The tradition of a bride and groom departing from their wedding reception in a cloud of thrown rice has long since past. Not only is the concept of rice throwing an old trend, but it also presents problems for the environment (birds mistake the rice for food and can choke on it), and it makes a huge mess for the venue to clean. Still, every newlywed couple desires a dramatic send-off to their honeymoon, and that means getting creative. Presently, there are several unique trends in the wedding world to send the happy couple off to their new life in a fun and mess-free fashion. A growing favorite among wedding parties has become the release of live animals. Dove releases have been a part of different ceremonies throughout history.One of the greatest advantages of a butterfly release is that every guest, young and old, can participate, if the couple chooses. Many companies provide the inexpensive butterflies in individual boxes or other personalized butterfly wedding favors for guests to take home. Guests will love to see the beautiful butterflies floating from bouquet to bouquet or landing on a guest's shoulder. These tender moments with the butterflies make wedding photos come alive and leave lasting impressions on everyone in attendance. Butterflies also carry a heavy symbolic weight. Because of their transformation process from caterpillar to cocoon to butterfly, they represent a transition and renewed life. Just like the butterflies, husband and wife are emerging to take their first steps in their new life together.