Wedding season is here and today I’m featuring work by Portugal-based Photographer Matilde Berk. These photos feature brides “Trashing the Dress“. “Trashing the Dress” allows brides to take very creative images that wouldn’t otherwise be taken on their wedding day due to a tight schedule or wanting to keep their dress pristine. These photo sessions can happen up to a year after your nuptials and of course you’d need your dress, your groom, and a very unique location. I know most brides want to save their dresses, but if you want to start your own tradition why not try this idea. Yes, you may get your dress dirty but its nothing that water and a good detergent can’t handle (laughs). Enjoy 
Trash that Dress
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#1 by marriagecoach1 on July 11, 2011 - 5:19 PM
You might want to trash the dress if the marriage is not going well.
Blessings
John
#2 by Kay aka Babygirl on July 11, 2011 - 6:09 PM
Hey John
. I like the “trashing the Dress” idea. I think the whole idea is to capture unique and creative memories with your spouse. If I had no plans of passing my dress down to my kids, I would definitely do it. These photos are beautiful. I hope you’re enjoying your day
#3 by Kelly on July 11, 2011 - 5:52 PM
Oh, this is so fun! – I love inventive photography and the willingness to take chances with tradition – I think my favourite is the park bench. My niece had a similar photographer for her country wedding – he took stunning photos of the bride and groom decked out in their elegant attire and bare feet!
#4 by Kay aka Babygirl on July 11, 2011 - 6:12 PM
Hey Kelly
. Your niece’s wedding photos sound fun. I love inventive photography as well. Of course this isn’t for the person who plans to pass down their dress but if you aren’t.. why not create memories you wouldn’t otherwise. And the park bench photo is really cute isn’t it? 
. I love how you think girl. I hope you’re enjoying your day
#5 by Katherine on July 11, 2011 - 6:38 PM
The pictures are great, but I’m an old fogey because I want to lift that one out of the dirt. Although, the sand is worse and it doesn’t bother me. And can you imagine wearing a wedding dress and being soaked? Oh, I really am no fun. I’m off to yell at skateboarders or maybe ask my husband when he last called his mother.
#6 by Kay aka Babygirl on July 12, 2011 - 2:56 PM
Hey Katherine
. LOL You are NOT an old fogey. This new trend my not be for everyone and I completely understand it is not for you. But for some it’s a way to capture something different along with their wedding photos. And you are fun. If I ever meet you, we are going out lol.. without Greg lol. I hope you and Greg are having a great day
#7 by Kemi on July 11, 2011 - 6:50 PM
Superb! I’d love to lie in the water like that
. K
#8 by Kay aka Babygirl on July 12, 2011 - 2:57 PM
Hey Kemi
. I love this trend as well. It’s very different and the beauty about “Trashing your dress” is you can choose whatever location or scene you want. I hope you’re having a great day
#9 by belleontheboulevard on July 11, 2011 - 6:51 PM
Hey Kay! This idea is 100 per cent non-traditional and i can respect any bride who decides to take the plunge (no pun intended). However as a bride-to-be and someone who found her dress two weeks ago after trying on about 20 different gowns, I’d be much too scared to do this. I’ll think of a different way to be creative…we’ll see what I come up with.
I do love the photo of the bride on the bike. The groom looks adorable as he helps her. I love wedding photography, I think it’s so important to get a great photographer on your big day. I can actually recall, a few months back a photographer had suggested i “trash” my dress. I told him i’m not that fearless. lol
#10 by Kay aka Babygirl on July 12, 2011 - 3:04 PM
Hey Belle
. I had no idea you were getting married.. CONGRATS! Now you know I have to feature more interesting wedding stuff I find to give you some great ideas 
. I know “Trashing the dress” may not be for everyone but you have to admit, it definitely looks fun. As long as your wedding is what you want, it is already beautiful with or without trashing any dress 
. And it definitely is important to find a great photographer because those memories last forever. Email me if you ever need any tips on how to find one. I hope you’re having a great day
#11 by belleontheboulevard on July 12, 2011 - 6:59 PM
thanks Kay! Check out my new post…i just rambled about wedding advice. lol
#12 by Kay aka Babygirl on July 13, 2011 - 1:05 AM
I just did and I love it
!
#13 by Didex on July 11, 2011 - 10:20 PM
Excellent pictures, Wow, great idea … Are you going to do like this Kay?
#14 by Kay aka Babygirl on July 12, 2011 - 3:08 PM
Hey Didex
. I’m glad you enjoyed the photos. Well if I ever get married and I think my children may not want my dress.. why not. I love to do things differently. But I will never know unless I get engaged lol. I hope you’re having a great day
#15 by Tanvi on July 12, 2011 - 2:38 AM
The pictures are so beautiful..Oh I didnt know that in US also we have a wedding season! We have a similar concept in India too! Love the pictures of bride in water!
#16 by Kay aka Babygirl on July 12, 2011 - 3:10 PM
Hey Tanvi
. I’m glad you liked the photos.. they are beautiful. From May – August in some parts of the US is definitely wedding season. And I would love to see the concept in India. I hope you’re having a wonderful day
#17 by Charles on July 12, 2011 - 5:16 AM
I’m gonna disagree on this one – the photos are good, from a photographic point of view, there’s no doubt about that (even if my favourite is the forest shot which has the least dress destruction), but I’m really not in favour of this view that everyone is a special snowflake and has to do something awesome and unique – I think quite a few people will disagree with me – most will say that our uniqueness defines us, and sure, be unique, but there are ways of being unique without thrusting it in peoples’ faces. When I met my wife, who’s Swedish, I learned a lot about Jantelagen. While this isn’t the de facto style of life in Sweden these days, there are still some aspects which are very apparent in Scandinavian societies. For this reason, it’s just not really the done thing to call your kid “Satchel” or “Harper Seven”, just purely for the sake of being a unique, special snowflake. I guess it boils down to tradition – I like traditional wedding shots (but then don’t even get me started on the exorbitant amounts people spend on weddings… I was tremendously lucky to find a wonderful woman who shares my views – indeed most of the ideas about the wedding, and not going into debt for the next 5 years were her idea!).
In any case – each to their own. Personally I think it’s rather a shame to destroy a memory of such a (supposedly) wonderful day, but if you want your official photos to be of you rolling around in a mud swamp or floating in a lake looking like a corpse (seriously… is that the effect she’s trying to achieve?) then people are obviously more than free to do that
#18 by Kay aka Babygirl on July 12, 2011 - 3:15 PM
Hey Charles
. What an opinion in this comment lol. I think it all boils down to the person. I also have to disagree with you by saying everyone is unique. No one person is the same and because of that we have a diverse nation full of people. As far as tradition, I think with these photos no one is discounting it. Most of these photos occur after the traditional photographs have been taken. And honestly, if you know you will have no use for the dress anymore, I don’t see why anyone can’t decide to do what they want with it. They paid for it.
Everyone has their opinion, which is what I love about my blog and people. But I think the thing to keep in mind is IF you are paying for your ceremony, you should be able to do WHAT YOU want to do. There is something beautiful about making yourself happy with what YOU want to do. And not every “trashing of the dress” session is in mud lol. I hope you’re having a great day
#19 by ChefMom on July 12, 2011 - 8:28 AM
I would totally have done this!!!! My dress is all sealed up in a box now, and sometimes I’m not sure what the point is to keep it in there. I highly doubt that it will be worn again (I’m sure Miss A will have her own ideas – and I’m totally ok with that). Some days I think about just pulling it out to wear it again. Seems such a shame you only get to wear it once. Maybe it’s not too late to pull this off…15th anniversary maybe? If the dress still fits. Ha!
#20 by Kay aka Babygirl on July 12, 2011 - 3:23 PM
Hey Kristy
. I’d have to agree with you. I always told myself that if I ever get married, and my dress just sat there, I would do something with it. This is just a different option for the bride and groom to do something fun after the traditional wedding photos. And most kids don’t want their mothers wedding dress (depending on how trendy it was). I say go for it, I’d dress up ChefDad, do a vow renewal and wear that dress lol. But that’s me lol. And I know you’d still look beautiful in it. I hope you and the family are having a great day
#21 by aterlycan on July 12, 2011 - 8:38 AM
hehe very cool
#22 by Kay aka Babygirl on July 12, 2011 - 3:25 PM
Hey Bobby
. I’m glad you like these and I hope you’re having a great day
#23 by Christina on July 13, 2011 - 7:39 AM
I almost did this for my wedding! We had a destination wedding in Grand Cayman and I was planning on trashing it on the beach and in the ocean. I chickened out…but looking back I really wish I would have done it. That would have made for some awesome pics!
#24 by Kay aka Babygirl on July 14, 2011 - 1:16 AM
Hey Christina
. Really? I think your photos would have been beautiful. And let me just say, your destination wedding sounds absolutely wonderful. I just know you enjoyed yourself 
. I hope you had a great day today
#25 by Just Ramblin' Pier on July 13, 2011 - 8:43 AM
How cool! What a wonderful idea. Had I seen this 24 years ago while preparing for my wedding I would have said, “Uhhmmm. NO!” My dress was to be an ‘heirloom’ for my future children. Having had those children, twin girls, I think their tastes in wedding gowns is far different from mine all those years ago. Geeze, my tastes are different! Seeing as they most likely will not want to wear my dress (they have said they may take a piece of it and sew it within their own somehow (smiles), maybe doing something like this with my dress for them would be a great gift. Thanks for the lovely idea!
(Once again…you always take me to places that I never would have discovered! You are amazing.)
#26 by Kay aka Babygirl on July 14, 2011 - 1:22 AM
Just Ramblin’
. I have to totally agree with you. Most kids don’t want their mothers dress because they have their own style. I know my moms dress was too trendy, so I will be doing what your daughters are doing if I ever get married. But seriously, if your dress is just going to sit there in a box collecting dust, why not make these memories. Everyone may not like the idea, but you paid for the dress, you do what you want with it. And if you would have done this, I know the photos would have been beautiful. I hope you had a great day
#27 by foodtable on July 14, 2011 - 9:37 PM
Love it! If I ever get married (big if), then I will trash it for photos like these! They are gorgeous!
#28 by Kay aka Babygirl on July 14, 2011 - 10:24 PM
Hey Foodtable
. I’m with you, I think this is such a wonderful idea. I know a lot of people spend a lot of money on their dress but as for me, I’d rather create a unique memory with my budget dress 
(of course if I get married lol).
#29 by spiderpaw on July 15, 2011 - 11:30 PM
I dig the concept. The photos are great too.
#30 by Kay aka Babygirl on July 16, 2011 - 3:37 AM
Hey Spiderpaw
. I love the concept as well. I think with your skills, you could take wonderful “trash the dress” photos.