You've searched the whole world over and invested several nerve-wracking hours in finding your perfect wedding dress. If you are like most women, it is the single most expensive garment of clothing you will ever own. And now that your wedding is over, you want to protect your investment by having your wedding gown professionally cleaned and stored. Right?
Maybe not. Rather that packing them up, brides are now sporting their gowns after the wedding for "trash the dress" photo shoots that often have recent bride's looking like they've danced right off the pages of Vogue.
TrashtheDress.com explains the phenomenon:
You've made a commitment to your husband. He's your one and only true love, right? Then you'll never need the dress again. And no, your daughter won't wear it in 20-30 years. So you have two choices:
1) Suffocate it in plastic and throw it in a closet
2) Show your husband how committed you are by trashing the dress, and get some great fun pictures while you do it!
Think about it. You've spent a fortune on a dress you only wore for a few hours, and you've already got your posed, pristine, traditional shots. These shots are for the bride who's ready to peel away that layer of reserve and throw caution to the wind.
"The focus is on the bride, not the dress" says New Orleans-based photographer Mark Eric, who helped launch the trend and TrashTheDress.com. "It's really about creative photography that reflects the bride's personality. Because the ceremony is over and they're relaxed, the point is to have a fun photo shoot. Sometimes the husbands get involved and they'll do something romantic, too, like roll around in the sand, but it's all about having fun." And though the term sounds a bit alarming, "it's about creation, not destruction" says Eric.
There is no shortage of brave newlyweds anxious to jump right in and express themselves in unconventional settings. Some photographers say that up to half of their inquiries are about TTD shoots. Most of the excitement about the trend comes from online forums - photo blogs, brides sharing their experiences and session videos that photographers put on their sites. And different photography associations, like the Wedding Photo Journalists Association, even have Trash the Dress contests.
Personally, I love the idea! I think the images are very romantic and they amplify the true personalities of newlyweds in ways typical wedding sessions can't. I'm not saying that traditional is bad - I love those shots too! I just think that it's fantastic to have the best of both worlds at your fingertips!
One word of advice before you get trashed: Get approval from the MOB!
