Trash the Dress Photo Session

So the wedding is over and now it’s time for some fun in your beautiful wedding dress.  A popular post-wedding photo session is the “Trash the Dress” session.  The thought of actually trashing your wedding dress may seem strange, but in reality, the dress only gets wet and / or dirty (the two things you want to avoid most on your wedding day) and can easily be cleaned.  So read on how to plan the perfect trash the dress photo session.

When to schedule it.
A Trash the Dress Session can occur anytime.  You can choose to do it directly after the wedding reception (rare), the day after the wedding ceremony (more common), or after you return from your honeymoon (most common).  Some people even schedule it for a time on their honeymoon, so if you are coming to Orlando on your honeymoon, I will be happy to take your trash the dress photos.

When scheduling your trash the dress photo session, you will most likely want to schedule it for the golden hours of photography, which is the first and last hour of sunlight in the day.  This is the time of the day when the sunlight is the least harsh and the sun produces more warm colors and the light is diffused making the perfect time to capture these beautiful pictures.  If these times are unavailable, then you can schedule it for anytime, especially if you are working with a professional photographer who can work with the light to capture the perfect shots.

The Location
One of the great things about a trash the dress photo session is that it can be held anywhere.  The beach, your home swimming pool, the hotel pool, or anywhere else you can think of.  The options are endless, so let’s be creative and together we can find the perfect spot.

The Bride’s Attire
In most cases brides will wear their actual wedding gown for the trash the dress session, however, in some cases you may not want to actually trash your original dress, so you could purchase a discontinued dress or even wear the dress from your rehearsal dinner.

For this photo session your shoes don’t have to be fancy; in fact, if you are going to take the pictures on the beach or in a pool, then bare feet will work.  One important thing is your jewelry; wear all your wedding day jewelry and we’ll capture some great pictures of them.

In most cases, the hair and makeup will be done by the bride.  If you want it done professionally, then it is possible to get it done for a discount or free if you find a make-up artist willing to provide services for free in exchange for picture they can use in their portfolio.  This option would require you to sign a release for the make-up artist and for the photographer to be willing to release the images.  If you are interested in having this done by a make-up artist, please let me know when you book your session and I will be happy to help you find a make-up artist willing to provide the services for free.  I will also release the images for the make-up artist to use in exchange for helping you.

If you want a bouquet, then check with your florist when ordering your wedding flowers.  The bouquet for the trash the dress photos should be very simple and you could easily pick up a good one at a low price from the grocery store.  Publix always seems to have a nice selection.

The Groom’s Attire
Grooms could wear their tuxedo especially if the trash the dress photos were being taken the day after the wedding ceremony.  If it’s scheduled for a time other than the day after the wedding, then you could approach the tuxedo shop and ask for a low price loaner for the session.  The other option is for the groom to wear more casual clothes, maybe dress pants and a dress shirt.

One Last Tip
Remember, these photos are casual and fun.  Unlike the wedding formals which are very structured, these photos are relaxing for both the bride and the groom.  So relax, enjoy the opportunity to goof off and you will have a great time with your trash the dress photo session.

Are you ready to schedule your Trash the Dress Session?  If so, complete the contract form below and we can plan your dream trash the dress session.

Talk to you soon – Scott.