"FOR most women, it’s the most expensive item of clothing they will ever buy. But after their big day the vast majority of wedding dresses are cleaned and either sold or packed away, destined never to see the light of day again.
Unless, of course, they’re given one final stylish fling.
That is the aim of wedding planner Helen Burns and photographer Zoe Richards
They have teamed up to bring their own twist on the American trend Trash The Dress, where brides get to wear their gown one last time and generally disrespect it.
Helen and Zoe wanted to give brides an opportunity to wear their beloved dress in an unusual setting – but not destroy it.
So they came up with the idea of Trash or Cherish where women get to decide just how daring they want to be with their location and treatment of the gown.
Helen, who launched Bespoken Dreams wedding consultancy in April, first approached Zoe when she was writing her own bridal blog.
“This was something I wanted to do before I set up the business,” she explains. “Zoe was already doing Gown Again, which is similar, so she suggested doing it together.
“Once I started doing wedding research for Bespoken Dreams I noticed that the trend, which originated in America, was really catching on over here. There have already been quite a few brides in London and other parts of the country doing it, so why not here?
“It’s really just another evolution of wedding photography which is fun.”
The basic idea is to photograph a bride after her wedding in a different scenario, often deliberately unbefitting the elegance of the dress.
“That might be an urban environment or a beach or woodland,” explains Helen, who lives in Allerton.
“Zoe and I have discussed quite a few locations which we think would be good. She is based in the Georgian Quarter, so that would be perfect for a fashion backdrop, but there’s also lots of back alleyways around there which would make much more of a contrast. Liverpool city centre is full of great urban locations and then there’s the sand dunes in Formby or Ruff Wood in Ormskirk.
“It’s basically like the Trash the Dress trend, but it’s not quite as extreme so the dress isn’t ruined beyond redemption.”
Helen says brides love the opportunity to have another special day in their cherished gown, without the formality or pressure that can be involved in a wedding.
“After a wedding, most brides either get their dress cleaned and then sell it or they box it away. This gives them another chance to enjoy it and have a photoshoot where they’re probably more at ease. It’s a kind of goodbye, after the honeymoon is over, and an alternative to sending the dress to Coventry in the depths of a dusty loft!
“It gives couples something to look forward to as well after all the excitement of their wedding has died down, which can be an anti-climax. Some men do get involved in the photoshoots, although mostly it’s for women.”
As part of the photographic package, Helen and Zoe include hair and make-up by Sian and Robyn at So Coco Rouge in Liverpool city centre.
“Again, a lot of women have quite a formal look for their actual wedding day, so this is a chance for them to try something different and maybe be a bit more fashiony. It’s really up to the bride to decide how she wants to look and how quirky she wants to be.
“That stretches to what she wears with her dress too – quite often they’re teamed with mud and wellies!”
For details of Trash or Cherish visit Bespoken Dreams
Zoe Photography’s Gown Again portrait sessions are £450.
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