Frequently Asked Questions
About Love Doves and our White Doves

What Happens On The Day?

The Dove Handler will arrive approx 15 minutes before the Bride's arrival, and will talk to the photographer about the release. As the Bride and Groom leave the church or venue, the handler will step forward and depending on what type of release it is, will present the doves to the Bride and Groom. We cannot release inside the venue, only outdoors.

Are they pigeons or doves?

Love Doves breed and train White Rock Doves, also known as homing pigeons. These are the only type of doves that should be released at outdoor functions.

What Happens to the Doves once they are Released?

They will circle together in the air a couple of times in a beautiful formation. They will then follow their natural instinct which is to fly back to where they were born. ie. Their lofts, where they’ll have a bath and all the food they can eat.

How do they know how to fly home?

The instinct of the homing pigeon is legendary and truly amazing. But how it works has never been conclusively proven. One theory is that they follow land marks and the position of the sun and stars, while another is that they have something in their brain like a compass that can detect changes in the earths magnetic field and use this information to find their way home. (If anyone knows differently I would be interested to know).

What would happen if I released doves that I buy from the pet store?

Releasing these white peace doves is cruel because they don’t have any homing instinct. They are bred in captivity, accustomed to having their food and water supplied. They are likely to fly to a nearby tree or roof top and then survive as long as they can. If you purchase white homing pigeons to release, be sure to ask if they will fly home otherwise the same situation applies.

Can doves be released indoors?

No.

Can children hold the doves and release them?

Older children can. Younger children (up to 10) can only if an adult helps them.

Will the birds make a mess?

Our doves are cleaned and groomed before we take them out on the town. We monitor their feeding but there is a small possibility that they will poo …well they are real live animals. But it rarely happens. We always bring supplies to clean up any mess that they might make.

When can the birds be released?

Following the ceremony, the birds can be released outside the church or venue in place of rice or confetti. For the safety of the birds, they can only be released during daylight hours, up to one hour before sunset. We cannot allow them to fly during rain.

What happens if it rains and the Doves cannot be released?

We will always consider the welfare of the birds, so if we decide the weather is not good for the doves to be released (too windy or rainy). Your money for the release will be fully refunded.