Q. How do I make my final payment?

If paying by credit card, you can visit our secure credit card screen here.  You can also send your payment by mail by visiting our contact information here. 

Q. Where do the doves go after they are released?

The birds circle above to get their bearings and then they fly to their home in Rock Hill, SC.  They immediately go back to their home to their nesting boxes, food and water.  View their home click here!

Q.  How do they know to return home to their loft?

Rock Dove's have been studied for many years.  It is thought that they navigate by being able to sense the earths magnetic field (They can tell their North and South).  Well trained doves can locate their home up to 600 miles away!!  Some racing doves have been recorded flying distances of 1,000 miles.

Q.  What type of training do the doves receive?

Although it is the doves natural instinct to return to their home, just like a bird dog will point without being trained. Training the doves in different directions and taking them out from short to longer distances improves there navigational skills.

Q. How long does it take them to get home?

Under excellent conditions they fly between 50 - 60 mph, and usually fly non-stop until they get home.

Q.  Why won't you release the doves at night?

They cannot see very well at night, and if they have to seek shelter in a tree overnight they may fall prey to an owl or other night predators. Being white, they stick out like a sore thumb in the night to their predators.

Q.  Can't I just use the doves that I can find in a pet store?

The turtledoves (also referred to sometimes as ringnecks or mourning doves) are poor fliers and should never be released into the wild!  They will fall prey to dogs, cats, and hawks.  More embarrassing though is that they won't fly more then a few feet from where you released them.  They have NO homing instinct and it is considered cruel to release these types of doves.  Our birds are vaccinated, wormed and fed special diets.  They are expensive and require a lot of time and training by experienced handlers. You may spend a few extra dollars hiring us, but you'll get peace of mind knowing you are providing guests with the proper enjoyment of a professional bird release.

Q.  How do you prevent the doves from making a mess on our guests?

Just like human athletes, our doves have a special diet before your big event so they can perform at top levels without "messing up."  They also fly with their feet tucked up underneath so they won't soil themselves.  While we can never 100% guarantee that a mess may not happen, it is very unlikely.

Q.  At what point during the ceremony should the doves be released?

This is entirely up to you!  There are a lot of creative designs in the timing and location of your release. We will work closely with your photographer and coordinator of your event to ensure the best possible results.

Q.  What time of the day is the best for a release?

The specific time of day is flexible, but we never release birds later than one hour prior to sunset: (1) to ensure enough time for the birds to safely reach home, and (2) a flock of white birds airborne is very dramatic. The more sunlight, the better the viewing!  To learn more about our release policies, click here.

Q.  Can I customize a package or make any changes?

Absolutely.  We understand that weddings and funerals are both very special and memorable days and we want to make sure that you receive a dove release that is exactly what you envision.  The descriptions that we offer under each package are simply a recommendation of our most popular requests.  You can choose whether to release by hand or from a basket, you can divide the birds up to be released by friends or family, or you can even add additional birds to the release.  We will completely customize any package.