A Chicago couple's wedding was a dream, but the happily ever after hit a rough spot.
The newlyweds were packing up after tying the knot when their car was stolen on New Year's Day. William Pulec and Cheryl Parmenter celebrated their dream wedding on New Year’s Eve in Milwaukee. The bride and groom were loading their car outside the hotel on their way to a celebratory brunch with family and friends--but the good times ended there when the newlyweds became the victims of a brazen car thief.
"At first I thought the valet moved it because they needed more space or something," Pulec told NBC 5.
But they quickly realized that wasn’t the case. The couple's gray Volkswagon Jetta had been stolen.
"Just shock," Parmenter recalled feeling. "And immediately turning to valets like 'what’s going on?'"
The newlyweds say it’s not the car they are upset about—but what was inside.
A watch Parmenter bought for Pulec and a bracelet he gave her on their wedding day.
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The thief also got away with a necklace she purchased while traveling abroad.
"That really has no price," Parmenter said. "That’s a sad one."
And the loss doesn’t end there.
"We had coasters where people could write messages--those are gone," she said.
They also lost all of their wedding cards--many containing cash that was meant to be donated to the couples favorite charities in lieu of gifts.
"We feel kinda responsible for losing other people's money," Parmenter said. "Especially people who were way more generous than needed to be."
The couple says their wedding weekend didn’t go as planned--but it wasn’t ruined.
"(We have) great memories from the night before," Pulec said. "But it does add complex emotion to the situation."
Parmenter says her purse, with her wallet and cell phone, was also stolen. Her credit cards have been used at multiple businesses across Milwaukee, she said.
She’s hoping that may help police track down the thief.
