New Year’s Resolution: Do Something with That Wedding Dress! aka Trash the Dress

Is one of your New Year’s Resolutions to actually do something with that old wedding dress of yours? You didn’t actually think it would be in style for your daughter 25 years from now did you? Why not wear it? Today we’ll examine the world of Trash the Dress. That’s the trend of hiring a pro photographer or videographer for a creative portrait session modeling your dress.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to actually trash the dress. But you might actually have some fun wearing it around town, on the back of a motorcycle, or walking through the woods. My dress got kind of trashed at my wedding, something about drunken barefoot dancing. Don’t worry, it all came clean at the dry cleaners.

Photographer Carlos Benjamin says,”what are you realistically going to ever do with that dress again? Not many girls wear their mom’s out of fashion dress (or you wouldn’t see so many bridal shops around). The huge majority of dresses just sit in a bag forever. Many photographers and brides feel like this once in a lifetime expense can be put to great use to create art.

It gives you a chance to get all glamorous again without all the pressure of keeping the gown clean, in fact it’s a riot to see what brides want to do with a dress they don’t have to worry about and how much fun they have getting it dirty. In some extreme cases they shred the dress or paint it or even set it on fire!”

Photographer David George says, “I did a Trash the Dress session a few months ago. To me it isn’t so much about destroying the dress as it is placing the dress in a place where a “wedding dress” doesn’t belong. Ex: railroad tracks, playground, water, etc.

walking through the park one day...

Let’s take a look at Lindsey Farina-Bowlin’s Trash the Dress.  In this shot, she had exactly one chance to capture the moment.

Lindsey says, “I snapped it while she was about to fall back into the water.” What a fantastic opportunity at that once in a lifetime shot!

Photographer Gwen Corse-Tundermann adds, “Our favorite Trash The Dress session so far was in Key West this past summer:

She continues, “Trash the Dress sessions are not for every bride. I love the idea of a photo session with a bride in her dress in an unconventional location, but the dress doesn’t necessarily have to be ruined. Most brides know they will be spending hundreds of dollars to have the dress cleaned and preserved, so they just want to get a little more life out of it before it goes into a box.”

Gina DeConti’s bride actually wanted to do a trash the dress before the wedding and show the photos as a slideshow at the wedding. These gorgeous photos were shot at Millennium Park in Chicago. How’s that for brave?

April Wilson of Prêt a Poser Photography offers her couples “Wedding Dress Foreplay.” They hold photo sessions in unusual locations before the ceremony.This daring couple posed in the cool waters of Lake Michigan.

Your Trash the Dress selections are not limited to photos. Joshua Smith, of Cinematic Bride, captures Trash the Dress in stunning video:

Of course, the go-to place for all things TTD, is www.trashthedress.com. That is an entire site dedicated to the art of Trash the Dress.

Whatever you choose to do with your dress, sell it on Ebay, store in the closet, or cut it up for a baptism gown, try to find a way to cherish your memories of the gown beyond the wedding day. Contact your photographer or videographer for creative new ways re-live your wedding memories.