Hint & Tips
White doves
There is a growing trend for couples to include the release of white doves in their wedding ceremony. White doves traditionally symbolize peace, love and happiness, and releasing them during your wedding can be a way to illustrate your feelings for and your commitment to one another. A flock of white doves circling above your wedding party can add a spectacular and elegant dimension to your wedding.
In recent years, couples and wedding venues have become concerned about the environmental impact of throwing rice or confetti, or releasing balloons into the air. Releasing white doves is an environmentally friendly alternative, as well as a beautiful gesture. Once they are released, the white doves will circle above the wedding party, before returning home.
Ways to include white doves in your wedding ceremony
1. Bridal Pair
The bride and groom hold two white doves, one each, and release them at the moment the marriage is pronounced or after the ceremony itself while photographs are being taken
White doves symbolism
When a pair of white doves is released by the bride and groom, they circle together above the couple and then fly home, symbolizing the beginning of the couple’s new life together.
2. Bridal party release
A flock of white doves is released, either from a basket or by each individual member of the bridal party. These are usually released after the couple has released their white doves.
White doves symbolism
A flock of white doves flying up to join the circling bridal pair is a touching gesture symbolizing the family’s support for the newlyweds.
3. Absent friend
A single white dove is released by one member of the bridal party to fly up and join the circling bridal pair on their journey home.
White doves symbolism
The solitary white dove symbolizes a close friend or family member who is no longer with you, but that you want to honour at your wedding. By joining the bridal pair, the white dove depicts the presence of the spirit of your absent friend on your wedding day.
White doves are trained to fly home
Most suppliers of celebratory white doves don’t actually use doves at all, but specially bred, pure white pigeons. The reason for this is that pigeons naturally return home by themselves, whereas doves would need to be rounded up. Because your white doves, or pigeons, will need to fly home, you will have to choose a supplier based within a certain distance of your wedding venue.
Fantail doves, or dancing doves, are an alternative to white doves that circle in the sky and then fly home. Fantails are white doves with an unusual peacock style tail that resembles a fan. Fantail doves do not fly very far and so they will wander around your wedding venue entertaining your guests, and sometimes twirling around as if they are dancing.
Using white doves as part of your wedding decorations
Before you release your white doves, you can include them in your wedding decoration scheme. Having white doves in ornamental cages on either side of the door as your guests arrive can produce an artistic effect and provide a talking point or entertainment for any children at your wedding.
Most suppliers will have various sizes of cage depending on the number of white doves you want to release. Some will also provide themes cages, such as heart shapes and will decorate the cages with your bridal flowers.
If you are releasing white doves at your wedding they can become an integral part of your wedding theme. Consider having a white dove motif on your wedding stationery, or using white dove decorations on your bombonieres. You could even have small white doves integrated into your flower arrangements to add continuity.
Questions to ask the supplier of your white doves
Here are some of the questions you should ask before you book your white doves supplier:
- Will we be able to practice releasing the white doves beforehand?
- Will you show us the best way to hold the white doves?
- Will you work with our photographer to get great pictures of the white doves?
- Will you bring spare white doves in case the photographer misses the release?
- Do you have different sized white doves to accommodate small hands?
- Can the baskets for the white doves be decorated to match our wedding scheme?
- What time will you arrive at the wedding to set up the birdcages?
An alternative to white doves
If you like the idea of including a ‘release’ in your wedding ceremony, but aren’t convinced that white doves will suit your theme, you could consider a dramatic butterfly release instead.
Your butterflies will be delivered in specially designed containers that will keep them safe, comfortable and healthy until their release. For the most dramatic release you should order a butterfly for each guest, and these will arrive in individual decorative boxes, so each of your guests can take part in the release.
There are certain restrictions governing butterfly releases; they can only be released during certain seasons, and at certain temperatures, and they must be released an hour before sunset to give them time to find food and shelter before nightfall.
