Trash the Dress

I was reading the Sunday New York Times and right after the wedding announcements, there was an article showing images of brides being photographed in their wedding dress in some situation that totally ruins it. (Think Ophelia in a pool of water!)

To quote the article's caption, “Bridesmaids have had a hostile relationship with dresses for years. Now brides are acting the same way.” See nytimes.com/weddings for a slide show of brides ruining their dresses for a photo op. Apparently, in 2005, a Las Vegas wedding photographer named John Michael Cooper, started the trend called "Trash the Dress" and other photographers have started taking these pictures, too.

Now, as a photographer, I used to amuse myself at weddings by shooting a series called “The Party’s Over "– shots of the aftermath of the wedding. It kept me focused, as frankly, towards the end of the wedding, there wasn't so much to shoot and this kept me on my toes.

So I can see the interest in creating images about the dress. After all, most photographers take a still life of the dress beforehand- it's kind of an interesting idea as an end shot, too. The photos can also be an amusing artistic challenge for any photographer to take. One of the brides is quoted as saying that because she had no plans to wear the dress again, despite paying $2500 for it, why not ?


On the other hand, and I don’t want to sound judgmental here because it’s up to the bride to do whatever she wants with her dress, but please be aware that there are other options, too. You can donate wedding dresses to charities so other people who can’t afford an expensive dress can have a great dress to wear, too. Check out our Charitable Weddings section to get some ideas where you can donate your dress.

I’d love to hear from some other photographers to see if you do your own fine art photography project at weddings, too. Maybe you can post some of your images here!

On a different note, we’ve just started our Promotions section of The Wedding Picture. Visage Studio, one of the best makeup studios in the country, is offering the amazing Chinese Tea Eye gel for brides who spend over $99. One of my favorite photographers, Lyn Hughes is offering two 5 x 7 prints to anyone who books their wedding with her. (These are Lyn's photos on this blog - aren't they great!) And Dr. Jacques Jospitre, the founder of Wealth Therapy, is offering a free consultation to The Wedding Picture readers. Wealth Therapy is a great way for newlyweds and photographers to modify their thinking around money!

Keep posted for new offers. If you’re interested in offering brides, grooms, photographers and others who service the wedding
industry any great deals or promotions, please email us at
info@theweddingpicture.biz.

All photos copyright Lyn Hughes Photography. All rights reserved.