Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Should I trash the dress?*

I signed up for this. The vain/exhibitionist bride in me wants more portraits. (I haven't even seen the first round.) And for free? With a vintage travel/air force theme? Plus I can bring H-town. Awesome. Right...?

But then these thoughts start churning through my head.**

1. What the f*ck will I do with my hair? This is not a great look with my dress.

2. Um, will I get approval on the photos shot by the however many photographers running around the air force base before they are posted on however many websites? Don't answer that.

3. Where the f*ck can I get a vintage flying helmet, and could this solve (1)?

4. Will I damage my dress? I really don't want to damage my dress. And does that mean I'm violating the spirit of trash-the-dress?

5. Would goggles wreck my makeup?

6. Do I care?

7. Am I deluding myself to think that any of the photographers running around the air force base would even want to shoot me? (My dress is not poofy, after all. It is not quintessentially bridal.)

8. Who will sew me into the dress? Do I put it on at home? Do I try to sew myself in?

9. Will putting it on again ruin the magic, or will H-town be so excited that we get super-fabulous photos?

10. Yikes.

Please weigh in, you guys. I'm totally lost.

*DISCLAIMER: I would never actually trash my dress. I love my dress. I plan to wear it again when I'm nominated for an academy award (you think I'm joking).

**I have to give some credit to Suite B for this inspiring list.

(Photo by Jaques Henri Lartigue via Hollister Hovey)

15 comments:

  1. We did our own trash the dress (no dresses were actually trashed I might add) the day after the wedding. He shot me, I shot him, it was wonderful. And it didn't ruin the magic to wear it again, it was bloody brilliant actually.

    Ebay? For a helmet. And who cares about goggles + make up. The photos are for fun and if you don't like them you never have to look at them again. It's not like your wedding photos where you're stuck with them for all eternity because it's your wedding and you can't throw them out.

    And there are bound to be some photographers who are sick to death of poofy foofy dresses. I sure as hell would be. Wait a minute, how about you come to Scotland and I take pictures of you?!

    Can H-Town sew? We shot a wedding last weekend where the bride's father sewed her into her dress.

    I think you should go for it. Just for fun, and if you get some great photos then that's a bonus.

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  2. First, East Side: I'm generally *so over* the trash the dress idea, complete with it's post-feminist roots (I'm so devoted to you, baby, I'll never need a wedding dress again) and first world excesses (I can afford to trash my Vera Wang).

    BUT!!! A abandoned air force base? This is a must do. Plus, I know you would never subscribe to any of the above creepy TTD philosophies. But, maybe, just maybe, we can think of a new term for it for you? Like super-awesome-retro-airforce-base-wedding-dress-badass-free-photoshoot? Because then I would feel even more like "Dude, you have to GO for that!"

    Second: Cara, whaaaaaaa??? Why have we not seen these pictures and heard about this amazingness? Second of all, I want to have you guys take our pictures too. And fly to Scotland. Humpf.

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  3. I. luuurv. you. guys.

    p.s. peonies, careful what you offer....

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  4. I am not voting on this until you show me pictures of yourself wearing the dress on your wedding day. So there.

    (But do it. Do it. Do it)

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  5. maybe the dress won't *actually* get trashed? it will be the idea of trashing, but without such dramatic consequences?

    i mean you do need your dress for your first oscar nomination. so we must be careful to keep it in perfect shape.

    but the offer of free photos with vintage aviation theme is hard to pass up. perhaps buy a second (very inexpensive) dress to, shall we say, get dirty? there are tons of white dresses on sale right now...

    and i do agree meg about the TTD theme... the cliche shoots are sooo, well, trashy.

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  6. Hee. lovely, I already have another dress that I bought and decided not to wear. So I had the brilliant idea, "I'll trash that dress!" Then I tried it on and I thought, "Wait, I really don't like this one as much. Would I be wasting the awesome photo shoot if I wore it?" I'm such a gemini.

    Maybe I should wear #1 for a private TTD like peonies did. Esp since we forgot to do self-portraits on the day. Like peonies did. Then wear #2 (which was an $80 sample) for the air force base TTD. Hmmm.

    Let me know at any point if I should get over the whole bridal thing. Wait....?? I get a whole year after the wedding to obsess, right?

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  7. Ha ha ha ha!!
    I would be thinking over the same things!! "Will the goggles ruin my makeup??" ;-)

    Well, I do have a more typical bridal dress... but I don't think I could do a "trash the dress" shoot. It's not that I'll wear it again, or expect anyone else to (unless I decide to sell it, still thinking on that one) - it's just that it's pretty, and it's the most expensive piece of clothing I have ever had. I just can't bring myself to purposefully ruin it.
    That said, if you really don't want to take a chance on your dress getting ruined, I might think twice.
    However, it sounds like it could be fun!

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  8. Also meant to say, it's completely up to you how 'trashed' your dress gets. Unless you decide to set fire to yourself/roll around on the tarmac, it's very unlikely that you will do it any harm if you're careful. I did more damage to my dress before I left for the ceremony (I put my heel through one of the layers. Those shoes were dangerous) than I did playing in the woods the next day.

    And Meg, they're coming, I promise! And I'd love to photography your wedding too. And live in California!

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  9. Do it, silly. How fun. What a classic, vintage, distinctive, FUN ttd idea! I can't wait for our shoot after the wedding.

    And post the f'n pictures so I can drool over them. This bride needs some happy pills and your ttd pictures will be just the trick!

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  10. Um, please do it! Please! As the fiance of a future Air Force pilot, I am supremely jealous! FI would love love love photos me with vintage planes in the background. It sounds amazing. Like everyone else said, you don't have to trash the dress! Or wear the other dress. I love this idea! Keep us updated!

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  11. What Meg is referring to is commonly referred to (in my head) as ROCK the dress, because they is what you are doing. Having a freaking good time in a sweet dress without destroying anything or proving how devoted you are...

    Which gets me... why do the TTD fans think that destruction is a form of devotion...?

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  12. DO IT! real dress, cheap dress, goggles or no, i think your patti hairstyle rocks and you should dooooo iiiiiiit! wish i could. but i am definitely stealing p&p's idea of a private rock the dress shoot! and who cares how many pics end up where, as a future Oscar winner any publicity is good publicity!

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  13. you guys. are so. cool. can we all blog together until we're old old ladies?

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  14. Oh DO IT! I want to meet you and it would be so fun!

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  15. broke-ass, have you figured out what you're wearing???

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