OT - Balloon Releases and Such

"Joani H" wrote in message
...
Always in search of ways to celebrate, honor or whatever over the
years I've run up against the things that we can no longer do, or
shouldn't do and the like. Around here throwing rice after a wedding
is verboten because the rice can cause a serious eye injury, can cause
harm to some of the wildlife, and is a pain in the butt for the Church
folk that have to clean it up. The eye injury and clean up part holds
true for throwing bird seed - though cleaning up is more bird doo
which actually can be hazardous if one breathes in the spores it
throws off. Know about the balloon release issues too - living on
Lake Erie most of my life, well, they frowned on that way back.
Confetti, well, no, back to the eye injury and clean up issues.

Sooo, back when my son and my now DIL were planning their wedding they
planned a butterfly release. I took on the job of raising the Monarch
pupae. This turned out to be quite a task. The blessed day arrived.
The wedding party emerged from the chapel. All the guests were handed
a small white box and instructed not to open the box until told to do
so...

And it went like this...the signal was given. Keeping the contents of
the box a secret, BAD idea. A number of guests, Men, Women and
children screamed. They weren't expecting something live to fly out
of the box.

Then the horrific screams began. NOBODY, but NOBODY had given any
thought to all the birds that were perched on the chapel spires and
roof. We have LOTS of footage of wedding party and guests screaming
and running about as the birds swooped down to enjoy the free lunch we
had graciously supplied. And talk about bird poop. Oh my goodness!

For us we've ruled out: rice, confetti, balloons, bird seed, and, of
course, butterflies.

Joani

What a shame that such a beautiful idea turned out so badly.

Joy

"MLB" wrote in message
...
Joani H wrote:
Always in search of ways to celebrate, honor or whatever over the
years I've run up against the things that we can no longer do, or
shouldn't do and the like. Around here throwing rice after a wedding
is verboten because the rice can cause a serious eye injury, can cause
harm to some of the wildlife, and is a pain in the butt for the Church
folk that have to clean it up. The eye injury and clean up part holds
true for throwing bird seed - though cleaning up is more bird doo
which actually can be hazardous if one breathes in the spores it
throws off. Know about the balloon release issues too - living on
Lake Erie most of my life, well, they frowned on that way back.
Confetti, well, no, back to the eye injury and clean up issues.

Sooo, back when my son and my now DIL were planning their wedding they
planned a butterfly release. I took on the job of raising the Monarch
pupae. This turned out to be quite a task. The blessed day arrived.
The wedding party emerged from the chapel. All the guests were handed
a small white box and instructed not to open the box until told to do
so...

And it went like this...the signal was given. Keeping the contents of
the box a secret, BAD idea. A number of guests, Men, Women and
children screamed. They weren't expecting something live to fly out
of the box.

Then the horrific screams began. NOBODY, but NOBODY had given any
thought to all the birds that were perched on the chapel spires and
roof. We have LOTS of footage of wedding party and guests screaming
and running about as the birds swooped down to enjoy the free lunch we
had graciously supplied. And talk about bird poop. Oh my goodness!

For us we've ruled out: rice, confetti, balloons, bird seed, and, of
course, butterflies.

Joani

In this area it is common to use bubbles instead of rice. Small bottles
filled with bubble mix are supplied to guests and the children (all ages)
really have fun. MLB



For some reason this conjurs up a bizarre image of people being issued
water-pistols and running around squirting each other Completely
inappropriate for a wedding or a memorial service, of course, but it just
sounds like fun!

Jill

MLB wrote:

Then the horrific screams began. NOBODY, but NOBODY had given any
thought to all the birds that were perched on the chapel spires and
roof. We have LOTS of footage of wedding party and guests screaming
and running about as the birds swooped down to enjoy the free lunch we
had graciously supplied. And talk about bird poop. Oh my goodness!

In this area it is common to use bubbles instead of rice. Small bottles
filled with bubble mix are supplied to guests and the children (all
ages) really have fun. MLB

I've been to a few weddings where little bottles filled with soap for
bubbles were given to guests, to blow as the bride and groom (or, in
one case, the two brides) exited at the end of the ceremony. Fun and
very pretty.

Also, a side benefit: toward the end of the reception, I would collect
the soap bottles that had been left behind by guests, and take them home
with me. I have a drawer with several little bottles of soap and a hoop
for blowing bubbles. I'll bet you can all guess what *those* are used
for. Hint: I should probably remove the "OT" from the subject line.
Yes, that's right - blowing bubbles at cats! Great fun!! You get all
kinds of different reactions, from shock and horror to predatory
excitement. Hey, I haven't blown bubbles at my cats for a while, think
I'll go do that now.

Joyce

--
Cats' hearing apparatus is built to allow the human voice to easily
go in one ear and out the other. -- Stephen Baker

wrote in message
...
MLB wrote:

Then the horrific screams began. NOBODY, but NOBODY had given any
thought to all the birds that were perched on the chapel spires and
roof. We have LOTS of footage of wedding party and guests screaming
and running about as the birds swooped down to enjoy the free lunch we
had graciously supplied. And talk about bird poop. Oh my goodness!

In this area it is common to use bubbles instead of rice. Small bottles
filled with bubble mix are supplied to guests and the children (all
ages) really have fun. MLB

I've been to a few weddings where little bottles filled with soap for
bubbles were given to guests, to blow as the bride and groom (or, in
one case, the two brides) exited at the end of the ceremony. Fun and
very pretty.

Also, a side benefit: toward the end of the reception, I would collect
the soap bottles that had been left behind by guests, and take them home
with me. I have a drawer with several little bottles of soap and a hoop
for blowing bubbles. I'll bet you can all guess what *those* are used
for. Hint: I should probably remove the "OT" from the subject line.
Yes, that's right - blowing bubbles at cats! Great fun!! You get all
kinds of different reactions, from shock and horror to predatory
excitement. Hey, I haven't blown bubbles at my cats for a while, think
I'll go do that now.

Joyce


If I'm not mistaken, the Drs. Foster Smith catalog offers a bubble toy
filled with catnip scented bubbles

Jill

On Mar 27, 11:21*pm, MLB wrote:


Reminds me of an old song:

I'm forever blowing bubbles
Pretty bubbles in the air,
They fly so high
They reach the sky
Then *just like my dreams
They fade and die.

Anybody know the rest?


You're asking someone born from East London stock if they know the
rest of the West Ham FC song?

"Fortunes always hiding
I've looked everywhere
I'm forever blowing bubbles
Pretty bubbles in the air"

There are some pubs in Plaistow where you'd probably get lynched if
you didn't know that song!

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs

Joani H wrote:
Always in search of ways to celebrate, honor or whatever over the
years I've run up against the things that we can no longer do, or
shouldn't do and the like. Around here throwing rice after a wedding
is verboten because the rice can cause a serious eye injury, can cause
harm to some of the wildlife, and is a pain in the butt for the Church
folk that have to clean it up. The eye injury and clean up part holds
true for throwing bird seed - though cleaning up is more bird doo
which actually can be hazardous if one breathes in the spores it
throws off. Know about the balloon release issues too - living on
Lake Erie most of my life, well, they frowned on that way back.
Confetti, well, no, back to the eye injury and clean up issues.

Sooo, back when my son and my now DIL were planning their wedding they
planned a butterfly release. I took on the job of raising the Monarch
pupae. This turned out to be quite a task. The blessed day arrived.
The wedding party emerged from the chapel. All the guests were handed
a small white box and instructed not to open the box until told to do
so...

And it went like this...the signal was given. Keeping the contents of
the box a secret, BAD idea. A number of guests, Men, Women and
children screamed. They weren't expecting something live to fly out
of the box.

Then the horrific screams began. NOBODY, but NOBODY had given any
thought to all the birds that were perched on the chapel spires and
roof. We have LOTS of footage of wedding party and guests screaming
and running about as the birds swooped down to enjoy the free lunch we
had graciously supplied. And talk about bird poop. Oh my goodness!

For us we've ruled out: rice, confetti, balloons, bird seed, and, of
course, butterflies.

Joani

ROTFL Thanks for the laugh. At least no harm came to the guests or birds
and I'm sure some of the butterflies lived to see another day. Apart
from keeping the box contents secret I think it was a brilliant idea.

--
Adrian (Owned by Bagheera & Shadow)
Cats leave pawprints on your heart
http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk

wrote in message
...

I've been to a few weddings where little bottles filled with soap for
bubbles were given to guests, to blow as the bride and groom (or, in
one case, the two brides) exited at the end of the ceremony. Fun and
very pretty.

For a wedding, I vote for silly string. EG

Hint: I should probably remove the "OT" from the subject line.
Yes, that's right - blowing bubbles at cats! Great fun!! You get all
kinds of different reactions, from shock and horror to predatory
excitement. Hey, I haven't blown bubbles at my cats for a while, think
I'll go do that now.

I have a bottle of bubbles for cats that is catnip scented. Funny watching
them the first time they see them. But, the thrill runs out quickly.

"Adrian" wrote in message
...
Joani H wrote:
Always in search of ways to celebrate, honor or whatever over the
years I've run up against the things that we can no longer do, or
shouldn't do and the like. Around here throwing rice after a wedding
is verboten because the rice can cause a serious eye injury, can cause
harm to some of the wildlife, and is a pain in the butt for the Church
folk that have to clean it up. The eye injury and clean up part holds
true for throwing bird seed - though cleaning up is more bird doo
which actually can be hazardous if one breathes in the spores it
throws off. Know about the balloon release issues too - living on
Lake Erie most of my life, well, they frowned on that way back.
Confetti, well, no, back to the eye injury and clean up issues.

Sooo, back when my son and my now DIL were planning their wedding they
planned a butterfly release. I took on the job of raising the Monarch
pupae. This turned out to be quite a task. The blessed day arrived.
The wedding party emerged from the chapel. All the guests were handed
a small white box and instructed not to open the box until told to do
so...

And it went like this...the signal was given. Keeping the contents of
the box a secret, BAD idea. A number of guests, Men, Women and
children screamed. They weren't expecting something live to fly out
of the box.

Then the horrific screams began. NOBODY, but NOBODY had given any
thought to all the birds that were perched on the chapel spires and
roof. We have LOTS of footage of wedding party and guests screaming
and running about as the birds swooped down to enjoy the free lunch we
had graciously supplied. And talk about bird poop. Oh my goodness!

For us we've ruled out: rice, confetti, balloons, bird seed, and, of
course, butterflies.

Joani

ROTFL Thanks for the laugh. At least no harm came to the guests or birds
and I'm sure some of the butterflies lived to see another day. Apart from
keeping the box contents secret I think it was a brilliant idea.

--
Adrian (Owned by Bagheera & Shadow)
Cats leave pawprints on your heart
http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk



I'm reminded of an episode of 'Two and a Half Men' (Charlie Sheen) where his
mother was getting married and they had frozen butterflies. Allegedly if
they were frozen alive then thawed they would still be alive (which is about
as ridiculous an idea as Walt Disney having his head frozen so he could be
brought back to life in the 21st century.) Picture the maid tossing dead
butterflies out of a box on the deck as the cleric said "You may kiss the
bride". Then a flock of seagulls swarmed down and ate the butterflies.

Jill

Kyla =^..^= wrote:
I thought of those as well.
I've seen people blow bubbles too Kyla

That's what they did at my sister's wedding. Really low clean-up as long
as it's outside, totally harmless if it's glycerin bubbles, and very
pretty. The kids love it, too.

minnow ^..^
--
http://twitter.com/taheenahana
http://www.flickr.com/photos/minnow/

On Mar 28, 1:55*am, "jmcquown" wrote:


For some reason this conjurs up a bizarre image of people being issued
water-pistols and running around squirting each other *

Reminds me of a friends 40th - he held a BBQ for a few friends in his
back garden- very civilised and all that-BBQ cooking away and his
wife, who is a trained chef made her tiramisu (To die for!), a few
bottles of chilled beer in the fridge and his guests sunning
themselves in the garden....until one of his kids started using one of
those "super soaker" water pistols on the kids next door,,,,,

10 minutes later you had about 4 kids sitting on a wall looking
disconsolate whilst the "grown ups" were charging round the garden
trying to ambush each other and all of us getting throughly soaked in
the process! It was FUN!

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs