Wrong doves for the Wedding!

Is is possible to have the wrong doves for a wedding? Yes, yes a thousand times yes!
Just read the following; it was written by Cathy Locke and originally appeared in the Sacramento Bee on June 10, 2011.

Sad ending for wedding doves in McKinley Park

The problem: A flock of white doves soaring skyward provides a spectacular ending to a wedding ceremony, but the aftermath can be a sad spectacle of dead or starving birds unable to find their way home or fend for themselves.

Dell Richards lives near Sacramento's McKinley Park, a popular wedding venue. She said white doves released around Easter had not been trained to return to a home base. They have been found dead, injured or wandering in nearby yards.

Photo Credit: Jennifer Chong, 2009 (NY Times article, click for original article)A similar article which appeared in the July 28, 2009 NY Times' City Room goes further and provides a clear picture of what it looks like to come across ringneck doves that had been released as part of some kind of ceremony. This photo on the right was taken by Jennifer Chong, a licensed wildlife rehabilitation specialist who took part in the rescue, which took place in the borough of  Flushing, Queens, New York. They were able to rescue 18 of the over 40 that had been released. What happened to the rest is anyone's guess.

This is a good example of something that I mentioned in my Wedding: What Doves? post from earlier in the month. It stems from the unscrupulous use by some, of ringneck doves for ceremonial releases. I mentioned it briefly in that post, but since July is the height of wedding season, it's bears repeating.

It is not uncommon to walk into your local pet store or go onto sites like Craig's List or Kijiji and see pure white doves for sale. More often than not (and pretty much exclusively when it comes to pet stores) these are actually ringneck doves: a type of dove that has absolutely no homing ability, and will most likely wind up dead, injured or starving before someone finds and rescues them.

How do you tell a ringneck dove apart from a white homing pigeon?

• Cere: the cere is the fleshy part that seems to sit atop the beak and has no feathers. This is where the nostrils are located. On ringneck doves, there is little to no cere, whereas homing pigeons have a very prominent cere that is whitish in colour.  
• Beak: ringnecks have a very slim beak that appears to be a bit longer due to the lack of a cere. Homing pigeons have a thicker beak.
• Neck: As you can see in the photo, there is a marked difference in neck-size, more bulky on the homer and quite slender in the ringneck.
• Eye Color: While it is not impossible to see a white homing pigeon with red eyes, it IS uncommon. White ringnect doves are more likely to have them. When I say "red" eyes, it is more like the pink that you'd see in an albino rabbit. Homers are more likely to have a darker colour eye.
•  Body Size: there is a marked difference in size between the homing pigeon and the ringneck dove. Ringnecks are much smaller framed than their noticeably bulkier homer counterparts.
•  Legband: Legbands are used by reputable breeders to clearly identify each bird and allow them to trace its lineage. It also indicates that said breeder belongs to a network of other fanciers or breeders, all of whom promote the highest standards of care and conditions for their birds. These bands indicate the association to which the breeder belongs as well as a unique identifier number for the bird / breeder. If the bird gets lost (it DOES even happen with homers) and is found by someone, it allows the owner to be contacted. More often than not such bands are absent with ringneck doves.

Having said all of this, ringnecks do have their place in wedding displays. It is not uncommon for Dove Release professionals to use ringnecks in their display cages, rather than homers, since the ringnecks are a smaller and fit more easily in most cages.

If you are at all interested in the possibility of doing a dove release at your wedding, please, please, please be sure that the people that you are dealing with are using White Homing Pigeons and not ringneck doves.

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Wedding: What Doves?

Welcome to (long anticipated - aka 'late') post #5 of the W5 series! A particular shout out to you those who have been following this short little series from the get-go.. Thanks for your patience and continued interest!

In this final post for the W5 series you'll get to learn a little of the what converning dove releases for weddings (and other special event releases)... admittedly there will be a little bit of how mixed in as well...

What kind of doves are they?

• These are pure white homing pigeons, raised in my loft and trained to return to the safety of the loft following their release. I have had birds return safely home from as far away as Moncton (175km) although, with training they are capable of flying much greater distances still. In popular thought, pigeons and doves are not the same thing, yet the original pigeon species is commonly referred both as the "Rock Dove" and the "Rock Pigeon"... as such they have a keen homing instinct. 
• These are NOT white "Ringneck Doves", the kind commonly found in petstores, and the kind we tend to think of when we hear the term 'dove'. White ringneck doves have sometimes been used, regrettably, by people wanting to coordinate their own, less expensive release as ringneck doves are more easy to come by. The problem is, this smaller species has no homing ability. They will still create a beautiful impression when flying out of a release basket

What will happen before the release?

• The day before a release, the birds are given a bath so that they look their freshest. It's really much easier than it sounds, one need only put in the galvanized bath pan and they do the rest. These guys LOVE to bathe. Birds to be released are also given slightly less to eat, for two reasons.
  
  • It reduces the chance that wedding guests will be treated to "gifts from heaven" as the birds take off and,
  • It ensures that the bird will hastily head home, where it knows that food always awaits after a flight outside (part of the training).

What will happen at the release?

• Most wedding dove releases are done Release basket: Capable of holding 16 birdsfrom a basket of some sort. Given that most releases happen toward then end of the ceremony or upon exiting the church, I will arrive 15min before the ceremony begins (if you've requested a display cage of doves, I will arrive 1hr before the ceremony so that the cage is in place as guests arrive).
  
  • single pair - If you and your spouse-to-be are releasing a single pair, it will most likely be from a small heart shaped basket. The most photogenic way for this to be done is to have the groom hold the basket, tipped slightly forward and the bride will open the basket's lid, allowing the birds to wing their way skyward. Your photographer needs to be Johnny-on-the-spot as the birds won't waste any time hitting the heights.
  • flock release - When done, the flock release (anywhere from 3-12 birds) typically comes after the bride and groom release their pair. It's indicative of the well-wishes of friends & family accompanying the new couple as they begin their "flight" together. This can be done by members of the bridal party, special friends or family, or by us. There are a couple of styles of baskets that can be used, depending on the number of birds requested.
  • display cage release - Some have asked if we do releases directly from the display cage. At this point, we do not. We typically use untrained birds or fantails for the cage display.

What will happen after the release?

• After exiting the basket, the birds will generally gather  together and circle overhead 2-4 times. This allows them to "get their bearings". There are often one or two birds that are either more dominant, more confident or more experienced, when this bird determines in which direction 'home' is located... it will break the 'holding pattern' and head home, the rest of the birds will follow and they will return as a flock. At a relaxed pace, the birds easily fly 25-32 km/hr, so depending on the distance between the release point and home, it will take them more or less time to 'hit the loft' (figuratively speaking). A good drink of water will be waiting for them, as well as a hearty meal of untreated, whole grains.

OK... That's it for this post and the 'W5' series. Thanks for your faithfulness in coming back to MyWhiteDoves!  If you're considering a dove release for your wedding or special event or have questions, please contact me at MyWhiteDoves@gmail.com.

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Wedding: Who does Doves??

Welcome to post #3 of the W5 series... The goal of this series is to give you a few more details on how white dove releases can be integrated into your wedding day. You've already seen Why the symbolism of doves lends itself well to weddings, as well as When doves typically make their appearance in the overall schedule of the day. Today we're going to look at Who is involved in the actual release of the birds.

Bride & Groom:

The bride and groom are usually always involved in a release. It is a rather natural fit given that it is you and your husband or wife who will be "spreading your wings" together, beginning this new journey into a future as full of possibilities as the sky is full of room for the doves to fly.

Depending on your comfort level (and the preparedness of the birds) you could release a single pair from a small heart shaped basket, or you could each hold one of the birds in your hands and release them that way.

(Although precautions are made to reduce food intake the day prior to a release, there can be no guarantee that the birds won't do what birds sometimes do. As a precaution therefore, the release directly from a basket is still the best way to minimize the risk of a "lump" landing on someone's shoe, or worse...  )

Note that you can always have the dove-handler perform the actual release as well if you're a bit timid.

Mothers/Parents of the Bride & Groom:

While the first and principle releasePhoto Credit: Jonathan Chan Photography, California USA is almost always done by the bride and groom, you may wish to include your mothers / parents in a special way. It has become quite customary to have the mothers of the bride and groom light two candles that are later combined into a single unity candle. The symbolism behind this of course, in the case of the candle, is that the 2 lives that they have brought into the world are combining form a single and distinct family unit. 

The idea then is one of release. If you would like to extend that symbolism to another part of the ceremony, each of the mothers or both sets of parents could release a single dove symbolizing the release of their child into a new "flight" or adventure.

Members of the Bridal Party:

This is typically done when you are looking for a larger release, where the maids of honour and the groomsmen gather as groups around 2 baskets, each of which would be filled with 3-6 doves. Following your release as bride and groom, members of the bridal party open the two baskets, allowing the breathtaking release of a small flock of white doves which will join the first pair.  Not only is there the added advantage of a truly beautiful display, but it symbolizes the well-wishes and love of these friends as they share in the dreams of the couple and follow them through their journey together.

Flowergirl & Ringbearer or Jr. Bridesmaids:

In the case of these younger members of the bridal party... there is truthfully very little symbolism involved... it's really all about the cute factor and the making their day.

Let's face it, we've all been there as kids at least ONCE in our life...Photo Credit: MyWhiteDoves 2011 Bride

• getting dressed in the type of clothes that we rarely wear..
• walking alone or in a pair down an aisle while SCADS of people that we don't know com-PLETE-ly gawk at us, making us as nervous as a lobster in the tank at Sobey's when the customer pulls out their wallet...
• having to sit (QUI-etly) still and not draw attention to ourselves for anywhere from 30min to an hour

...is this OUR idea of fun?

So... to let the kids do something as cool as release some live doves from a basket or, better yet, have their picture taken with them, makes the day a whole lot more fun to tell their friends about! 

That's what this 2011 flowergirl is doing; practising!

As you can see, there are a number of possibilities when it comes to who performs the actual release at your wedding, and that's not even all... it's really your choice. Who knows, you may come up with the next big trend in White Dove Releases... what are your thoughts? Who would you include in your wedding release? I'd love to hear your thoughts, let me know by leaving a comment at the bottom of this page.

The next post will address the Where in our 'W5' series. Thanks for visiting. If you like this post and would like to stay on top of all posts you can subscribe to the RSS Feed by clicking the button below. You can also subscribe by email in the top right margin.

  

Wedding: Why Doves??

Today I thought I'd answer that age-old question... "Why have a dove release at your wedding?"
My experience to date has been that it is typically the guys that ask that question... but in different terms:

Bride-to-be:
"Hon, what would you think about having a dove release at the wedding?

Groom-to-be:
a) "Ah, yeah... sure... whatever."
b) "Yeah I guess... where'd you hear about that?"
c) "They do that around here?"
d) "How much will it cost?"
e) "I LOVE that idea Hon, we should DEF-initely have one! Why don't you go ahead and book it."
(For any guys reading this... guess which one of these answers your financé WANTS to hear??)

Joking aside, although generally everyone agrees that it's a beautiful add-on to a special ceremony, someone will inevitably ask the "why-question". If it's not the guy in your life, it could be the person who's helping to cover the cost of some or all wedding expenses. If you've thought out, a bit ahead of time, why you'd like to include a white dove release it goes a long way to dispelling the idea that it's "just a whim". So... let me arm you with a few good reasons why a white dove release is an incredible addition to your wedding ceremony.

SYMBOLISM

• Peace:
  Countries & cultures each have their own legends as to when that association between 'peace' and the white dove began (here's a neat one from Azerbaijan), but it is unquestionably one of the most recognized symbols of peace.
• Hope:
  In the Biblical account of the flood that destroyed all life on Earth, Noah at one point sent out several birds to see if the water was receding. It was the dove that came back with an olive branch in it's mouth. A tangible sign that God had not forgotten their obedience and their hope.
• Good Fortune:
  Also related to Noah & the flood, the dove became the messenger of the good fortune - the better times, that awaited them.
• Purity or Innocence:
  It is the color white that conveys the meaning of purity.
• Fidelity or Constancy:
  Doves naturally mate for life and the male will vigorously defend his nest area from any intruder.
• Nuturing:
  When it comes time to incubate the eggs, both the male and the female share the task of sitting on the eggs (the female always incubates at night and the male during the day). Both also equally share in feeding the young.
• Gentleness & Marital Affection or LOVE:
  Part of the dove's courting and mating behaviour includes soft, gentle coo-ing and preening each others head and neck area with it's beak (think 'neck massage' crossed with 'kissing'). Another part of the behaviour is tenderly feeding each other.

Which one of these qualities wouldn't you want to be present in your marriage?

Beyond the inherent symbolism of the doves themselves, there is the symbolism associated with their release. In the same way that they take to flight after coming out of the release basket, so your life together takes flight "from this day forward". The sky's the limit for both!

This is the first of a series of posts dealing with the Who? What? When? Where? and Why? of white doves released in the context of a wedding ceremony. My next post (Wednesday) will deal with 'when': At what point does the release typically happen with respect to the ceremony and your overall day.

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"doving-up" your wedding...

Today's post is, in some ways, a follow-up to last Saturday's post White doves & Wedding cakes in which I discussed ways to extend the dove theme into other areas of your wedding day - primarily as it pertained to the wedding cake itself. As I was researching that post, I came across a great number of other possibilities for wedding decor on the dove theme, so I thought that I'd share those with you today.

To reiterate... these options can serve one of two purposes:

• They allow you to benefit from the rich symbolism of the white doves even if you are unable to incorporate a live release into your wedding for whatever reason.
• They allow you to extend the symbolism of the dove-theme into other areas of the wedding day in addition to the tremendous impact of a live release.

Let's take a look:

Invitations:

• Love Doves "save the date" wedding announcements
• Doves & Fruit Damask invitations
• Doves on a streetlamp announcements
• Elegant wedding invitation cards

Wedding Favours:

• Plantable Peace Doves (handmade paper doves with seeds embedded inside... good to highlight place settings, pew markers, etc)
• Molded chocolate wedding doves (purchase them done-up or use as an idea to make them yourself)
• Dove-shaped items such as salt & pepper shakers, soap, etc (scroll down page).
• Dove folded treat boxes
• DIY paper dove decorations (paper patterns available to make your own white paper dove decorations)

Church/reception decoration:

• DIY decorating the room (not strictly on doves, but good ideas and they mention incorporation of doves into the "landscape")
• Dove-themed ceremony & reception ideas
• Another dove-themed cake topper (sorry couldn't resist this one... a bit different from many others - see right)
• Bride & Groom napkin rings (there are actually 3 napkin rings in this sale, but 2 would add a special touch to the bride & groom's place settings, or perhaps to the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom)
• Various items on a dove-theme
• A flickr page with various dove-themed items
  

Remember, 'rock doves' naturally pair up for life and (especially the white ones) have long been symbols of peace, purity and good fortune. The ideas above constitute just a few different ideas that can help you reinforce the power of that symbolism throughout the day.... If I come across more, I'll do another post on them.

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