fish!!!

bencomobride

Has anyone used fish as part of your centerpiece?? Did the fish live through the night? we were going to do color coridnatiting fish is glass bowls with flowers around the outside of the bowl but i'm worried that the fish. Is this crazy??

jbenbe28

Just a heads up, this topic does not get very positive responses.  I'd search older posts about it.  People do not lke the idea of using live animals of any kind for decoration and, those who have seen them used, say they usually die and no one wants to look at dead fish while eating.

kfras

My friend used goldfish in bowls for her college graduation party (she was a marine biology major). The goldfish did live all night! But no one wants to take them home.... doing a game to see who "wins" the centerpiece? People will opt out of that one...

bencomobride

my brother has already agreed to taking the fish after the wedding

Belle0000

In Response to Re:fish!!!:[QUOTE]Has anyone used fish as part of your centerpiece?? Did the fish live through the night? we were going to do color coridnatiting fish is glass bowls with flowers around the outside of the bowl but i'm worried that the fish. Is this crazy?? Posted by bencomobride[/QUOTE]

This is one of the most unpopular ideas on these boards. What is one dies during the reception? Or poops in the water? Just because you think it's a good idea doesn't mean your guests will. In fact, some may very likely be appalled.

vsgal

Animals are not props.  Period.  This behavior is cruel animal abuse.

C&MMartel

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_fish-1?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:76f5bbd0-b00f-445f-be31-137bd6872ad8Post:05717182-1acd-4019-9344-00a26a0dc162">Re: fish!!!</a>:
[QUOTE]Animals are not props.  Period.  This behavior is cruel animal abuse.
Posted by vsgal[/QUOTE]

This, and all of the above. I have serval tanks in my home ranged from 5-55 gallon tanks all becuase family/friends decided they didnt want fish anymore.. People think fish are just fish, but they are no differnet then any other animal/pet.  They still take a lot of care into a healthy life for them. Its no different then if you wanted to buy a puppy for each table to play with during your reception, would you do it and take a change at all those puppies not having a healthy home??  I doubt it, fish are no different. And  im guessing your wanting to use bettas... well..unless your brother has individual tanks for all of them.. it wont work, males and females cant live together unless they are ready to spawn or male will kill female. Males will kill males... and only a couple females can live together in a well planted tank... and if  your thinking of doing goldfish... just as bad of an idea... they will be stunted and die within a month at max. Any other fish wont live because they dont survive by using a labyrinth gland to breath and they will be dead after 3-4 hours without oxygen. This is the most rediculas idea i have ever heard of. What is wrong with people??? Do your guests a favor and stay way from this idea.. only 1 out of every 5 would like your idea.. the other 4 will discuss the cruel death your going to cause it.. 

ceh789

I would be horrified to see a fish in a centerpiece.  I'd be no less horrified than if you had vivisected a kitten and laid it out in the middle of the table.  It's horrible and disgusting.

Aside from the animal cruelty issue - fish in bowls stink after a very short amount of time.  I don't want the tables at my wedding to stink.

SugarFoote

Doing this is wrong on so many levels. Honestly, if it wasn't cruel to do this, it would still look tacky.

sparent2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_fish-1?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:76f5bbd0-b00f-445f-be31-137bd6872ad8Post:b20f34c0-96a3-4ad5-aac1-6c71ac030356">Re: fish!!!</a>:
[QUOTE]I have two tanks, and I think I'd leave a wedding with goldfish in a bowl as a decoration.  This is a living being.
Posted by 1covejack[/QUOTE]

I would too- I would say fish centerpieces pretty much top the list for worst reception idea ever. Well except for the Alice and WOnderland girl who wanted to have bunny centerpieces b/c you know they are so cute, and fluffy and they would never poop or pee on the table.

Using fish does not make your centerpieces cool or unique it makes you look like an asshole

HobokensFury

Here we go again...

Maggie0829

Why don't you just dye little white puppies in your wedding colors and place them in decorated cages and then place a star under one persons plate and that person gets to take the "centerpiece" home with them.

Using animals of any kind as centerpieces is beyond dumb and cruel.  Whoever began this trend should be shot.

SparrowSong

Messy, a pain to set up and dismantle, and yes, selfish and exploitive of a living creature. Basicially a bad idea all the way around. 

QueerFemme

Agree with all of the previous posters.  Do not use live animals as a prop.  It doesn't matter if your brother agreed to take them all home after the wedding.  If he wants a fish tank, he can go get one, or you can buy one for him for his birthday.

it's cruel to the fish, it's ugly, it stinks, it's tacky, and it makes you looks like you are trying way to hard to be "cool".  Just use the flowers and leave the fish where they belong.

Emabug112

I personally have been thinking about using a few betta's in my centerpieces.  I plan on using tall 20" vases with a sting of orchids in the water.  I then am hoping to have a betta in some of the centerpieces as an accent.  I hear the crys of animal abuse, but I have worked in theater productions where animals were used and if taken care properly and a home is established for the animal before they are purchsed and used I see no harm in using them.  Do realize though that you at the end of the day will be responsibel for each and everyone of those fish.  So if you have 20 centerpeices you better have 20 bowls at home ready to house them.  My Finace and I have talked about it and we thought we might set up a shelf with cubbyholes and stick differnt jars to hold the fish in and light it up with neat lights.  Then we would have a memento from the wedding to look at afterwords.  Besides I think using them as a centrepeice and then setting up our shelves with the dispaly is a WHOLE lot better than sitting in a cup at the pet store. 

QueerFemme

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_fish-1?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:5Discussion:76f5bbd0-b00f-445f-be31-137bd6872ad8Post:e45d6935-b46d-4656-b37d-1b39f0a928e0">Re: fish!!!</a>:
[QUOTE]I     Then we would have a memento from the wedding to look at afterwords.  Besides I think using them as a centrepeice and then setting up our shelves with the dispaly is a WHOLE lot better than sitting in a cup at the pet store. 
Posted by Emabug112[/QUOTE]


The theory that they are better off in your home than sitting in a cup at the pet store isn't accurate.  When you buy 20 of them, you are furthering the demand... and guess what, they just breed and sell MORE of them.   Every time we buy something...  we give an indication to the market that there is a demand for that item. 

If they were sitting on a shelf at the pet store, it would reduce the demand for that fish by 20.  When 100 brides realize this is a horrible idea, it reduces the demand by 2,000. 

It's the same as buying a puppy from a petstore, when you KNOW it came from a puppy mill.   You'd love to get that poor puppy out of the cage at the petstore, but every one you buy means that the puppy mill will continue to operate.

Just say NO to live animals as decoration.

Maggie0829

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_fish-1?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:5Discussion:76f5bbd0-b00f-445f-be31-137bd6872ad8Post:e45d6935-b46d-4656-b37d-1b39f0a928e0">Re: fish!!!</a>:
[QUOTE]I personally have been thinking about using a few betta's in my centerpieces.  I plan on using tall 20" vases with a sting of orchids in the water.  I then am hoping to have a betta in some of the centerpieces as an accent.  I hear the crys of animal abuse, but I have worked in theater productions where animals were used and if taken care properly and a home is established for the animal before they are purchsed and used I see no harm in using them.  Do realize though that you at the end of the day will be responsibel for each and everyone of those fish.  So if you have 20 centerpeices you better have 20 bowls at home ready to house them.  My Finace and I have talked about it and we thought we might set up a shelf with cubbyholes and stick differnt jars to hold the fish in and light it up with neat lights.  Then we would have a memento from the wedding to look at afterwords.  Besides I think using them as a centrepeice and then setting up our shelves with the dispaly is a WHOLE lot better than sitting in a cup at the pet store. 
Posted by Emabug112[/QUOTE]

That is great you have a such a proactive plan set for the fish, BUT, this will not stop the fish pooping in the middle of dinner in front of your guests.  Would you like it if you were in the middle of a tasty meal only to look up and see a fish leave a large sh*t?  Pretty sure that would ruin anyone's appetite.  That is unless you have a proactive plan to stop the fish from having a bowel movement during yoru wedding.

harpsdesire

IF you are experinced in taking care of fish and know the care requirements, and they don't have too far to travel to the reception location, and they won't be too close to candles or drafts, and you won't be having very loud music or children tapping on the glass (since stress is all it takes for a little tropical fish to kick the bucket).... then they will probably live through the night.

It's still not a good idea either for the fish, the guests who don't want to look at something pooping during dinner, or you (since it's pretty much the MOST high maintenince centerpeice you can have).


If you like the idea of something pretty, colorful and 'alive' on the table (without death or poo), consider this ROBOT butterfly in a jar.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003YUOP0O/ref=asc_df_B003YUOP0O1982771?smid=AR8XJJ19SNPNX&tag=dealtmp698750-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395129&creativeASIN=B003YUOP0O

Here's a video of one in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVHTZDgzVao

What's not awesome about that???

WildMagelet

I posted about something similar when I joined TK.  It thought it sounded awesome, would fit into my theme (of the day) and pretty and all sorts of rainbows&unicorns.  Then I read horror stories and after researching into it a lot more I learned there was no way I could use goldfish as props for my wedding without stressing them out and having them in toxic water conditions.

If you're interested in having fish as decor for your wedding, considering utilizing a garden with a koi pond or an aquarium for your venue.

jesslynn1012

This is a topic that gets people on here really fired up... I don't have a personal opinion one way or the other... but 7 or so years ago, my cousin got married and alternated sand castles and goldfish bowls as her centerpieces and they looked fantastic.  And the fish lived for YEARS after the wedding.  I don't remember any smell or fish pooping being an issue, but I've been to ALOT of weddings since and pretty much all the weddings start to blend after a while.  If you decide to do the fish, you'd probably be best not to discuss it here:)

redheadtmk

I have also been to a wedding with goldfish in vases with flowers. They all lived. Everyone oohed and ahhed at first and then talked to each other. If they crapped nobody noticed because they were socializing, moving around, dancing etc. There was no smell either.
I dont really care one way or another if people use fish or not but it does bug me when people argue against using them with "animals are not props or decorations"  I cant think of a better discription of what fish are when they are sitting at home in your aquarium. Not saying you should do them for centerpieces...just that that is a stupid argument against it.

rdennis1211

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_fish-1?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:76f5bbd0-b00f-445f-be31-137bd6872ad8Post:708a7ff7-cb33-4f89-b574-eb7577cb23f0">Re: fish!!!</a>:
[QUOTE]I have also been to a wedding with goldfish in vases with flowers. They all lived. Everyone oohed and ahhed at first and then talked to each other. If they crapped nobody noticed because they were socializing, moving around, dancing etc. There was no smell either. I dont really care one way or another if people use fish or not but <strong>it does bug me when people argue against using them with "animals are not props or decorations"  I cant think of a better discription of what fish are when they are sitting at home in your aquarium. Not saying you should do them for centerpieces...just that that is a stupid argument against it.</strong>
Posted by redheadtmk[/QUOTE]

<div>agreed 100%</div>

cdeziel38

Wow...all she asked for was some advice  and she got a lot of hateful responses. Apparently there are a lot of angry people out there. We understand animal rights ok- but that's not what she was asking about! If done well I think fish would be cute- maybe consider them in fish bowls on the high boy tables during cocktail hour instead of the centerpieces on you reception tables...?

Future Mrs. Lindstrom

Maybe you could put cute small fish bowls full of godlfish crackers so you still incorporate your "fish" idea and it gives your guests something to munch on!

sparent2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_fish-1?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:76f5bbd0-b00f-445f-be31-137bd6872ad8Post:708a7ff7-cb33-4f89-b574-eb7577cb23f0">Re: fish!!!</a>:
[QUOTE]I have also been to a wedding with goldfish in vases with flowers. They all lived. Everyone oohed and ahhed at first and then talked to each other. If they crapped nobody noticed because they were socializing, moving around, dancing etc. There was no smell either. I dont really care one way or another if people use fish or not but<strong> it does bug me when people argue against using them with "animals are not props or decorations"  I cant think of a better discription of what fish are when they are sitting at home in your aquarium. Not saying you should do them for centerpieces...just that that is a stupid argument against it.</strong>
Posted by redheadtmk[/QUOTE]

I'm sorry last I check animals in your home are pets not props. I didn't buy fish to decorate my home. Your argument is stupid.

Fish- goldfish, bettas, tropical fish require special care. Is it to fucking hard to get that through your head? You don't just dump goldifsh into a bowl and say well that's good enough. No you need a tank, with a pump to ciruclate the water which needs to be at specific PH levels in a ocntrolled environement. A vase with some pebbles and a plant is not going to cut it. When you go into the pet store do they just have fish sitting around in bowls? Uh no-  It is called being responsible.

Be responsible for an ANIMAL that you purchase and properly care for it. Again using fish as a prop for your wedding makes YOU look like an irresponsible ASSHOLE.

tatersparkle

wow this is a little on the ridiculous side...I am an active animal lover as well, but fish swim and fish eat and fish poop and as long as it's a comfortable temperature outside or wherever you're doing the reception, I don't see what the big deal is. I mean it would be no different than having a fish in a bowl in your house. And as long as she has someone willing to take them home and take care of them...not a big deal. I agree that if it was going to be hot and they would defintely boil and die, then yeah, I would say that would be wrong. But if they are going to be taken care of and you want to do the fish...do it! 

redheadtmk

Just because you take very good care of your fish in your fancy aquarium does not mean they are not props and decoration. they are there to look at not interact with.

SCogs18

[QUOTE]I'd be no less horrified than if you had vivisected a kitten and laid it out in the middle of the table.  It's horrible and disgusting.
Posted by ceh789[/QUOTE]

Really?!  You think a live fish is just as bad as a VIVISECTED  KITTEN at the dinner table?  Come on!  That is more than a little dramatic!  A fish swimming in a bowl is not even close to the same as a kitten that has been filleted as a centerpiece.

I'm not saying the fish idea is a good one, but geez people!  Relax!

musicalcanadianbride

I went to a wedding where they had Beta fish in the centrepieces. I though it looked ridiculous, but I did end up with a "pet" for a year that I enjoyed having in my home. And the little guy survived the drive home from the wedding, the drive back to my city, and a move a year later, so I think they're pretty hardy. 

mickey46902

I have to say I considered the same thing. I am having my wedding/reception right next to a pond where I had planned to let them live happily ever after lol. People on here are crazy and really need to learn whats important in life. I got my head bitten off about a simple question I had asked as well. I say do it :-) Kids love looking at fish, people enjoy watching them and you have someone wanting to care for them when you are done. Who gives a crap what anyone else thinks. My opinion, I am making decisions on things that I like...not things that others like. Yes, they are my guests and they should feel comfortable, but at the end of the night...it was MY DAY that I will never do again. If you want to use fish or puppies or spiders or whatever, go for it! Activists sometimes have nothing better to do than to look for the smallest thing to complain about. Make yourself happy because this is supposed to be one of the happiest days of your life :-)!

stefaniewattie

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_fish-1?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:5Discussion:76f5bbd0-b00f-445f-be31-137bd6872ad8Post:ce79ace1-da6f-4e83-96e6-0ac620f565c4">Re: fish!!!</a>:
[QUOTE]I have to say I considered the same thing. I am having my wedding/reception right next to a pond where I had planned to let them live happily ever after lol. People on here are crazy and really need to learn whats important in life. I got my head bitten off about a simple question I had asked as well. I say do it :-) Kids love looking at fish, people enjoy watching them and you have someone wanting to care for them when you are done. Who gives a crap what anyone else thinks. My opinion, I am making decisions on things that I like...not things that others like. Yes, they are my guests and they should feel comfortable, but at the end of the night...it was MY DAY that I will never do again. If you want to use fish or puppies or spiders or whatever, go for it! Activists sometimes have nothing better to do than to look for the smallest thing to complain about. Make yourself happy because this is supposed to be one of the happiest days of your life :-)!
Posted by mickey46902[/QUOTE]

wow..just wow. how dare you think that your DAY, one DAY! is more important than the life of an animal..a living, breathing thing..
I am NOT an activist..but lady, you need to give your head a shake, you clearly do not have things in perspective.