The adorable little girl wearing rings on her pillow is increasingly usurped by birds of prey at weddings.
In a recent report from The Wall Street Journal, it was revealed that an increasing number of couples are opting for birds of prey such as owls and hawks as ring bearers during their wedding. Jonathan Gonzalez, owner of Raptor Events in Long Beach, Calif., takes credit Harry Potter book series by JK Rowling partly because it inspired a new generation of brides and grooms to choose owls over children to perform ring-bearing duties on their big day.
“Harry Potter obviously did something for this job,” Gonzalez told the newspaper. He also noted that his birds “never got a poop on their dress” since joining the wedding business.
According to the Raptor Events website, the raptor ring bearer package costs $1,200 plus travel expenses and includes a trial with the bird, ring bearer services, photos with the bird after the ceremony and a meet and greet with the ring bearer for guests. Couples who want to include animals in their ceremony can also pay extra to bring in reptiles, add a “flying raptor show,” or have a ring bearer join them for engagement photos.
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The event service also offers a themed option for couples hoping for a wizarding or renaissance wedding.
Jessica Huete spoke with WSJ about her and her husband’s decision to have a falcon fly down with the couple’s rings at her wedding in San Diego last year. The bride wore a leather glove with a piece of quail meat to entice Marty the falcon to swoop down and land on her hand.
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“We were both fighting over who was going to catch the bird,” Huete told the publication of her and her husband. “I said, ‘It was my idea. I won. I’m a woman.’ ”
Huete also noted that she and her husband chose to entrust Marty with their real rings, although it is recommended that couples put fake rings in a bird pouch in case they fly away. “We said, ‘It will be a sign if it flies away,'” she said.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education