car to match when you return it. Not like he could complain. My favourite pay-back for this stuff is the tilapia milkshake down the defrost vents.

Can you have somebody swap the cars for you when needed? Security ant' cheap.

My friends know not to berkeley with my cars. That is pretty E36 M3ty.

Trans_Maro wrote: So, those of you saying "don't bring the car" It's his wedding day. You know, the day that is supposed to be all about him and his new wife. He has every right to bring his own car and expect people treat it the way he wants it to be treated. If his "friends" don't understand that or are otherwise incapable of behaving like human beings, they don't deserve to be friends. Would you be ok with one of YOUR friends being a total douche at your wedding, then when you call them on it you get the "dude, chill, it's just a prank" speech? Good grief, my wife wonders why I only call a few people my friends. "friends" like that are exactly the reason.

This guy and MNDSM get it. I wouldn't mind if someone scrawled "JUST MARRIED" on my rear window. Hell, I'm planning on putting a bubblegum pink "JUST MARRIED" vinyl across the rear window myself. The problem is that people take things to the extreme, and putting anything on paint has the distinct possibility of damaging it.

My friends all know how I take care of my vehicles and not to touch my car, but a few of them would find it funny to berkeley with my vehicle for that very reason. Honestly, I wasn't that concerned until I was at Apexcarver's wedding. As I was walking back to my vehicle to leave, I about pooped myself when I saw his poor little Miotter.

Will your wedding have a detail / officer there from tge local police. If so let them know your wishes. If you don't have a detail get one. Best thing my friend did at his wedding and reception.

It makes people better nicer people.

Screw that. Your wedding day, your rules. If they can't follow them, kick em to the curb.

You should not have change you wedding day plans due to some disrespectful asshats . . .