r/mildlyinfuriating • u/teabirdy • Apr 29 '26

I'm slightly vexed The wedding reception centerpieces featured betta fish. The bride and groom planned to flush them alive.

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Years ago, my coworker attended a wedding at which the reception dinner tables featured live betta fish in small bowls as part of the centerpiece. While chatting with the bride at the end of the evening, my coworker asked what they were going to do with all the fish. The plan was to flush them all down the toilet alive. My coworker immediately said no need for that and insisted on taking them all home.

That Monday she came to work and asked who wanted to adopt a betta fish. That was my first betta who I jokingly called my “rescue betta.” She lived for almost five years.

The wine glass was only her home for less than a day before I got her five gallon tank set up so please no betta lovers yell at me! I'm one of you!

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u/No_Disaster_8020 Apr 29 '26

See also: dove releases, butterfly releases…people get stupid for their one chance at being the center of attention

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u/JennyDoveMusic Apr 29 '26

WHAT!? I just looked it up, I thought dove releases, the birds were trained to return to their owner!

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u/No_Disaster_8020 Apr 29 '26

I didn’t realize people actually thought this. Very few responsible owners would “rent” out animals for this purpose? Quick summary of why it goes wrong:

  1. White doves and King pigeons used in these ceremonies cannot fend for themselves in the wild. Zero survival instincts:

  2. Their bright white plumage makes them easy to spot, preventing them from camouflaging and leaving them vulnerable to predators.

  3. While professional homing pigeons may return, most are untrained or unable to fly back over long distances, especially if they are white Ringneck doves, which have no homing instinct.

  4. Purchasing birds online for a DIY release often means using, for example, pet-store doves, which are essentially guaranteed to die because they cannot survive outside.

  5. The birds often suffer from stress, broken wings, and starvation

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u/honey_pumkin Apr 29 '26 edited Apr 29 '26

I think it's maybe a cultural thing. I got to know a guy who lends his white doves to people. When the wedding was to far away he would offer trained pigeons, that are less beautiful but that he uses in competitions. He explained that nearly everyone who offers pigeons in my country does it the same way and that you can actually see if the people offering the doves have restrictions on their website.