1. How many butterflies should I order?

The general recommendation is to have one butterfly for every family member, but some families like to have extras for friends as well. The typical order for Memorial Butterflies is 3 – 5 dozen.

2. When do I need to place my order?

You can place your order anytime you want, but in a general sense, the earlier the better. In order to be able to accommodate the unique timing needs for Memorial Services, we always try to have enough on hand for your last minute needs.

3. How do I plan the Shipping / Arrival date?

The shipping date is generally scheduled to be two days before the event. The butterflies are shipped Fedex Overnight, allowing for the box to arrive at your destination the day before the event. (If you are planning on a Sunday event, please note that you, the customer, will need to verify that Fedex makes Saturday deliveries at your destination.) If you wish, you can arrange for the butterflies to be shipped to the Funeral Home where the service will be held.

4. How are the butterflies packaged?

Each butterfly is first packaged in an individual release box. All the individual release boxes are then placed in an insulated cardboard box, with a frozen cool pack. This allows the butterflies to be shipped safely overnight without the danger of getting too warm.

5) How are they shipped?

Each package of butterflies is shipped Fedex, Standard Overnight. The boxes generally will arrive in the morning at most addresses, but in rural areas, they could arrive anytime up to 5 pm. After the shipment, we email the Fedex tracking information so that the recipient can know when to expect delivery.

6) How do I take care of the butterflies after they arrive?

Once the box arrives, all you have to do is place the box in a cool place, out of direct sunlight. They will keep just fine, in their “cooled, inanimate” state until the following day. If the butterflies are shipped to the Funeral Home, they can do this for you.

7) Do you guarantee live Butterflies?

Absolutely! We guarantee that you will receive live, healthy, vibrant butterflies, or your money back. When you place your order with Monarch-Hills, you can be assured you are getting the highest quality money can buy – not to mention the best price as well. Please see Our Policies, for more information regarding our guarantee.

8) How does the “release” part work?

On the day of the event, you can take the individual release boxes out of their shipping “cooler” and place them into a basket so they can start to warm up about 30 minutes prior to the event. As the family arrives, you can pass them out as you like, and ask them to wait until the appropriate prompt, (generally at the conclusion of the service). Once it is time for the “release,” the family and friends can open the boxes as assigned, and watch the beautiful display as the butterflies flutter around, sometimes landing on people and flowers.

9) What if I need to cancel or change my order?

Such occurrences are rare, but we understand that the need does arise on occasion. We do allow for cancellations or changes, but we suggest you read Our Policies, in order to be totally informed.

10) Other General Questions:

Do you provide “Mass Release Boxes?
Yes, we do. On the Products and Pricing page, you will find pictures of our mass release boxes. We have several to chose from. We also include with your order, instructions on how to transfer the butterflies into the mass release box. It’s easy to do.

How long will the butterflies stick around after they are released?
The Monarchs will typically fly around for 30 minutes or so, landing on people and flowers.

How can we get pictures?
Place some of the release boxes in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. Afterwards, you can take them out and place them on flowers, or whatever you desire, for pictures. You will have about 30 seconds to take your picture before they begin to fly away.