Sue here again, with my TWIST (The Way I See Things!) Let's talk about those dove releases and butterfly releases that have become so popular at weddings. Yes, they are beautiful, dramatic and symbolic, but something that only lasts mere moments at your wedding can have a detrimental, even deadly, affect on the beautiful creatures you hired. There are a number of businesses that will provide you with doves or butterflies, because some people will do anything for money. Maybe if you learn what can happen to your "soaring symbols," you'll find another way to celebrate your marriage.

Pigeons in Peril

Many pigeons used by release companies are not suited to live in the wild. After you release them, they fly away as everyone oohs and ahhhs, only to starve, get hit by a car or get eaten by another bird. Can you live with that? Some companies use homing pigeons, which requires a trained relase coordinator who lets the birds go, and they fly immediately back to the place where they're kept. If you absolutely must have flying doves, please find a reputable release company. By the way, a typical company might charge $250 or more to release 12 white pigeons.

Bye, Bye Butterfly

Their beauty. The magnificent colors. Their deep, symbolic meaning. It's no wonder couples want to include a butterfly release during their ceremony. Please don't. Butterflies have unique and wonderful migration instincts which are unable to function when you move them blindly from one place to another, as companies do when they mail you a box of butterflies. Imagine tens of thousands of mixed-up Monarchs unable to find the way to their overwintering grounds. What's more, their offspring may not be able to orient properly. Because the butterflies are raised inside under unnatural conditions, their delicate migratory physiology may not have been turned on. In fact, many wedding planners now avoid butterflies at weddings because they not infrequently arrive dead, or half-dead. Even if they arrive alive, they often will soon die because they are released at the wrong time of year, or at the wrong locality to survive. A dozen boxed butterflies will cost around $75-$100. SO NOT WORTH IT.

If you have your heart set on having doves or butterflies at your wedding, please let me suggest that you bring them to your guests as wedding favors. Here are two incredibly beautiful options, and I can promise you that no birds or butterflies were harmed in the creating of these charming wedding party favors. "The Love Dove" Bottle Opener is as elegant a wedding favor as you'll ever find, with its sleek design including a bottle opener at the tail. And if butterflies suit your fancy, why not fill the room with shiny, silver "Butterfly" Bookmarks--another pretty, practical wedding favor that will make more lasting memories than you could ever dream of.

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