Vancouver Brides Pick Up on Trashing the Dress Fad

January 27, 2008 |

Would you trash your wedding dress? (Photo by Julia Pelish)

You’ve probably heard of the trend. It started less than two years ago in Las Vegas and spread quickly to New Orleans and California then across the U.S.

Now, it’s here, in Vancouver. The first time I spoke to a BC bride who wanted to “trash the dress” after the ceremony was last summer. She’s booked for this August and we’ll see if she — or any of my other clients go through with it — or if the trend has already turned passé.

I’m all for out-of-the-box photos, and certainly capturing the image of a bride as she strides into the ocean would make for an amazing moment. But of course that’s not something the photographer is going to push hard for. Trashing the dress has to be an act the bride is completely into and excited about for it to work out. The possibilities are boundless, though.

Imagine the photos if you waded slowly into the waters off of Second Beach or danced in the fountain outside of the Pan Pacific or made snow angels on top of Grouse Mountain. That’s the way to start the rest of your life!

Some facts about the “Trash the Dress” trend that you might like to know:

John Michael Cooper, the Las Vegas photographer who coined the phrase, did it as part of his “anti-bridal” sessions.
Mark Eric of New Orleans took the fad a step further by starting the website trashthedress.com and popularizing the concept.
The latest take on the trend occurred recently when teenagers in Camarillo, California started to “Trash the Prom Dress”.