Butterfly Release (photog advice needed too!)

I was thinking about doing a butterfly release too, but to save money, we were just going to have the wedding party do it.

I would probably list it in the program so they know. And also, when the ushers seat your guests, they could instruct them not to open the envelope until instructed.

I am doing a butterfly release also and I need some advice to. I am just going to order 3 dozen and FH and I are going to release them.

We are having a fairly small wedding - 60 people - so I wasn't going to do programs. I like the idea of the ushers informing the guestS though. The guests can't really hold them during the ceremony because they have to stay cool so I was thinking of putting a basket as the end of each row with butterflies for that row and have the officiant tell the guests to gently pass the envelopes. I'm just having such a hard time getting the wording right for the actual moment of release. All I can find are Native American and religious poems and that doesn't fit us.

I just did this at my wedding, this past April. To be honest I kind or regret it. I followed all of the instructions - I had 100 monarchs. But they didn't all fly like I expected them to, some didn't want to fly. They didn't fly high so not all of the guests could see them. It was probably the only thing I wouldn't do again. Towards the end of the ceremony my grandmother, a poet, recited a poem about love and incorporate the butterflies in the wording and right after that we released them - it was a surprise to our guests, but again because they were temperamental it didn't really turn out the way I expected.

I really hope you have better luck - Maybe I didn't let them warm up enough!

My cousin did a butterfly release and it didn't work very well either. Most of them just landed on the ground and wouldn't fly away. She did it while they were walking out of the church though.

Not a butterfly release, but we shot a dove release wedding last year. The wedding couple was on the steps to the church, with the wedding party posed. The handler released the doves from the side and IIRC, the couple also had a dove each to release. Having two photographers for the release was SUPER important. They didn't even tell us they were doing the release until the last minute.

Butterflies would likely be tough to capture due to the size. My suggestion would be to somehow group the people into a relatively tight circle, perhaps also after the service and do a group release. The butterflies should fly upwards making a great capture. But anytime there is a release involved, having a second photographer is a HUGE benefit. They are so erratic that you really never know what to expect.

I am wanting to do this too so I'm hoping someone has good luck with it!

Amore ~ I would leave the butterflies in the basket until it was time to release them. Then the officiant can ask everyone to carefully pass them down their row and give instructions on when to open them

Tiffany it definitely wouldnt work for you and fh to release them. they dont come together, they come in individual little boxes. thats why guests usually do it, so they can all be released at the same time.

Luckily, we do have two photographers From everyones comments, it looks like we will warm them up a bit for the release. They are supposed to be cool enough that they just fly around the guests for a bit but I'd rather they fly away than hang out on the ground. It's an outdoor wedding in my parents backyard so everyone will be fairly close to us. And I should probably ask that the guests stay seated during the release so everyone and the photographers has a good view. Thank you everyone for your comments/advice/experiences!

@LoveDevine - they do sell them in boxes of a dozen for the bride and groom so Tiffany will be able to release them I will definitely update everyone on how it went after the wedding. Now I just have to decide how to word the instructions so it doesn't sound like a classroom.

Ok what do you all think of this?

"Friends and family, I now present to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. James B.

As a symbol of new beginning and life, we will celebrate James and Nicole's marriage with a butterfly release. If you are sitting at the end of a row, please carefully pass an envelope to each guest in your row. Inside each envelope is a butterfly for you to release with James and Nicole to bring them and yourselves luck and happiness, today, tomorrow and beyond.

(wait for guests to get their envelopes)

Please release your butterflies now with James and Nicole so that they may carry forth the joy we have shared here today."

*bump*

I like it.

I'd do the release prior to your introduction. Once you are introduced, everyone will want to clap & start the exit music.

Don't expect the butterflies to fly away as a large group. They will often sit on the envelope for awhile, or drop to the ground before taking off. Watch your step!

This sounds like a great idea, but be forewarned. It doesn't work like you probably envision. There won't be a mass of butterflies rushing you. They were born in those packages and are going to be disoriented and learning how to fly. The few times I have seen it, the brides have been a bit disappointed because they were expecting a big rush of butterflies.

They freeze them before the wedding so if you don't give them time to thaw out they will be slow to fly away. Some may be dead. Just so you know.

Personally, i don't like butterfly or dove release. A lot of butterflies usually die out by the time they are delivered. Doves, while they are trained to fly home, some may get lost, depending how far they have to fly, I've read someone one dove got hit by the car trying to fly out.

Sorry for making this post a little dramatic, I'm just a big animal/nature lover so i feel this whole butterflies/dove thing is just not fun.

How about bubbles??

)

I have photographed a butterfly release before, and it actually worked out well from a photographer's standpoint because they did not all fly away. There were some very good pictures with kids releasing butterfies (for the second or third time) or holding them in an open palm. I don't think it would be very dramatic of an image for all the butterflies to leave, but it was fun to photograph the butterflies hanging around.

This is probably past the date but for others looking it would be a good idea to have the butterflies in little favor boxes( depending on size of butterfly) with a little slice of orange or a spray of sugar water on the side. Get them a few days earlier as a crisalic and set them in a large tank. This will look gorgeous in your house an ,the butterflies have more chance of survival, they we'll be energized instead of dormit, and it solves a lot of issues people seem to be having. If it's in a forest pre spray the trees with sugar water so it motivates them to fly away to.