Incorporating Birds Into Weddings

Birds have a lot of symbolism that can be very appropriate for a wedding. If you have ever been called a pair of "lovebirds", you see why birds can be fun to use as part of a wedding celebration. Of course, not all ideas are as good in reality as on paper - working with live animals is always unpredictable - but for those who love their feathered friends, these are some ways to incorporate birds into a wedding.

Perhaps the best known use of live birds in a wedding is the release of doves at the conclusion of an outdoor marriage ceremony. A pair of pure white doves has many beautiful meanings, including love, peace, faith, and hope for the future. For the newlyweds, that is. For the doves themselves, being released into unfamiliar territory can result in an untimely death, so think long and hard about a dove release. At one wedding, the guests watched the pair of birds ascend into flight, only to have the first one be snatched from the sky by a hawk and the second one smashed into a cliff by a sudden gust of wind. By the way, the "doves" are not always real doves. Some companies offer specially trained pure white homing pigeons, who at least have the advantage of being able to find their way back to a safe haven (barring a hawk, of course).

If you are a fan of the show "Cake Boss", you may be familiar with this next way that birds can be used in a wedding. Baker Buddy was commissioned to create a wedding cake with a dove on it in honor of the cake the groom's parents had had for their wedding. It turns out that from the 1960s - 1980s, wedding cakes with a pair of live doves in them were very popular for traditional Italian-American weddings (dove releases have long been an Italian wedding custom). So Buddy built a special clear box to serve as the pedestal for a traditional tiered wedding cake adorned with flowers, grapes, and ivy. At the last minute, a pair of doves was placed into the box, and the bride and groom released them as part of the cake cutting ceremony (although in this case, the birds had to be coaxed out of the box). If you are the sort of bride who loves everything traditional, from mother's bridal jewelry to her wedding cake, find out if she had a dove cake. Of course, if live birds are not welcome at your reception venue, you could always opt for a porcelain pair of white doves as your cake topper.

In some cultures, peacocks are considered to be symbols of protection and good luck. Without a doubt, their showy multi-colored feathers are absolutely stunning. If you like the idea of an over-the-top Bollywood-inspired wedding, what about a couple of live peacocks strolling around on the lawn at your wedding reception? They would surely make a grand and regal statement! It is best to find a hotel or other venue which already has its own peacocks in residence, as if the birds are rented and taken to an unfamiliar location, they will have to be kept in an enclosure. If the live birds are not available in your area, you can always have fun creating dramatic centerpieces and bouquets featuring the colorful feathers. Complete the effect with an opulent wedding gown worn with regal bridal jewelry fit for a princess.

These are but a few of the ways to use birds in your wedding. You might also consider a pretty pair of parrots in a large fancy cage to dress up a tropical theme reception or a charming pair of lovebirds in a gold cage in front of the newlyweds' sweetheart table. Of course, you can always have a bird themed wedding without using any live critters; think bird motifs on your stationery, a tiny nest for the ring pillow, and other cute ways to show that you and your fiance are truly "birds of a feather".