I once held a cocktail party aboard ship cruising to Alaska - a few people wandered through my suite and out to my verandah whom I didn't recognize...
...but I assumed that they were acquaintences of others of my guests or with some of the entertainment people I had invited - part of their entourage - and so I let it pass.

As I made the rounds amongst my guests, I introduced myself and while chatting realized that they weren't with anybody I knew - They simply saw the party and entered with some other guests - They didn't know who I was or anyone else at the party at all!

What could I do - I offered them more hors d'oervres and told them to enjoy the party! We laughed about that for the rest of the cruise whenever we saw them out and about:

"Hey, There are the Party Crashers!"

We had crashers at our wedding. It was at the Palace of Fine Arts in SF so it was out in the open but we never expected crashers. One guy sat through the whole wedding, ate at the reception (not sit down thank goodness) and spent a good 20 minutes chatting with my dad. Everyone thought he was someone someone else knew and it wasn't until we looked through our pictures we realize he was a crasher. We also had a couple who had gotten married in another part of the park saunter in and have their photographer take pics of them with our stuff which was weird, but hey, what are you going to do, it was their big day too....

we had a party crasher at our 25 high school reunion. After a few hours of all of us wondering who he was- when asked he would rush to the dance floor- we finally realized he didn't graduate with us. We had no idea who he was- he was just a local guy. He partied with us until after 3 am!

We had a few crashers at our wedding, too. They were friends of friends, but not people we knew very well at all, so I was surprised that they would even show up!

I've had guests show up with friends, which is okay with me.

I'm wondering why the American media is giving this low-class, tacky, famewhoring couple exactly what they want (publicity) by covering this story from every angle. I'm disappointed by AT - I expected it from CNN, a 'news' outlet that will cover 24 hours of a police car chase or a D list celebrity leaving prision for a DUI instead of a civil war, earthquake, or elections in another part of the world. I thought AT was better.

My sister and I owned a free standing duplex in a residential neighborhood when we were in college in TN. We had many parties with many people (although we were always conscientious neighbors). One night, at end of a summer party, I had closed down my side of the house and gone to bed, while the party was winding down on my sister's side. Suddenly, I heard furious knocking on my door.

It was my sister... saying there were people there that nobody knew and that she was scared. I went out in the front yard, in my bathrobe. There was a beat up, flat bed pick-up truck with about 7 or 8 guys hanging off of it, and another guy in the yard, wearing overalls (shirtless) carrying a bottle of Wild Turkey. A bunch of sister's angsty, theater-kid friends were cowering on the patio.

When the leader of the pack saw me he yelled, "Whoowee, lookey here boys... they got TWO houses to party in!"

Thankfully, I was just drunk, tired, and cranky enough to march over to him and ask if he knew someone there.

He looked at me and said, "Hell, we know EVERYBODY here!"

I told him "Well, I don't know you, and this is my property so you need to leave".

He just turned around, yelled "Well, boys, look like we gettin' shut down" jumped back in the truck, and they drove off into the night.

I used to Have a great Christmas eve party in my NYC apt.. Well soon it became a who invited you??? Duh, they had overheard people talking, and it became a huge sigles hangout !!! The last year I didn't know most of the people, and when someone came over to me in my own apt, and asked who I knew, I knew it was time for NO MORE Parties, That and the following morning, when I saw cigareete butts put out on my parkay floors.. I said end!!!

Not my wedding, but my best friend's wedding. 2 guys and 1 girl. The girl tried to be very flirty with the groosmen, while the guys tried to get as much drinks as they can (opened bar). 1 of the groomsmen realized they were party crashers, so he gathered the other tall, and built dudes from the wedding and told them to beat it. The girl kept coming back, our dudes finally just had it with her and escorted her out with the presence of hotel manager.

My husband and I had a New Year's Eve party a few years ago. The evening was coming to an end and a friend (who had apparently had a bit too much to drink) had gone out for cigarettes and ended up bringing some guy back with her that had given her directions to the nearest bodega. Almost everyone else had gone home and we didn't know how to ask him to leave. It was all very awkward, but he eventually got the hint and left. Technically he was invited, just not by the hosts.

If anyone crashed my party, I hope I'd figure it out before I had my picture taken with them, a la Joe Biden. I don't think you can really compare your average party crasher with the people who wormed their way into the White House.

really, do you have to give those people any more press?

I'm wondering why the American media is giving this low-class, tacky, famewhoring couple exactly what they want (publicity) by covering this story from every angle.

They're covering it in part because it's an amusing tale with pretty people, but mostly because it demonstrates a mind-boggling failure of White House security. If a couple of celebutards like these can gain intimate access to the President of the United States and senior members of his government just by putting on some nice clothes and being charming, who might be next to try it? A white supremacist in a tux? A terrorist in a slinky gown? Lindsay Lohan? Obama's security people are supposed to be the best at what they do, and yet they got pwned by these two.

Please at least switch out the picture. I am so tired of seeing this skanky couple everywhere.

I live in Berkeley. Not in a student area, but I suppose there are a lot of college students here nonetheless. Both I and my friends have had parties where young townie kids and college students (16-19) have strolled in because they thought it was a college party!

I had a couple of soldiers on leave from Iraq crash my St. Pats party and proceed to have a push-up competition in my kitchen to the horror of my guests. And when one left, the other soldiered on and partied solo with my friends and eventually took off but not before enigmatically asking in an accusatory tone if I was jewish. (I'm irish, was wearing an I-shamrock-N-Y shirt, and was sporting a nice red beard at the time.)

We live in Okinawa and if you invite one Okinawan to your party, they will bring along their family, the cousins, the friends, maybe one or two of their kid's teachers and perhaps Grandma and Grandpa. You get the picture...BUT! They don't eat your food. No. They will bring their portable stove, clear up your table and start cutting up the squid or what have you and make their own food. If you attempt to talk to them, your rudimentary Japanese will make them laugh. They'll have a good time, chatting amongst themselves and smirking or laughing as they point their finger at you. When you're not used to this, you get really mad. After a while you just laugh.

Well these were friendly crashers!!! But we have an annual Christmas Cookie Swap on the last Sunday before Christmas... and on the Saturday before we invite two family friends to help decorate, it is a huge messy relaxed event, while we get sorted - they happen to have a heap of kids each and it really is a mini-party the day before!!! Needless to say some passing acquaintances and all their visiting holiday guests (about eight perfect strangers to us) drove by and thought they had the missed the party so dashed to the store bought some cookies and wandered in... into total bedlam!!! I took it in my stride and they never knew they had the wrong day!!!

LOL -- I actually know one of the white house party crashers. I worked for him for a summer in the late 90's. It's so weird to see his face plastered everywhere. I hope he enjoys his 15 minutes. (Incidentally, it was the worst job I've ever had).

I had crashers at my going away party in Austin. The party was winding down and this car pulled up. We happened to be out in the front yard and they hesitated then came in. We were chatting with them when they admitted they crashed parties regularly and rated them. They said they hoped the host wouldn't mind. I introduced my self as said homeowner and they gave me an A for the party. Probably due to the fact that I willingly gave them plenty to drink. The more the merrier is my motto.

Party Crashers?...how 'bout HUNDREDS of them???

This was years ago, but...

I finally had a fabulous 2-floor apartment with a working fireplace in an old house in a high-end neighbourhood. The apt was shared by 4 of us (3 close friends and a vetted 4th).

One year I decided to have a black tie Christmas cocktail party and considering a comfortable number of guests, told each roommate that they could invite a date and one other couple. I made wonderful invitations, decorated the place tastefully and shopped for all the food and drinks our guests would enjoy. I even had a beautiful shot-silk taffeta dress custom made for the event.

As our expected guests began to arrive, in the requested black tie, we noticed a few who looked out of place, but assumed that these people were friends of the "4th roommate". It was a large rambling place, and before we knew what was happening, we discovered 50 or 60 "unknowns" and a raucaus party brewing in the back of the place. Given the state of the partiers, it was impossible to try and turf the crowd so we simply sighed and carried on with our cocktails in the living room.

Soon after, we saw our "4th" happily welcoming strangers in in large groups to the point where there was literally...LITERALLY no place to move. Even both stairways were clogged with sitting people. I grabbed some booze (while there still was some) and retreated to the master bedroom with the black tie crowd and shut the door, where we spent the evening lounging on the bed and floor in our finery.

A quick head count at 11:00 pm put the crowd at around 250 people...a bit over the 16 invited guests.

We later discovered that our bar-rat "4th" had announced the party at more than a couple of popular bars, and really didn't know most of them.

After cleaning up the next day, we discovered that all the liquor in the house was gone (including cooking wines etc. I kept in a cupboard), and a Nikon camera was missing.

We were most than astonished that the "4th" showed no remorse, no care about the camera, and really couldn't understand why we were all so pissed off!!!

That was the end of her, and the end of parties where I'm not the only one in charge of the guestlist.

We had a crasher at our wedding. It was a weird guy my husband went to college with. He heard we were getting married and just showed up - wearing a workman's jumpsuit and work boots (!?) to our Catholic cathedral wedding and sit-down reception.

My husband hadn't talked to him in y.e.a.r.s. It was really awkward, but we just squeezed him into a table and secretly told everyone else that this was a crasher, deal with it. I even made him a last minute placecard so he'd know where to sit.

The funny thing is that my mom thought he was a maintenance man who was just hanging around. She kept thinking "he needs to mind his own business!"

If you are going to crash a wedding, at least wear a suit and bring a gift. Don't show up looking like you just changed your oil!

My roommate and I had a party, we invited maybe 30 people, those people brought people, the party swelled to maybe 75 which was a lot for our 2 bedroom apartment. I loved it. I thought it was a success!

I can't wait to have a party in my swanky new apartment and I would love for people I don't know to come, the more the merrier! Especially if they bring wine. I would only care if I was having an intimate dinner party, as I would be afraid there would not be enough food.

My magazine put on a party, we expected 400-500 people, instead 800 people showed up. It was great, we loved it, we plan to do that again. It was THE party of the year in town.

Offer them food and booze, then watch them like a hawk. Maybe I'm paranoid but there are more kleptomaniacs in the world than you'd think.

"I had a couple of soldiers on leave from Iraq crash my St. Pats party and proceed to have a push-up competition in my kitchen to the horror of my guests."

I can't think of anything more entertaining...
;-)

I would think most of the smart, fun, creative types on this site would be more likely to crash a party than be a crasher. I crashed parties all the time, alone and with friends, in college. Sometimes it was unwise and frankly dangerous (avoid rugby players).

I've always been excited to see people I didn't know at my parties...disappointing to find out they came with someone :-(

Yes, my childhood youth minister. Every gathering at our home he would just show up! I think he was just there for the pizza!

I know a couple who crashed a wedding every year on their anniversary. They didn't eat or drink anything, just danced and chatted with the guests.

Love the idea of crashing a wedding on every anniversary. How very romantic!

I never knew party crashers were such a bad thing. My roommates and I used to have Halloween parties where the idea was to have as many people come as possible.

Unless it's a dinner party there's always room for one more.

Blandwagon: They're not a pretty couple. When I first saw the pics of them, I thought the woman was Anne Coulter. Also, how offensive that she showed up in a traditional Indian lehnga (NOT a sari like everyone keeps reporting because they are too lazy to fact check the simplest thing), and one that is cheap and out of fashion, no less. The style of clothing she wore was from the mid-90s. I'm sure when they hatched their plan, she thought 'Oh a state dinner for the Indian Prime Minister! Let me find the perfect Indian outfit'. Or costume.

How unbelievably bold of her to give the President of the United States a double handed hand shake...especially knowing that she wasn't even invited.

I had a party in the early '70's at my loft on Leonard Street. Chevy Chase crashed it with his fiend from Channel One. I thought he was cute in his tight leather jeans so I let him stay. At the time, he wasn't a movie star and I remember giving him a hard time about his name.