There is a trend in wedding photography which started in America a few years ago, called Trash The Dress. The theory behind this trend is that the dress is something you wear once and then it gets packed away, never to see the light of day again, so brides are encouraged, a few weeks after the wedding, to do something extreme in their dresses to create spectacular images, with the intention of destroying the dress.
I have seen some stunning images from Trash The Dress shoots – one that sticks in my mind is where a bride is waist deep in a lake at sunset.
However, there is also a fabulous trend started by Chris Hanley, which he calls Cherish The Dress. Cherish is about celebrating the beauty of your dress and not about ruining it! I was lucky enough to win a place on a Cherish The Dress workshop at Chris’ studio in Cheshire where we met the gorgeous Jayne who had recently got married and had Chris as her wedding photographer. I took some amazing photos of Jayne in her wedding dress while Chris told the group the difference between Cherish The Dress and other similar trends.
A Cherish The Dress photography session is always held indoors, whether it’s in a studio, a hotel, or an abandoned warehouse (for a more edgey style to the shoot), and the dress is always looked after during the shoot.
We’ve decided to call ours Rock Your Frock as this includes all the styles of photography (including location) where you and your dress are the stars. The dress needn’t be a wedding dress; it can be a prom dress or any special dress that you have for a special occasion.
The location can be outside as well, as shown in the image below where Danielle looks simply stunning at the beach at sunset. What happens to your dress is your choice also, it can get trashed or remain safe and unharmed.
There really is no limit to a Rock The Frock portrait session!
