Butterfly Wedding Release Instructions

Here are some instructions for your butterfly release. You will also receive instructions with the arrival of Butterflies.

1) What to do when your butterflies arrive
2) Transferring your Butterflies for a Mass Release
3) Butterfly Release Instructions for Warm Weather

1) If you hear fluttering or scratching inside box, do not be alarmed, it is completely normal. Open the shipping box and remove the ice pack. Put it into the freezer. Once it has re-frozen, put it back into the box and close the box. Store the butterflies in a cool, dark place (like a closet) until ready to transport to the wedding. This keeps the butterflies slightly chilled and relaxed until it's time for them to fly! No other care is needed until 2 hours before your desired release time. When transporting the butterflies, do not leave them in a parked car for more than a few minutes, especially if it is a warm day, and keep them in the shade or away from direct sunlight.

2) You can transfer the butterflies into a basket or display cage up to 6 hours before your wedding if you’d like to keep them on display during the ceremony. Make sure to transfer them at least 2 hours before the event and expose them to warmth and light (not direct sunlight). The light stimulates the butterflies and will get them active. If you plan to transfer them more than 2 hours before, then try to keep them in a dark cool place so that they will remain relaxed.

3) Butterfly Release Instructions for Warm or Cool Weather- Locate the freeze pack that was shipped with your butterflies. It might be under some of the packaging material. It will most likely be thawed, so place the freeze pack in the freezer to refreeze it. If you do not have a freezer available, simply fill a plastic bag full of ice. Make sure not to get the butterflies or the butterfly boxes wet. After the freeze pack has refrozen, place it back in the shipping container with the butterflies and place the container in a cool room below 73 degrees.

Depending on the time you have for your release, you will need to check the freeze pack to make sure it is frozen. Refreeze if necessary. Avoid leaving the butterflies in high heat, a parked car, or direct sunlight for more than 15 minutes.

Two hours prior to your release time, take out the individually packaged butterflies from the shipping container, but leave them in their small envelopes, or transfer them into your basket for mass release. As the butterflies warm up, you might hear scratching or movement, but this is normal. Make sure the “warm-up” is gradual instead of a sudden change from cold to hot. Keep your butterflies in doors or in the shade until you are ready to release them. It is ok for the butterflies to be in the sunlight for 15 minutes or so prior to your release, but keep them from extreme heat.

If the weather is cool, or less than 60 degrees F, keep the butterflies in a warm room (between 74-80 degrees F) as long as possible during your ceremony or party. You may need to put a space heater in the room, but avoid putting heat directly on the butterflies or shipping container.

If you want to pose the butterfly for pictures, place the butterflies (kept in the original envelopes) in the refrigerator for about 20 – 30 minutes. This will bring down their temperature, and you will have approximately 30 seconds before each butterfly warms up enough to fly.