Butterfly release

I have never done that, or know anyone who has. I'm sure it would be lively though. We are doing a Dove release and a poem reading.

It's cruel, it doesn't work, and when it doesn't, it's depressing. Please don't.

From what I understand, the butterflies have to be kept cool to keep them asleep, and then warmed up so the wake up and are awake to fly away when the boxes are opened. This apparently can be a delicate process and often many of the butterflies are slow to wake up, or dead, when it comes time to open the boxes.

Also, I think some areas/counties/venues have policies against this, since it's releasing a potentially non-native species to the area.

You have to really do your homework before making a decision on something like this.

We are and I can't wait. Our pastor is looking forward to it as we Incorporated it into a poem for our memorial. Go to swallowtail farms on the net they guarantee 99% success rate I believe. That's who we ordered from

I agree with Celia and Jessica. I'm not a fan of using live things as props, too many things can go wrong. It's a beautiful concept though.

Here's more on the topic:

"Butterflies raised by unregulated commercial interests may spread diseases and parasites to wild populations, with devastating results. Often, butterflies are released great distances from their points of origin, resulting in inappropriate genetic mixing of different populations when the same species is locally present. When it is not, a non-native species is being introduced in the area of release. At best, this confuses studies of butterfly distribution and migration; at worst, it may result in deleterious changes to the local ecology."

"...many wedding planners now avoid butterflies at weddings because they not infrequently arrive dead, or half-dead. Even if alive, they often will soon die because they are released at the wrong time of year, or at the wrong locality to survive."

http://www.naba.org/releases.html

When I was a freshman in high school I went to a wedding with a butterfly release. Several died. Lucky for me, I had to do an insect project and was able to just pick one up and place it in my purse.

To prevent more morbid stories like this from happening, I suggest not doing one.

Besides, as others have said, they are living creatures and deserve to be left alone.

Did this at a wedding once although none of the butterflies wanted to go anywhere. I don't like things with wings as it is, and the whole idea was just odd to me.

Hmmm sounds cool ONLY if it went perfectly though! I've neven even heard of that, closest thing I've heard of is like doves flying away(which is prob uber expensive). At least ppl dont throw rice anymore that kills birds?

Releasing any sort of creature almost always ends in disaster. Also if you are releasing them during the wrong time of the year they will die.

Also just want to state the obvious about releasing doves. Everyone knows they are trained to return to the handler. I find the concept of paying to "fake" release something funny.

Christina, I've actually heard the rice killing birds thing is just an urban legend.

http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/birdrice.asp

http://mentalfloss.com/article/31421/does-wedding-rice-really-make-birds-explode

Okay after researching this more I've decided it would just be a bad idea and would probably not go as planned. Needless to say I won't be doing it

My cousin had a butterfly theme wedding, and they didn't do the releasing because it doesn't always work but they did have butterfly cages everywhere and that was cute.

Poor butterflies =(

My sister n law did the dove release!

Eh. I'm not a fan of butterfly or dove releases. I think they are tacky, especially doves since they return...Doesn't make sense to spend the money 'releasing' them IMO.

I've done several butterfly releases -- mostly successful. Must be done while there are still several hours of sunlight and flowers nearby so they can feed before dark.

I've also done several dove releases with no problems. Yes, they are small white homing pigeons that return home where they are well taken care of.

Deal with reputable companies for either.

Butterflies don't belong in a box. As a guest I would be concerned about if all the butterflies made it out alive. I've seen on 4 weddings where the butterflies don't fly away and so the bride & groom nervously shake the box, you can bet that tears their delicate wings, in effect killing them.

Sorry Lulu just saw you already made your decision!

Lol oh were banning rice to protect us instead of the birds? I guess lots of women teetering in heels with rice all over is a recipe for disaster! Unless youre at an asian wedding IN which case theyd yell 'WHY ARE YOU WASTING THE FOOD!!!'

We go to a butterfly release every year (for a memorial not a wedding). I think people are over reacting. It's actually quite beautiful and majority of the butterflies fly away unharmed - remember butterflies have been cacooned for most of their life so their not going to have a panic attack from the small space lol. I believe they ship them in a cooler so they stay asleep in paper football looking things then you hold it in the sun for a few minutes and they wake up and fly away when you open it.