Weddings present a staggering array of decisions. Nobody wants to obsess over after-dinner mints, but what if you’re remembered forever as “those cheap, mintless bastards”? Then there’s the venue, the flowers, the invitations. Recently, one more item has crept onto this mind-bendingly long list: What is the bride going to do with her dress after the ceremony? Preserve it, give it away — or wreck it?

The past year has seen the rise of a gleefully destructive post-wedding ritual: the “trash the dress” photo shoot, in which the bride models her gown while romping in the ocean, climbing up a fire escape, rolling in the mud, or, in at least one occasion, riding a horse. These sessions take place after the wedding. Sometimes the groom is around; sometimes he’s not. The resulting photos often exude a gentle gothiness, like album covers from bands playing the second stage of the Lilith Fair circa 1997.

AlterNet