Say Yes to the Dress--But Don't Go Swimming In It

You wouldn't think you'd need to give brides that advice. But since a young bride, in the throes of a "trash the dress" photo-shoot, drowned in Quebec the other day when the wedding gown she was wearing in a rushing river made her sink like a sack of potatoes, apparently you do.

"Trash the dress"--that's a new one on me (but then, I'm on the cusp of my 25th anniversary, and way back when I wore a borrowed gown). The Ottawa Citizen explains it thus:

The “trash the dress” or “rock the frock” phenomenon is still relatively rare in Canada. It started about seven years ago at Caribbean destination weddings, with brides wanting photos of themselves walking into the water in their nuptial finery or getting sandy and dishevelled walking on the beach or a pier. 

The genre has evolved, becoming riskier and more fantastical seemingly with each wedding. Brides plunge into the surf wearing swaths of tulle and shantung silk worth thousands of dollars. They descend into bat caves, leap into Dumpsters and track around muddy fields in rubber boots. They are photographed underwater among the fish, kibitzing with cows in pastures and with street folk in gritty neighbourhoods. They want an image worthy of Vogue.

The genre has expanded so much that the Wedding Photojournalist Association gives out awards in four trash the dress categories: water (from oceans to puddles) urban (busy downtown streets, in front of graffiti-covered walls) rural (on a dirt road or with livestock) and details (sand on the skin, a muddy wedding dress).

Evolved has it? Well, maybe in a Darwin Awards sense...

Instead of trashing a frock purchased for thousands of dollars, couldn't these brides, post-nuptials, donate them to charity? I realize it doesn't allow for a "splashy" photo-op, but it's a nice thing to do and, even better, it won't kill you.