# Doves released at weddings, etc. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 26, 2011, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doves-released-at-weddings-etc/597684 "2011-09-26T19:19:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doves-released-at-weddings-etc/597684/21 "2011-09-28T14:21:26Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > No reason at all to squabble about the definition. That would be coo coo. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doves-released-at-weddings-etc/597684/22 "2011-09-29T15:29:28Z")
My barber also has a dove releasing service, for weddings and such. He says the birds have to be kept in captivity into the second year of being paired before they will reliably return home. He says releasers occasionally lose birds due to unexpected weather changes and predators. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doves-released-at-weddings-etc/597684/23 "2011-09-29T17:29:23Z")
What happens to the doves if it is a “shotgun” wedding? Or do you release clay pigeons at such events? ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doves-released-at-weddings-etc/597684/24 "2011-09-29T17:47:51Z")
Isn’t the symbolism of freeing the birds ruined by the idea that they are homing doves and go willingly back to captivity? ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doves-released-at-weddings-etc/597684/25 "2011-09-29T17:56:13Z")
To Irishman: My parents’ memorial service was far too emotional a time for us to bother thinking about the captivity and homing instincts of the damned birds. For us, the circling of the birds, and then their flight away from us was symbolic of the departure of my parents’ souls from this Earth. And the horrible punning remarks upthread would have delighted my parents’ sense of humor! ~VOW [edited to add: my sister was also thinking continually while she held her dove, “Please don’t poop on me. Please don’t poop on me.” This also would have tickled my parents!] ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doves-released-at-weddings-etc/597684/26 "2011-09-29T18:27:26Z")
> [@VOW](#): > > my sister was also thinking continually while she held her dove, “Please don’t poop on me. Please don’t poop on me.” Hey, even doves have pride. ---
**Author:** ![Wizard\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Wizard\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wizard_One)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doves-released-at-weddings-etc/597684/27 "2011-09-30T03:37:10Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > agreed, this thread is now as dead as a Dodo > > (yes…Dodo’s were a member of the pigeon family, no, this pun no longer works when it has to be explained to everywhere) Interestingly enough, Dodo’s were considered inedible, tasted lousy, from what I’ve read. Never read a word about eating dove. But, I HAVE prepared squab and ate it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doves-released-at-weddings-etc/597684/28 "2011-09-30T10:23:39Z")
I had a friend who told me that her boss, when a poor student, used to snare pigeons on the window-ledge to get something to eat. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doves-released-at-weddings-etc/597684/29 "2011-09-30T15:01:16Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > This is the way to release a white dove: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsrbZHVOAt0](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsrbZHVOAt0) In Soviet Russia, doves release YOU! ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2011, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doves-released-at-weddings-etc/597684/30 "2011-10-03T10:30:16Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > In Soviet Russia, doves release YOU! No, they release on you. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doves-released-at-weddings-etc/597684.md?page=1)