BUTTERFIES

IVE ALWAYS WANTED TO THE BUTTERFLY RELEASE INSTEAD OF USING BIRDSEED OR ROSE PETALS SINCE IT IS SO COMMON AND I LIKE TO BE DIFFERENT. BUT IVE HEARD FROM A FEW PEOPLE WHO HAD USED THIS METHOD THAT WHEN THEY RELEASED THE BUTTERFLIES THEY WERE DEAD. NOW I KNOW OF 2 COMPANIES WHO DO IT AND THEY ARE IN CALI...THE QUESTION IS DOES ANYONE KNOW OF A PLACE IN NY THAT MIGHT DO THAT? MAYBE THERE IS A BETTER CHANCE OF BEING ALIVE!

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I'm looking into it myself. I heard there's a company that sends you cocoons and you grow them yourself. So they don't die in their travels. I'll let you know what I find out. I have some ads from a few but haven't checked them out yet.

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OH THAT WOULD BE SO WONDERFUL, PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHENEVER YOU KNOW! THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP!

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i think the butterfly release is beautiful! i wanted to do it myself, but i hear its really cruel for them to be shipped inside cardboard and it also depends on the time of year you are marrying.

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BLUEBABY I SEE THAT YOU ARE HAVING YOUR WEDDING AT JT...JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT IT IS A GOOD CHOICE...WE HAD OUR ENG.PARTY THERE IN MARCH IN THE DOME ROOM AND IT WAS WONDERFUL. FOOD/SERVICE/PERSONALITY THEY HAD IT ALL!GOOD LUCK!!!!

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I think the concept is really cool, but I heard from one of the vendors that I met with that when they were at a wedding with butterflies, the guests ripped open the packages and went to throw them in the air -- and the majority of them were dead and shriveled. The pictures were ruined from that portion of the day because all of the guests had yicky faces on in the photos.

I would definetely DRILL the vendors - how are the butterflies ship, what is the life expectancy, will you be reimbursed if they are all dead, how should you store them, what will cause them t o die, etc.

Hope this helps,
w

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If this offends some of you then fine but you asked for opinions and this is something I am very passionate about:
The idea of using a LIVING, BREATHING CREATURE is horrible. They are MAILED alive in a tiny package. And when the package is opened some are DEAD! Some are stunned and fall to the ground to be stepped on by guests.
No offense but I think it is awful to worry about getting your money back for DEAD butterflies. These are not toys, they are real.
Weddings should be about joy and happiness NOT about killing a creature so that maybe one of your photos will look pretty.
Use petals or bubbles instead. No person or animal gets hurts and you will still have some beautiful photos. Much better than your guest horrified to find a dead butterfly in their hands. This stuff makes me cry.

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A friend I know went to a wedding where the butterflies were used. Many were dead or too stunned to fly - people were stepping on them - the flowergirl was crying.

Not mention that a butterfly CLOSE UP is kind of gross (just my opinion here u may not agree) - they are bugs with pretty wings. I hate bugs!

And while animal activism falls very low on my priority list - it does seem sort of cruel.

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I also heard it is very bad if you have guests that don't pay attention. Some guests will mistakely open them in cars, possibly while another guest is driving and freak out. As well as some guests may not care and put them in their jacket pockets and later have that jacket dryclean with the butterfly still in it.
please be careful I have heard both scenerios!

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My best friend just got married and had a butterfly release. They were alive and very pretty . She got a lot of great pics one landed on her finger and another on her bouquet.
On the moral standpoint I do know that a week later people were telling me that there were a lot of dead butterflies outside the church. But in my opinion if you want them do it because someone else will, so whatever is going to happen to the butterflies is going to happen whether you do it or another bride does. I will try and find out the name of the company for you. I know she had to keep them on ice the night before the wedding. Hope this helps

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So because someone else might kill the butterflies and they will die anyway, why not let it be you? All for a photo of a butterfly landing on you? And that does NOT happen all the time. Do we really have a right to killing living creatures, pretty much torturing them as they are mailed to you laying flat instead of having their wings spread and flying, just for a photo oppt? I know some hunters in Africa feel the same way about killing elephants. They want the photo next to the dead animal so they have every right to do it. Please think about this and what it really means,

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I agree with Michele31... supporting a demand because you believe someone else will do it is wrong and doesn't make you any less guilty. Especially on your wedding day symbolizing new beginnings, hopes and dreams and religion, why go out of your way to do something cruel. For what? A picture? That's not right. It still means that a living creature is either shipped alive or born in a little tiny box which basically is then opened so that they can flutter around for a few seconds and die is sad and mean. SOme people are afraid of them too. Please second think doing it. It's not a market too be proud of and I hope animal activists close it down.

FYI - i know one girl who went to a wedding that did it and there were little boys there trying to catch the butterflies to pull their wings off. How sick is that?

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Just stating facts on both sides of the coin. I said that yes she got great pics and yes they did die. My personal opinion is that if she wants to use them, use them because someone else will. That is my opinion. Am I using them, NO because it is not for me. This board is about giving information to each other and that is all I was doing. I can appreciate your opinion and respect it as well. But the reality is that she can take all the facts in mind and than make her own mind up.

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Heather - that's true and you are right that people can make their own opinions. I am an animal fanatic and i can get alittle harsh sometimes when things come close to or are a form of animal cruelty. OF course it is totally everyones right to make up their own mind. If i came off as sounding harsh or vehement I apologize as i certainly don't want to sound like a b----. I just get all worked up on animal topics. The THOUGHT of it is very romantic i will agree, the whole reality of it though grosses me out. I hope whatever everybody decides to do it is beautiful. There are these new things call Throw Streamers that are popular in Europe... anyone ever see that done?

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Angie, not at all! I can totally appreciate your opinion and I even agree with you. I just really feel that no one should be made to feel bad about doing something. But i can understand both sides of the issue and like I said I would not do it but I certainly am not going to sit here and judge someone who would or tell them not to do it. As far as the steamers that sounds like a nice idea!

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Thanks Heather i feel better now that i wasn't perceived that way. I thought the streamers sounded cool too... i just don't know how forceful they are when the pop up and i have visions of my tiara being knocked off and my FI getting a black eye! LOL. I was hoping somebody saw it. If not i will do the bubbles.

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I agree with Stef and Michele - I hate to hear that any kind of animal is treated this way

There are original ideas out there that don't involve hurt little creatures in the process.

This and balloon lauches are my personal pet peeves!

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I TOTALLY agree with Michele. To know that they are mailed alive and kept until they are released bothers me terribly. There are many other things to do other than keeping something alive and releasing it.

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I am not an animal activist by any means, but I'd have to agree...

Releasing Butterflies is cruel and also a bit strange. The thought of being a guest at a wedding where hundreds of butterflies are suddenly released, some half dead, is a frightening thought! I think this is just another way that companies make tons of money off of our weddings! It is of course your final decision. I would just research this as much as possible.

FYI...I've heard that releasing Doves is also inhumane. Apparently, the doves are raised in captivity and when you release them, they are confused and become disoriented. Many get lost, and die because they cannot function in the outside world. Please do not flame me for this! My Priest told me this...I am just the messenger!!!

I would say stick to bubbles or rose petals...both are beautiful in pictures and do not harm anyone or anything!

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I am not much of an animal lover so I don't have any strong views against releasing butterflies or doves. But, I have a very strong view about having a bug, no matter how pretty, in my hand. Especially if that bug is dead - yuck It sounds like you might want to do a little more research into this. Is there a way that you can buy some live butterflies the day before and then release them all at once from whatever jar they came in? I have never looked for one, but maybe they sell them somewhere, like fish.

One other thing to consider. While you might like to have a butterfly land on your finger, or where ever, if I was a guest and butterflies were landing on people, I would be heading for the hills!

But if you can find a way to do it that makes you comfortable and you think your guests aren't as squeamish about flying bugs as I am, then I think you should do what makes you happy.

Please keep us posted. I am very curious, becuase I have never heard of this before.