Wore It. Loved It. Now Trash It.
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Monday, February 22nd 
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“Trash the Dress” photographs are a fun way to bring a whole new life to your dress after your wedding day. Your wedding photographer may offer this as part of your original package or offer a secondary option to do a dress-trashing photo shoot later on.
There’s an entire movement devoted to these kinds of photos. Websites like Trash the Dress showcase photographers who spend their free time covering brides in dirt or burying them in the sand among other novel ideas in adventure wedding photography. There’s a Flickr group where brides and their photographers can post their pictures for all the internet to see.
This isn’t just stateside, it’s global. All over Europe, Australia, and other parts of the world, brides are volunteering to explore new and different ideas in the world of bridal portraits.
For many Trash sessions (on horseback, up a hiking trail), your dress could easily go to the dry cleaners and wipe away all traces of the escapades it has been on. But now trash the dress is becoming extreme trash the dress! Gone are the days of simply throwing brides in a pool or playing in the ocean. And forget about frolicking in the mud or the rain.
Some of these girls are doing things like… Scuba diving! Skydiving! Even setting themselves on fire! While that’s a bit over the top, there are other creative options out there.
Crafty? Love DIY? Could you make a piece of art out of it somehow? You could attack your dress with scissors and razor blades. Or gold paint. Take the dress and repurpose it—curtains, napkins, a tablecloth, a frilly apron, a new dress. Planning to have children? Make a christening gown.
My favorite idea for trashing dresses actually came out of a great bachelorette party idea. These girls dressed up in their ugliest bridesmaid dresses and, armed with goggles and guns, went paintballing. I can only imagine how incredible images of a brave bride in her paint speckled gown would look.
Finally, as a planner, I’m always fond of reminding my clients how important it is to stay true to their selves. If you’re playful like me, perhaps the simple idea of planting your photographer at the bottom of a hill and then rolling down in your dress—picking up grass stains along the way—(and then making a day of it at the playground) is exactly your speed. Maybe you’ll be the girl to turn dress trashing on its head and pose inside a glass case like a beautiful tulle-clad museum piece. In this, as all things wedding, please don’t forget to have fun!
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Author information:
Nina Barry
Cori Cook
Lockerpartners
Julie Sandusky
Leah M. Charney
Katelyn Simkins
Continental "Divine"
Danny de Zayas
Lots of great suggestions here, Leah!
I can say that, as a photographer, trash the dress shoots are always such a blast because it is such a perfect opportunity for couples to really let loose and show their personalities. The juxtaposition between the formal attire and getting down and dirty is guaranteed to produce some amazing images.
Besides, who wants to relegate their wedding dress to some forgotten corner of the closet?
Fun idea! Maybe I’ll wait until my kiddo is just a little older and do a photo shoot where I let him loose with some cans of paint
Can I do this three years later? I want a new wedding dress too (: Great post. Wish I had known about this when I got married! So fun!
I think these are fun ideas! Another way to be done with your dresses, bridesmaid or bridal, and men’s wedding attire is LUPEC’s Prom Redux party.