To Dirty the Dress or Not?

What do you do with a big fluffy white dress, a handsome new bridegroom and a little bit of a creative streak? If you’re like some fearless brides, you might consider a post-wedding “trash the dress” photo shoot. The edgy trend involves your wedding photographer taking creative photos of you in your wedding gown, which usually results in your dress getting dirty or destroyed. Of course, you’ll want to make sure to take these photos after the wedding.

A “trash the dress” post-wedding shoot is a great way to get memorable photos of you in your dress! The possibilities are limitless if you’re daring enough — you can run through the mud, lie in the sand, climb a tree, swim in the water or even have you and your new husband throw paint at each other — all in the quest to create one-of-a-kind photos.

Of course, many brides choose to keep their dresses forever, so ruining your dress may not be for you. We spoke with a few local photographers about their take on this trend.

• Warren McCormack, a Cary photographer, suggests that if you really want to do a “trash the dress” session without having to ruin your bridal gown, then buy an inexpensive replacement dress ($100 or less) just for the photography session. That way, you can destroy the dress but not feel bad about doing it. McCormack also recommends getting your groom to participate in the photo shoot with you (of course, he’ll have to buy a cheap suit too). This way, you’ll also have the option of doing the “trash the dress” photo shoot either before or after your wedding, since you won’t need your actual wedding attire during the shoot.
• Raleigh photographer Neil Boyd says he enjoys trash the dress sessions because they allow him to be creative without worrying about ruining the dress. He believes brides can have a lot more fun without having to constantly worry about their dress. However, “Although it is called trash the dress we don’t always trash the dress,” he said. “The brides who do not have any desire to preserve and store their dress may do this, but some just wanted a shoot that is less traditional and fun. Most brides that we deal still want to do something with water or mud. Photos with horses are a great after wedding shoot! Another post-wedding shoot idea that is good fun is rolling around in the surf at the beach, and this makes for very romantic photography.”
• Brian Mullins, a Raleigh photographer, leans away from “trash the dress” sessions and instead recommends more formal couple portraits, which can be done at the bride and groom’s convenience either immediately after the wedding or even months later. Mullins says that you can still get creative with these portraits without ruining your dress, including a photo shoot at the beach, mountains, gardens, etc. … the possibilities are endless!
• If you want something a little simpler, choose a location that has special meaning to you and your husband or fiancé, such as where you had your first date or kiss or where he proposed. You can wear whatever you want, and you can also do this whenever you want. Capture the place where special moments between you and your fiancé happened. As local photographer Christobal Perez of Azul Photography says, “Moments are forever and timeless; trends fade away like acid-wash jeans. We say to brides, ‘Be yourself, be your own trend and great moments will naturally occur.’”

You can meet Warren, Brian and Christobal at the 2012 Cary Magazine Elegant Weddings Gala on Thursday, March 8, from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m at the Angus Barn Pavilion.

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