'Trash the Dress' August 2009

For the past couple of years 'Trash the Dress' has been all the rage in the USA and it is now getting a foothold over here. Trying to get brides to sign up for a session without first seeing any images has been a bit of a struggle. Finally however, I managed to coax a friend into volunteering as a model in her wedding dress for me, her daughter wanted to come along so we decided to put her in a bridesmaids dress along with my own daughter and whilst we were all going we might as well bring my sister along in her bridesmaid dress.

So one sunny Friday morning at the beginning of August found the five of us parking up in the countryside. We pulled up on the car park at the same time as a group of 20 ramblers going out in all their walking boots etc and here we were climbing out of the car with a bride and three bridesmaids! They thought we were mad.

Hitching Charlies' dress up we squeezed our way through the gateway and into the hills - country gates aren't made for big wedding dresses! Ilona had on her stunning walking boots under her bridesmaids dress whilst the girls, forgetting to bring their trainers, had to contend with walking along rough pathways with wedding sandals on!

Starting at the small footbridge across the stream we began with some pics of them with the hills and sheep in the background. Everyone was a little nervous to start with but after the first few pictures were over they soon began to relax and really get into the swing of things.

We walked along the stream following it up into the hills and getting pictures of the girls paddling in the edge of the water and sitting on fallen trees etc. Charlie was great! We decided that there would be a fantasic view from the top of an outcrop of rocks so kicking off her shoes (sorry, flip flops) she scrambled, in her wedding dress, up this steep hill that even I was struggling to get up in normal clothes. The effort was worth it though and we got some great shots of her overlooking the whole of the area. Whilst up there balancing precariously on the edge of the cliff a man out walking stopped to ask if he could take a picture of Charlie as his wife didn't believe him when he told her there was a bride up here.

Amazingly I didn't slide down the hill on my behind when we made our way back down to where Ilona, Kiera and Jess were all waiting for us. Again a little scramble down a couple of rocks found us back on the banks of the stream and it is here that we got some of the best pics of the day. Up until now the dresses were all relatively clean and dry, but that was soon to change! This is the part of the shoot where, with no persuassion at all, Charlie got into the stream in her dress and sat down. It wasn't long before Kiera and Jess were asking if they could have a go too!

Half an hour or so later it was time to leave and whilst the girls climbed out and dryed their feet Charlie made her way back across the stream. That was when we heard the splash!

I think everyone had a great time that day and I got some fantastic pictures for my portfolio. I can't thank the girls enough for volunteering to be my guinea pigs for the day and hope the pictures bring back the fun they all had. Kiera and Jess are already asking when they can do it again!

If you think you'd like to have a go at a 'Trash the Dress' session please get in touch, if I have done your wedding the session is free!

PS They are great for prom dresses too!