After running our segment on Friday morning about the new trend of brides taking photos of their wedding dresses in dirt, water or otherwise grungy situations, I heard from Peter Chung of Kairos Moment Wedding Films who says that he and several other videographers and photographers have done quite a few of these "Trash the Dress" shoots. He also pointed me to the website trash the dress which is currently showcasing Kansas City photographer Heather Cole, whose website features some stunning photography.
I had a few questions for Peter and he graciously agreed to answer them.
DAYBREAKER: Where did this trend start?
PETER: The term "Trash the Dress" was first coined by a photographer named John Michael Cooper, who posted an
image of a bride in her dress set on fire. However, the concept did not become widespread until Mark Eric started
a website based on John Michael Cooper's concept.
The bride was never actually set on fire and no brides were harmed in the process of taking the photograph. In the words of John Michael Cooper himself, "The bride was not in the dress at the time of the burn. She wasn't a stunt woman or anything like that, though her groom's a firefighter... easiest way to explain it: she's in the dress, the dress is on fire, just not at the same time. By the way, the dress burned completely within 10 secs. Don't catch fire while wearing a dress. To fill the form of the dress for the burn we used a blow up doll we bought from an adult store just before the shot, saving it from its intended destiny and sacrificing it as a virgin… so to speak.
Watch the video here.
DAYBREAKER: How did your organization start doing these shoots?
PETER: I came across Mark Eric's site and saw the potential to capture beautiful images. When you first see the images, they stop you dead in your tracks because they are so different and intrigue you. I was never one to do what everyone else is doing and stay within the stated boundaries but I love challenging myself to think differently and be set apart in everything I do.
DAYBREAKER: What motivates brides to do this?
PETER: I think the images speak for themselves. Brides want to do something different. They want to show their individuality and personality. They don't want to stuff their dress in the closet and let it deteriorate. They just want to look beautiful as they should.
DAYBREAKER: What's the most unusual shoot you've ever done?
PETER: This past week, a group of photographers held a convention in Atlantic City, where Mark Eric organized a massive Trash the Dress session with 11 brides and over 50 photographers. The sheer excitement of all the brides and how willing they were to Trash their Dresses made it worthwhile. I love how Jason Domingues, one of the organizers of the event, stated it as he was addressing the participating photographers, "It's all about the bride. As long as she's having fun and having a great time, that's all that matters." Not one bride left disappointed.
DAYBREAKER: Where in Kansas City have you filmed your Trash the Dress sessions?
PETER: All over the Kansas City metro area: by the Plaza, Loose Park, Kauffman Gardens, downtown, and other little secret places we find along the way :) Part of the fun is in finding unique places that a bride normally wouldn't take pictures... like in a fountain or on a fire escape or in the middle of a skate park.
DAYBREAKER: What kind of reaction do you get when people see you doing it?
PETER: I've had all sorts of reactions, some of them confused, but all positive. Some people pull out their cameras or phones and start taking pictures, some just watch from a distance wondering what a bride is doing in the middle of a fountain "ruining" her wedding dress, some people come up and congratulate the bride, and others even participate and help us out!
DAYBREAKER: Have you ever heard of anyone regretting it afterward?
PETER: Not yet. I talked to many of the brides at the big Trash the Dress session in Atlantic City, where some of the brides were married for 6 and even 8 years. I asked them what their dresses have been doing all those years. One bride just hung it in her closet and was delighted to see she could fit in her dress again but realized that she would never use her dress again so why not trash the dress? Another bride was somewhat disappointed beforehand because she had preserved her dress but never took it out. After taking out her dress after 6 years of being "preserved" in a box in the closet, she was shocked to see rust stains and dirt spots on her dress even though she had a guarantee. Of course, once in the box, she never bothered to check so she never knew her dress' condition the whole time. Unfortunately, the gown preservation company neglected to leave their contact information and after all these years, she had forgotten who she'd used so her dress ended up ruined... but not so ruined that she couldn't trash her dress.
Trash the Dress is really about seizing the moment. Nothing in life is certain but you can celebrate and enjoy what you do have.
DAYBREAKER: What do the brides say when they see their video?
PETER: Usually, something to the effect of, "Oh my gosh! The video turned out so much better than I could have ever imagined!" Did I ever tell you how much I love what I do?
DAYBREAKER: Have you ever gotten the grooms involved?
PETER: Some grooms get "dragged" along on these shoots and most come as a favor to their bride. However, after getting immersed in the shoot, they start to enjoy themselves and have a lot of fun, too. I joked with a bride that it's like post-marital counseling and she responded, "Ooh, I like that!" as she snuggled with her husband and kissed him playfully.
Peter added that he doesn't do the "trash the dress" sessions to literally trash the dress. He says he loves them because you get extraordinary images that you don't normally see. Trash the Dress, he says, "accentuates the beauty of the bride" because she sticks out so much more in a not-so-beautiful environment. You can see one of Peter's videos on his company's home page and his blog.
Jeff Field
NBC Action News Executive Producer