JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A wedding in Riverside last weekend was crashed by crooks that ripped off the newlyweds, stealing their gift cards that were filled with cash.

Travis and Megan Torres tied the knot on Saturday, but sometime during their reception someone stole their birdcage-style wedding cardholder.

The birdcage turned up later, but all of the cards and their contents, which is estimated at about $10,000, were gone.

"It's a pretty scary feeling that this could happen and did happen on such a great day," said Travis Torres.

The Torreses held their reception inside of the Five Points Theatre. They said the gifts and birdcage were left on a table.

"Sunday, the next day, we started opening the gifts and we realized, 'We don't have the bird cage full of cards. Where is it? Where is this bird cage?'" Travis Torres said.

He said a worker at the wedding apparently moved the cage inside of a closet to protect it. So, he came back the next day to look for it and found it behind the gift table, empty.

"I started panicking. I was happy to see the top of the birdcage and was hoping it was full. So, I started panicking and we started checking other rooms just to see if the cards were put there to be separate but they weren't," Travis Torres said.

"There is absolutely no place where a thief, if they want to steal, will not steal from … churches, fire stations, any city government building. If you leave it laying down and leave it for a thief, he'll prove to you he's a thief," said Jacksonville Sheriff Office spokesman Ken Jefferson.

The newlyweds had to learn that the hard way. They said they're hoping the thief has a heart, and they're willing to forgive and forget if they can get back an important part of their wedding day back.

"It's not just money or cards. Our family members wrote stuff in those cards we didn't get to see," said Megan Torres.

"It's very frustrating because it was such a great day and it meant so much to us. Then it's just the last part we're trying to close up and open up gifts. It was a big buzz kill, a gigantic buzz kill," said Travis Torres.

The Torreses said their reception was fantastic and the important thing is that they're together, but they would love to get their gifts back. They said if the crook brings the gifts back, they're willing to offer amnesty.