"Trash the Dress" Photographer Series: Candace Jeffery Photography

Trash the Dress is becoming more and more popular among brides as it gives them that second chance to slip on their unforgettable dress that they spent so much time searching around for just to be adventurous. This ever so popular concept has given us the chance to ask photographers for their take on Trash the Dress and what it means to them and their brides. Is it rolling around in the mud or is it just about getting those few additional shots in the grass that the bride didn't want to try on the day of?

Check out what Candace from Candace Jeffery Photography had to say about Trash the Dress.

Candace Jeffery Photography
Photographers: Candace and Josh Jeffery
Phone: 860.227.2684
Website: www.candacejefferyphotography.com
Blog: www.candacejeffery.blogspot.com
myKPW State and Budget: Connecticut, $25-50k


For me, I approach the Trash the Dress concept as a chance for my bride to wear her beautiful dress one more time. I view it as a second opportunity to get all dressed up again and have some more beautiful images taken. I find this to be very exciting, and I approach each session with a lot of positive energy.

I encourage my brides to think about what they wish they could have done differently on their wedding day, but just weren't able to do. For me, I had to wear my mother's pearl necklace because it was sentimental, but I'm not really a pearl girl. So I would do my TTD photos with some very bold, bright, chunky jewelry. Some brides don't feel comfortable laying down in a pile of leaves or on the grass for fear of getting their dress dirty, but they can do that during their TTD session. I think almost every brides looks back at her wedding, and finds new things that she wishes she could have done differently. Perhaps it's wearing a special pair of funky shoes, dying the tool under their dress a great color, wearing their hair down, adding a great sash or belt. Or sometimes it's a wedding day logistics problem; the location that you really wanted to do photos at was way to far away, or the weather was uncooperative. Another fun idea is doing destination TTD as we have one line up for this winter in Punta Cana! So, I really try to talk with my brides on what her expectations are, and how she wants to look. I don't want to do the photos just for shock value, or to see how crazy we can be. Depending on the brides personality and desires I may suggest locations that I think will be awesome.

I love doing it because I find that it's a way for me to express myself a bit more creatively, to take some more chances, and to really relax and have fun with my brides. One thing that I love to photograph is contrast. I love to take something so beautiful like a bride in her gown, and drop her in a location that is CRAZY! I think there is something really special about that. I let the bride decide how far it goes in regards to how damaged her dress gets. It's not normally my intention to completely destroy or "trash" her dress, but more to create fantastic images.

On other thing to think about with Trash the Dress is I highly recommend having a skilled hair and makeup artist on hand. It's fun to change up your look a couple of times during the shoots, and that includes hair and makeup.


Below are some of Candace's Trash the Dress photos. In an upcoming blog post, we'll be featuring one of Candace's brides, Selena, as she shared with us her Trash the Dress experience.

Below are just some of the photos from Selena's shoot. Check out more when she shares with us her experience with Candace!