For the last 5,000 years, white doves have been deeply ingrained in human culture. From the dawn of civilisation, through every age and culture, they have been held as symbols of peace, love and serenity. In the mind of every human on the planet, the dove holds only good connotations. It is these thoughts of peace, love and serenity that we send up to the deceased on their pure white wings as they soar to freedom.
Legendary Slavic folk-law has it, that when you release a dove, it will take the departed spirit with it on a journey to find peace and tranquillity. It is a completely unique and heartfelt way to pay your final respects. Saying goodbye to a loved one is always difficult, sometimes words just aren’t enough, but when you release doves they are tangible – you can see and touch them. This changes the hearts and minds of the grieving, as you will see, bringing closure to the ceremony and granting permission to let go. Children can often find it difficult to understand death, so releasing a dove at the crematorium or graveside giving them a warm and lasting final memory.
Even if symbolism is forgotten, a white dove release is a spectacular display of nature, an organic and environmentally friendly alternative to balloons or cut flowers.
One thing is for certain, we know from our hundreds of releases, the presence of doves is uplifting – they may even make you smile!
