One of the favorite preparations for any bride is picking out a “perfect” wedding dress. It is tricky, however, since once you select the fabulous dress that you are going to wear on your special day, you’re likely going to wear it once, box it up, and never wear it again–unless of course you “trash the dress” or go as a zombie bride for Halloween.
You may never wear your wedding dress again, it may collect dust in your attic for many years to come, but one thing that will stick around forever are the photos of your wedding dress. Photographers have a way of capturing the fine details, unique aspects, and character of your wedding dress in a way that is timeless. You will treasure these images forever, and they are often deemed as “favorite shots” by our clients.
What’s more, is that every wedding dress is so unique to the bride herself.
As a photography studio based in Chicago, we have seen a variety of styles, seasonal choices, and alternative looks that are so fun to capture, as they really show the bride’s personality.
Let’s take a look at some of our favorite wedding dress shots… and then we will give you a list of some ideas for your wedding dress post-wedding if you haven’t come to terms with never wearing it again.
Wedding Dress Shots You’ll Treasure Forever
How to Use Your Wedding Dress After Your Big Day
Trash the Dress Photoshoot.
Many photographers offer you the opportunity to “trash the dress” and get creative with a photoshoot after your wedding day. This gives you the opportunity to get some really creative photos of your dress, in addition to shots from your wedding day. Photographers often have several creative ideas (from paintball fights, to spray paint and graffiti, to beach photo shoots) to achieve some really unique images.
Daughter Photoshoot.
One of the coolest ideas I have seen is to actually have your daughter photographed when she is really young in your wedding dress. These images are not only sweet but also really special, as it is a reminder that the dress is really where everything began for her. Usually anywhere from 2 to 6 is an ideal age to do this, as the dress is huge and it gives the perspective of size a really special touch.
Preserve.
If you are going to go the preservation route, you should get the dress professionally dry cleaned and look into best storage practices.
Redesign and Repurpose.
There is no saying that you have to keep your dress in its original form until your dying days. You can always repurpose the dress (or parts of it )for future use, such as a vow renewal, golden anniversary party, or another creative use.
Give it to Family.
While this is always tricky as styles change over time, you may want to consider saving your dress to give to a daughter, niece, sister, or other close family member. This is a really special and sentimental gesture.
Final Thoughts
There is really no clear cut answer in deciding how to use your wedding dress after the big day, but one thing is for sure, photography lasts a lifetime. Capturing the unique details of your dress and preserving it as it is exactly, on your wedding day, with you in it, is truly special.