Milan, Italy: Venice officials want to take one ingredient out of a romantic Venetian wedding: Rice, to celebrate the newlyweds.

Rice, traditionally thrown to wish newlyweds prosperity and fertility, has the unwanted side-effect of nourishing the city's pigeons.

Mayor Massimo Cacciari is considering the ban as part of efforts to reduce the pigeon population, which is damaging monuments and spreading filth in the famed piazzas, officials said Monday. Officials estimate that about 40,000 pigeons live in the 2.5 square miles (6.4 square kilometers) that make up Venice's historic center.

Efforts to control the population by introducing contraceptives into the food chain have had little effect.

Officials also want to ban the sale of pigeon feed in St. Mark's Square, but have run up against resistance from the city-licensed sellers.