Catch And Release: Adding A Butterfly Release To Your Ceremony

by Mia Bolaris-Forget (Staff Writer)

Beauty and grace, that’s what butterfly releases have always conveyed at wedding ceremonies. In fact, releasing these beautiful creatures is the “perfect” way to commemorate your commitment without polluting, or damaging the environment.

And, since butterflies must always be released outside, it’s ideal for warm weather and outdoor ceremonies.

But, before you book, you should know that there are two type of butterfly released to choose from: 1) an individual release or 2) a mass release.

In an individual release each guest is handed an envelope containing a butterfly. Then, at as instructed, at a given time, all guests open their envelopes and release their butterfly.

In a mass release, butterflies are kept in a universal container, and, at a designated time, released by one person who’s in charge of “setting them free”.

And, according to experts each has pros and cons.

With a mass release, experts note that everyone is focused on the butterflies and the person releasing them. So, that person becomes the center of attention. Furthermore, the butterflies must be transferred into the mass release container at least an hour or two prior to being “set free”. To do this you need to make a small incision into the container from which the butterflies are to be released and then slide each butterfly into it. Also, butterflies must be kept in a cool, dark place to prevent them from hurting their wings before being released.

On the other hand, an individual release means nothing to do, other than keeping an eye out to make sure that the butterflies are kept cool and okay until they are released. Experts note that about an hour before the release, depending on the weather, you may want to get and remove the ice pack and start to warm up the butterflies. Then you can begin handing them out to guests and when instructed they can release them and watch them take flight.

However, experts suggest, ALWAYS assigning one person to be in charge of the butterflies and making sure they are okay. And, they add that a reputable farmer will always include a few extras, in case a few don’t make it. And, they note, that this is nothing to be concerned about. In fact, the average life span for an adult butterfly in the summer is about two weeks.

Another point to note is that in either case the butterflies won’t simply fly away. Some may want to linger. You’ll actually have to encourage them to take flight, and that makes for a great photo-op.