LOWELL -- What was supposed to be the happiest day of their lives is now being called "Disaster Day."
Michael Gustafson and Iara Lima realized one hour before their wedding ceremony that their wedding rings and marriage license were gone.
Instead of a joyous celebration, Sunday was a dark day for the Lowell couple, who are still not married.
"I've been thinking about this day my whole life and then guess what? This happens," said Lima, 22. "It's sad. I'm never going to forget it. Just the worst day ever."
"We can try to get the rings back, but we can't get back the experience of a wonderful wedding
Iara Lima, 22, and Michael Gustafson, 24, share their wedding-day horror story. Their rings and marriage license were stolen from their car on Central Street in Lowell as Lima had her hair done on Sunday, just hours before they were to marry. SUN/David H. Brow Sun staff photos can be ordered by visiting our MyCapture site.
day," said Gustafson, 24. "My nephew was all excited about holding the rings, but then I had to tell him that wouldn't happen."The couple told police that their wedding bands, marriage license, a crystal bracelet and crystal earrings were stolen from their Ford Focus while they were inside a Central Street salon on Sunday. The car, in the salon's parking lot, was broken into while Lima was getting her hair done from 9 to 10 a.m., according to the police report. The couple did not want to publicize the salon's name.
They looked through their bags after the appointment and could not find the jewelry, the marriage license from the city of Lowell, the receipt from the justice of the peace, or the jewelry receipts.
Gustafson said the car was locked while they were in the salon, but there were no signs of forced entry.
"Whoever did it had some skill," he said. "The police officer who did the report said the person can be in and out (of the car) in 30 seconds.
"Next time, we'll keep the items on us," Gustafson added.
The jewelry includes a $600 white gold wedding band for Gustafson, a $500 white gold wedding band with a row of sparkling round diamonds for Lima, a $100 clear crystal bracelet, and $80 stud earrings with crystal balls. The bracelet and earrings were wedding gifts for Lima.
The jewelry and marriage certificate were inside a blue Swarovski jewelry bag that was stolen from the car's back seat, Gustafson said. It was possible the brand name "Swarovski" was visible as the thief walked by, he said.
"Our wedding was ruined," said Gustafson, a substitute teacher who hopes to work full time in Lowell Public Schools soon. "It was obviously devastating: a day that was nothing like we expected, nothing like we wanted."
Lima said she wanted to go home and cry after the theft, but their families were waiting at the ceremony in Boston's Copley Square. It was a small gathering of about 20 family members on the grass
Iara Lima and Michael Gustafson say they will still get married, but the theft of their rings and license forced them to postpone the wedding and ruined what should have been the happiest day of their lives. SUN/David H. Brow Sun staff photos can be ordered by visiting our MyCapture site.
next to the John Hancock Tower.Despite the awkwardness without rings and a marriage license, they said it was comforting to have family there, and they had an enjoyable reception at Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian churrascaria steakhouse in Boston.
"Being around family made it easier, absolutely," said Lima, who works at the TD Bank in Dracut. "They were trying to do anything they could for us."
They've put up fliers and notified police and pawn shops about the incident, but Gustafson is not expecting to recover the rings.
However, Deputy Superintendent Bill Taylor said the department is looking into another theft from Sunday morning about four blocks from the jewelry theft. An unidentified man broke into a woman's car on Lawrence Street around the same time of the wedding heist, Taylor said.
The man, described as dark-skinned, possibly in his 20s, wearing a gray T-shirt with black shorts, took the woman's Global Positioning System (GPS), according to Taylor.
"The detective unit is seeing if they can find evidence to match it up and tie the two incidents together," Taylor said.
There were no surveillance cameras near the crime scenes, according to Taylor. Deputy Superintendent Arthur Ryan also said that police monitor transactions at pawn shops to locate stolen items.
"It can be very difficult but not impossible," Ryan said. "We try to monitor shops as best we can, but there are certainly incidents where shops don't fulfill their obligations as responsibly as they should."
If the bands aren't recovered, Gustafson said he is exploring homeowner's insurance or going back to Kay Jewelers for a potential discount on the bands.
In addition, they received another marriage license on Monday and plan to be married sometime this week in the justice of the peace's office.
"Yeah, the wedding day was ruined, but we're still getting married, we're both OK, we still love each other and that's what's really important," Gustafson said. "Our marriage is more important than the wedding."
Anyone with information about the theft should call Lowell police at 978-937-3200.
Follow Rick Sobey on Twitter @rsobeyLSun.
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