Trash your wedding dress??? (really?)

I think there are so many people and/or organizations that wedding dresses can go to that trashing it should not even be an option. I am a huge proponent of recycling, donating, or selling it. You can even rent it out and make money that way. As long as it is not damaged beyond repair, I say put it to good use.

The trash the dress sessions are a new thing that some brides love, but definitely not the majority. The name of the session can be a little misleading. The original intention of these shoots was to give the bride (and groom if he wanted to) to go out and do a portrait session without so much worry of getting the gown dirty for a later ceremony. Brides will go to places like city streets, forests, anything and everything, not necessarily ending in the total destruction of the gown. I did a shoot like this recently, and the gown is a bit dirty, but not completely destroyed. The bride is going to cut up the gown to make some different things out of it as gifts for certain people, and even framing a swatch of it for her album.

Every bride is different, just as is every ceremony and approach. If it makes you happy, have fun and be comfortable with any choice. Personally, I love the sessions. I did one myself, and love the work I got out of it.

I think it's a great idea if you're also going to get the gown cleaned and then donate it after the wedding. Why not use it one last time to get some cool photos of you having fun in the gown?

I don't think I'd ever pay money to a photographer to do this in a separate session, but my hubby and I have some informal portraits from our wedding day and they are some of our favorite photos.

As a photographer with experience in dress "trashing," I agree with Dawn's comment (and clarification)! The studies show that only 4% of women use their mother's dress on their wedding day but still 26% (of these same women) say they plan on keeping their gown for their daughter. The reality is, you're not going to ever wear your gown (publically) again. Give it a last "hoorah" before you preserve it or (better yet) donate it.

If you're still not convinced but still intrigued by the idea, consider "trashing" a different gown just for the sake of awesome pictures that all your friends will drool over! Have fun!

These sessions are really meant for brides who want to do some very artsy images they otherwise wouldn't normally do. For most photographers, they're not simply candid images of you destroying your ground. They're planned out portraits with a very artistic flair in most cases. To give you a better idea, here's one of the main websites that can give you a much better idea of what "Trash the Dress" sessions were originally meant to be: http://trashthedress.wordpress.com/

Even though it's called "trashing", that's not usually what goes on. Like most everyone else said, it's about getting some artsy images and just having fun. You don't HAVE to wade through mud or jump off a pier, but just think how much fun you would have if you weren't worrying about ruining your dress for some fun shots -- and usually it can be cleaned, anyway, before you preserve or donate it!

Rock On! If you love artistic and one of a kind things you will love the images from a "Trash the Dress" session. And as most other commentors have said, mud comes out with a professional cleaning!

One of the sexiest and most romantic bridal photographs I had ever seen were done during a trash your dress session. The photographer was Photography by Kristie and they did a beach session in San Diego, CA. The photographs looked liked they belonged on a romance novel they were so gorgeous and romantic. If I were to get married again myself I would want to do the same thing. She still has 1 of the pictures on her website. It is http://www.photographybykristie.com it is the first picture in her portfolio. I don't know how long it will be there.

Although we offer wedding gown cleaning and preservation, we realize that some brides want to sell or donate their gowns.

For a list of resources to sell or donate your gown, please see our 'advice' section of our storefront on WeddingWire. Resources are listed at the end of 'Tips for Cleaning and Preserving Your Wedding Gown'. If you decide to sell your dress, you will likely need to get it cleaned.

Trashing your dress can be as little or as much as you like. Some girls truly choose to ruin it beyond repair and others just aren't afraid to get a bit of dirt on it.

The truth is that after the wedding most women do not use their dress again. You probably slaved over picking just the right one so why not have fun with it and be a model for a day. Ask your hubby to go along in black slacks a nice shirt and tie and you can get some romantic images to die for.

If you still want to keep the dress after the session talk with your photographer about locations where it may get wet or dirty but most likely nothing a good cleaning won't take out. Have fun and Trash it if you Dare!

Definitely my favorite way to end a wedding.

I have shot several Trash The Dress sessions, and what I've found it's perfect for brides who have a particular location where they would like thier portraits done, but are afraid of getting their dress dirty on their wedding day. Also, it helps the brides I've worked with feel all the money they spent on their dress is justifies, because they get to wear it for more than one day. It's a whole lot of fun, you get some amazing photographs, and in most cases, the dress is fine after dry cleaning.

I haven't had the time to put up a lot of my work lately, but here's a link to my favorite shot from my last Trash the Dress session:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/perezsisters/2052880556/

I agree 100% with Tracy - it's a great way to end a wedding!

As others have already said, "trash" the dress is a bit misleading. But it certainly gets your attention, doesn't it? LOL

A few photographers I know prefer to call them "Fearless Bridals" because it's not about destroying the wedding dress at all. But the brides are ready and willing to get down and dirty if need be.

I've seen some beautiful Fearless Bridal photos done in the water, etc. and I think they are just phenomenal. But I realize these sessions aren't for everyone. It's a personal taste sort of thing. I happen to think they are a lot of fun, though, and agree that you can always substitute another dress for the occasion if you're worried about your wedding dress.

I personally would never do that! i love my dress!!!

I'm actually really excited because this summer I am pulling my dress out of storage and doing my own trash the dress session. I won't be in marshy swamps or fields of dirt, but I will be going to unique locations. It'll be so much fun!