Once the wedding is over, the gifts have been opened and the honeymoon memories have been carefully recorded, there remains the matter of the gown. Some brides preserve it as a memento, others for possible use by a yet-to-be born daughter. Increasingly, however, brides are finding something more creative to do: trash it.

Wikipedia defines it this way: “‘Trash the dress,’ ‘drown the gown,’ ‘fearless bridal’ and ‘rock the frock’ refer to photography that contrasts elegant clothing with an environment in which it is completely out of place.” According to Discovery Bay Studios owner Stacey Chance, the practice is “mostly about creating images not normally possible. And the possibilities are only limited by imagination.”

Danie and Ron Keller of Redwood City recently visited the Brentwood area to exercise that imagination. They met up with Stacey and his wife Kelly to take advantage of the rustic settings the area has to offer.

“We asked if Danie and Ron could come out early Saturday because a big storm was moving in,” Stacey said. “They had been married three years ago in Utah and now live in the San Francisco Bay Area. Like many brides, Danie was just letting her dress collect dust in the closet until she heard about the ‘Trash the Wedding Dress’ phenomenon.”

They showed up at 1 p.m. and got changed into their wedding attire. Everyone headed out to the first location, St. Anne’s beautiful little wedding chapel in Byron.

Soon it started raining and things were looking bleak. While the group was hiding from the rain under the church’s archway, the sun began to peek through. It didn’t take long to figure out that rain plus sun equals rainbow! “After some amazing shots of Danie in the rain against the backdrop of the rainbow, we visited a number of other locations, including an old train, an orchard, rustic barns and a sandy beach at Orwood. Danie and Ron were great sports and lots of fun,” said Kelly.

As a trend that started only a few years ago, this edgy form of portraiture is exploding in popularity. It’s a chance for the bride, often joined by the groom, to express individuality, playfulness and passion to the extreme. “It can be a mind-blowing and liberating experience, allowing you to get stunning once-in-a-lifetime photographs,” said Stacey.

Some brides do actually get the dress wet or a bit dirty, but many don’t. The focus is on the bride, not the dress. It’s really about creative photography that reflects the bride’s personality. Because the ceremony is over and they’re relaxed, the point is to have a fun photo shoot.

“Sometimes the husbands get involved and they’ll do something romantic, too, like roll around in the sand – but it’s all about having fun,” said Stacey. “The Brentwood area is full of beautiful locations, and now that the hills are green and the wildflowers are out, it’s a perfect time to get down and dirty!”

If you think you might be interested, contact Kelly and Stacey at Discovery Bay Studios.