Wedding crasher caught on CCTV stealing $150k worth of gifts from bride and groom

A heartless wedding crasher has been caught on camera stealing a box stuffed with tens of thousands of dollars in cash and gifts meant for the bride and groom.

George and Nadeen Farahat were celebrating their marriage on Sunday in a lavish reception at the Renaissance Banquet in Glendale, California, when the uninvited guest slipped past 300 guests and walked straight to the gift table.

Dressed in a black suit, the thief was seen on surveillance footage snatching the box before fleeing the venue in a Mercedes SUV that was waiting for him outside.

The suspect wasn’t in a rush. He reportedly lingered inside the main hall for 90 minutes, pacing the corridors, nursing a drink, even tipping a bartender, before making his move.

For the newlyweds, the joyous night quickly turned into heartbreak. The bride told news station ABC 7 she sank to the dance floor in tears when she learned what had happened.

“As soon as we found out what happened, you know, the music shut down, everything immediately stopped,” Ms Farahat said.

“I ended up sitting on the dance floor sobbing with my friends and cousins around me.”

She called it terrifying to think the man had been quietly lurking among their closest family and friends.

“He’s watching the dance floor. He’s watching our family. It’s so scary to look back and see that there was a stranger at such a private event, and such an intimate event. It’s such a violation,” she said.

Mr Farahat estimates the box held as much as $US100,000 ($AU150,000).

“As is tradition in our culture, most people give cash or checks as gifts for the newlyweds, so there was a box containing all the envelopes, the cards, the money from family and friends who were invited,” he told KTLA news station.

Mr Farahat’s brother has shared an emotional plea on social media, seeking help to identify the thief.

“This disturbing situation has caused pain that no one should ever have to experience on their wedding day,” he said.

“I’m asking everyone to please share this post and help identify the person who not only stole from my dear brother but also caused so much distress on such a special day.”

The couple is now offering a $US5000 ($7600) reward for information leading to an arrest. Still, they are trying to salvage the memory of their wedding day.

“We try to focus on the positive on that day,” Mr Farahat said. “We had a wonderful ceremony at our church and a really fun party with our family and friends.”

Ms Farahat, too, has chosen to focus on the positives.

“Somebody said that if it rains on your wedding day, it usually means good things are to come. We’ll follow that same trend,” she said.

“We’re just really thankful.”

Local police are still searching for the suspect, who is yet to be identified.