Wedding Inspiration - Trash the Dress

Are you considering Trashing your wedding dress? 

Or perhaps you’re just intrigued by the whole concept of rocking your frock, drowning your gown (honestly!) or “fearless bridal” photography. Trash the Dress isn’t only for wedding dresses: I’ve seen photoshoots of prom dresses and ballgowns being ‘trashed’ too. Many photographers all over the world offer Trash the Dress – or a variation of it – as part of their portfolio.

It may be true that the original idea behind Trash the Dress was for brides to prove to their new husbands that they were done with the dress, they’d married for life and wouldn’t need it again – so they could safely trash it as a symbol of their everlasting love.

More believable is the story that many brides wanted to get creative, artistic photography and wear their wedding dress just one more time for fun! f you’ve decided you want to have some fun in your wedding dress, and play at being a model for the day, then Trash the Dress is for you. Just go prepared – know what you want and have a great time!

The golden rules of Trash the Dress:

1. Have fun! Make the most of being the centre of attention, leave your inhibitions at home and play!

2. Accessorize. Take your favourite pair of glittery red heels / pink converse / frog wellies (delete as appropriate). Love surfing? Take your board. Got a horse? Ride it. Add a hat, your sunglasses… you get the picture.

3. Choose your Trash the Dress photographer wisely. They should be experienced, know the area, set clear boundaries and listen to your ideas. They should also share their own ideas.

Will it ruin my wedding dress?

I’ve seen photographs of wedding dresses being properly trashed, as brides run into the sea, dive in mud, even one (admittedly photoshopped) fantastic picture of a bride in her wedding dress which was on fire. The pictures are striking and a wedding photographer’s dream – but in reality brides aren’t that keen on actually trashing their wedding dresses.

The majority of Trash the Dress photography shoots are quite kind to the wedding dress, and take place in interesting and unusual environments like urban landscapes and in beautiful countryside but without causing permanent damage to the dress.

Your wedding dress is more than likely to get a tiny bit dirty at the hem – but in most cases it will be ok to be cleaned. If you’re worried, discuss this with your photographer. They’ll be able to reassure you or share their previous experiences so you can decide whether trashing the dress is right for you.

Top 5 tips for your Trash the Dress photography

1. Choose a location with various aspects (e.g. a city centre with modern architecture, graffiti art and a park);

2. Take someone with you: your groom can join in if he still has his wedding suit;

3. Tell your mum! Feedback from photographers shows the mother of the bride is most likely to object to ‘trashing’ a dress!

4. Don’t be afraid to ask all kinds of questions before you book;

5. Make sure you choose an experienced Trash the Dress photographer, who understands the concept and will respect your dress!

  

Location ideas for Trash the Dress

Seaside – sandy beaches you can draw your name on, rock pools (take wellies!), driftwood, sand dunes and endless horizons make great pictures;

Countryside – forest and woodland, wheat fields in summer (ask permission), rivers and streams, lakes and hillsides;

Theme park – they might not let you on the roller coasters, but the backdrop is fun and you’ll have a great day out;

City centre – if your photographer knows the area well you’ll find a range of exciting urban landscapes to play in!

Favourite places – it’s nice to revisit favourite romantic picnic spots (why not take a vintage style picnic!) or the beach where you got engaged, your favourite UK holiday spot or somewhere that means a lot to you.