I’ve been wanting to have a trash the dress photo shoot ever since I saw a picture online of kids painting their mom’s wedding dress… and I finally did it! It’s a great way to wear your wedding gown again and make those dress sessions last years after your big day. Plus, you get to have wedding photos with your kids!

Most trash the dress photos I’ve seen are on the beach in the water. Maybe because I’ve lived on the coast for years, I’m not intrigued by the beach thing. In ocean waves, they make gorgeous photos, but here in South Florida, they are done a lot because it’s also a great place for a destination wedding.

So, when I finally pulled the trigger on a trash the dress session, I called one of my favorite photographers at In a Glimpse and we started planning a fun way for me to wear my bridal gown in a popular place while implementing unique ideas for an awesome photography session. Pro tip: Picking the right photographer is key!

I could not be happier with the way the trash the dress shoot went and the amazing photos in my colorful, expensive dress. (Don’t worry. It all washed out.)

Why Trash the Wedding Dress?

1. I wanted great pictures with my family.

Trashing the dress makes for pretty cool family pictures. I’m not a big fan of being in a studio where the entire family looks at a camera and smiles. I like something a little different and more candid and this was a perfect way to have a fun experience because my kids were big fans of throwing paint at my designer gown the whole time. When you add paint, it makes it so much fun and you end with unique photos.

Julianna and Landon had a great time. They started painting on an easel first, so we were able to get clean pictures of the kids before we started.

Then, when their dad showed them how to throw paint on my white dress, they really had fun in creative ways.

The smiles you see in the pictures are real smiles. They are having fun with the creative idea and serving the professional photographer very different from the expressions you’ll get in a studio, looking at a camera, and reacting when the someone says, “Say cheese.”

2. I got to wear my wedding dress again.

Ladies, what do you do with your wedding dress today? Let me guess. You only really see it when you look at your wedding album or a framed picture from your special day. Maybe. it’s in a box in your basement (like my mom’s) or it’s covered and hanging in your closet. For what?

I wanted to do something with mine. (And I’m not done yet!) This allowed me to not only wear my white gown for a good reason again, but my kids got to see me in it while we created beautiful photos.

Not too long ago, Julianna asked why she wasn’t at my wedding. (Yea, try explaining that to a four-year-old.) So, I guess she got a little taste of it at our photoshoot near the Everglades.

3. I love photography.

Ever since high school, I’ve been taking pictures like crazy. Thank goodness I don’t have to get the film developed like I did then, but I’m still snapping away.

If it’s not pictures, it’s video. (You’ve seen Baking with Bunny right?)

So, when there is any chance for me to take pictures, or have pictures taken, I jump on it.

Luckily, I was able to find Megan Huard with In A Glimpse on Facebook who not only has an eye for photography but a modern eye, so she can make some pretty cool stuff happen.

I liked these pictures from our shoot so much, I featured one on our Christmas card.

If you were asking yourself, “What is trash the dress?” Now you know.

And don’t worry. That was washable and it all washed off. My perfect dress is back in its original condition.

So, what should I do with my wedding dress now? What does your perfect dress look like if you’ve trashed it? Please show me so I can get more ideas for our next shoot. Now that I’ve added a third child to the mix, we need to get on our wedding attire and book another trash the dress photoshoot. Show me yours on Instagram at @ChristinaAllDay.