Trash The Dress Or Ttd As It's Known In The Us - Would You Dare?
Trashing the dress - doesn't bear thinking about - or does it
?! This has to be one of the most misunderstood trends to come out of America within wedding photography in recent times.
We've seen photographers touting for business on UK wedding forums such by stating such things as "Trash the Dress is your way of showing your commitment to your husband by confirming you are not going to be wearing the dress again....." We've also seen it referred to as "Drown the Gown" under the misconception that in order to do a TTD session that the bride has to get saturated - nice thought if it wasn't for the good old UK weather!
Trash the Dress or TTD as it's more often referred to was actually started as far as I'm aware by a photographer from the US by the name of John Michael Cooper whose website shows some prime examples or really radical "Trash the Dress" shoots - including one shoot where the dress was actually set on fire - don't show your mothers girls! Alt-f as he likes to refer to himself really goes that extra step to be totally off-the-wall creative and it was his picture of a bride laid in water, looking very much like Shakespeares' Orphelia - very , very beautiful but lifeless with leaves and twigs surrounding her which sparked off the whole trend. Alt-f posted the picture on a well known US based wedding photographers forum and it really snowballed from there.
There are now dedicated "Trash The Dress" websites where they tell you that it IS all about commitment to your husband and invite you to submit pictures to the website of you and your dress being trashed. The alternative they say is to "Suffocate it in plastic and throw it in a closet..." (Or as most UK brides tend to do - spend a fortune having it cleaned and then neatly packaged into an acid free box to keep it nice). Your daughter won't want to wear it in 20 - 30 years time they say - well they DO have a point there don't they?!
So, now your curiosity is aroused why not start thinking about what fun you could have in your wedding dress post wedding getting it wet or muddy or just generally having a good time NOT worrying about how it looks at the end of the day. Whilst your considering this thought then consider the amazing picture possibilities it creates - from stomping through autumn leaves in Wellington boots perhaps, to for those of you who have their own horses to being sat on the horse in the dress or maybe paddling with your groom in the sea. You are limited only by your own imagination!