Free the Dress!

I'll admit, I'm in love with the Trash-the-Dress fad that sweeping the nation. It's so artistic and passionate and sexy! I was lucky enough to have a bride request this last year, and we had so much fun in the pond outside of the Palace of Fine Arts...she looked so graceful, just like a swan! The juxtaposition of such a beatiful gown, in such irreverent and unexpected conditions has a very high-art/high-fashion vibe...a photographer's dream!

I love the idea of breathing new life into the dress, using it to it's fullest, and having incredible photos to remember it. No, not really to remember the dress....to remember how the bride looked and felt in the dress, how she held herself, how she glowed! After all, it's really not about the dress.

But I also realize that many brides simply don't like the idea of purposefully getting their dress icky. That's okay! Unfortunately, I think the popularity of the "trash the dress" phrase has left a bad impression. You can always do a post-wedding session....without trashing the dress! I'd like to call this a "Free the Dress" photography session. Here's an example of a "Trash the Dress" session a group of us did for fun...but never really got the dress dirty!

Now, the more willing you are to just have fun, the more amazing the photos will be. However, we certainly don't need to seek out mud or stains. A normal amount of dirt (which you probably got on the wedding day) can be fixed at the cleaners. So, I just want to remind all the brides that post-wedding photos don't have to be "trashy" to be stunning!

Here's another idea on how not to let your dress become moth-food in the closet:

1. After the wedding have a "Free the Dress" photo session.*
2. Get it cleaned.
3. Donate your dress to Brides Against Breast Cancer or another qualified charitable gown organization.
4. Show me the receipt!
5. Choose your complimentary gift: a 20 page coffee-table style (non-flush mount) album, or a gallery style 11x14 canvas print!
6. Receive my heartfelt thanks for helping another bride feel just as beautiful as you did on your wedding day!

(*Tell me your intentions at the shoot, so I can be careful not to suggest anything that would rip or otherwise permanently damage the gown.)