Most brides spend a great deal of time and energy searching for their perfect gown for the big day. The dress is one of the most important aspects of the wedding and is the stuff of dreams for most girls. All the more incredible, then, that a new style of photography has emerged from America called “Trash the Dress” or “Rock the Frock”. Here brides are pictured wearing their finery but in unusual locations where the dress is likely to get ruined or is actually deliberately destroyed.

Photography

There is no doubt that this new trend produces the most stunning and unusual images. Brides are pictured in ruined buildings, walking through woods, lying in open fields and throwing themselves into the water.  The juxtaposition of the formal attire with industrial settings is a striking one and if you are looking for memorable images this could be your solution. I have even heard stories and seen pictures of brides being set on fire and wanting to have paint thrown at them! The photography may be stunning but would you want to do it?

The Dress

Wedding dresses are a huge investment but sadly most are not worth a great deal after you have worn them and can be difficult to sell so there would be little financial impact to trashing your dress. It is only if you are dead set on keeping your gown as a memento that you might run into trouble. In practice many of the gowns are not actually trashed anyway as they can be cleaned after the adventure, especially if you are simply taking the plunge into the sea.

The reception

The big obstacle to rocking your frock is the wedding reception. If you are having a formal wedding with all the trimmings then it probably isn’t a great idea to throw yourself into the local reservoir before taking your seat at the table! Looking like a drowned rat or arriving caked in mud is not great for the occasion and so trashing your dress would have to be done later in the evening. The practice is best suited to weddings abroad where there are few, if any, guests and no proper reception afterwards. If you are having a formal wedding and you still want to go for it then you will need an alternate gown to change into.

Preparation

Rocking your frock requires some planning if you are going to get the best out of the experience. You will need to find a photographer who is skilled at capturing the event and have a suitable change of clothes with you. Discuss the best time of day to capture the images you are looking for and book your ceremony to fit in with the timing. Make sure you remove other valuables like your jewellery and timepiece before you get started as the idea is to trash the dress, not everything you own.

Dress trashing can be great fun, quite liberating and produces stunning pictures of your occasion but you must be sure that you don’t mind ruining your gown. Many brides become very attached to their dress and so make sure you are not one of them before you ruin it forever!

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Article by Sally Stacey