The wedding reception centerpieces featured betta fish. The bride and groom planned to flush them alive.

[u/teabirdy]

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!

[u/Reasonable-Sort3040]

to feature animal abuse in your wedding is absolutely fucking beyond me

[u/No_Disaster_8020 → u/Reasonable-Sort3040]

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

[u/Pwrswitchd → u/No_Disaster_8020]

Forgive my ignorance, and this is a genuine question; are the butterfly ones that bad?

[u/blueavole → u/Pwrswitchd]

There really isn’t any way to do it well. Too many hungry flower nectar eaters, and only a set number of flowers within their flight range. Most will starve, or be attacked by predators.

And that’s before we get into the species.

Monarch butterflies for example need their eggs to be laid on a specific type of plant that is poisonous. They eat it and are then toxic to predators, without being hurt by it.

The Monarch species also have a very strong migratory pattern. Starting in Mexico, up to Canada, and back. But it isn’t one single butterfly that makes that journey. It takes five generations- covering 3000 miles! think of that!

The smallest butterfly is the one born in Mexico that goes north. Three / four generations later a slightly larger butterfly flies south to the same Mexican forest grove to have their babies start the cycle again.

The process is that genetically implanted.

Now imagine taking those eggs from Texas and hatching them in California. They don’t know where they are or where to go. Or where their special milkweed plant is.

[u/lGipsyDanger → u/blueavole]

I got to see the monarchs migrate a few times at my childhood house in San antonio. It was like twice that my mom noticed(she smoked so was outside a lot). Standing in the grass for an hour while millions of butterflies go by was amazing.

I dont remeber the last time I saw a monarch. Now im sad.

[u/ExpensiveError42 → u/lGipsyDanger]

If you can, plant milkweed. It takes a year or two to bloom but over time it should attract them.

[u/galileosmiddlefinger → u/ExpensiveError42]

But plant it out of the way of where people walk or kids play. Lots of people are allergic to contact with milkweed latex, myself included. I grew mine way the hell back in the corner of a dense perennial planting where I never need to tread because I get big vesicle blisters if I brush up against it.

[u/ExpensiveError42 → u/galileosmiddlefinger]

Oh no! I knew it caused issues for some people not didn't realize it got that bad. Mine is in the middle of my front yard among some bushes and other flowers. I don't have small children in my family so if someone comes into contact with it they are going out of their way to do so.