It was allegedly John Michael Copper, a photographer from Las Vegas, who in 2001 that started the trend of Trash The Dress.

The essence of Trash the Dress is a style of bridal photography that contrasts the elegance of the wedding dress with an environment that is out of place and is generally shot in the style of fashion or glamour photography. Initially the most popular location for these photo shoots was a beach, but over time that has progressed to the likes of fields, city streets and abandoned buildings.

As the word “trash” implies it is common for the wedding dress to be ruined in the process of getting wet, dirty or even torn and sometimes completely destroyed. Before long this craze crossed the Atlantic and hit the shores of the United Kingdom and in typical British style we claimed it as our own, re-naming it Rock Your Frock.

However I have chosen to rename Trash The Dress to Fashionista Bride.  But for those of you thinking  this ia just a case of “You say Tomato, I say Tomahto,” I beg to differ and this is why…

The first reason why I created Fashionista Bride was to over come the confusion faced by my brides around the word “trash” and avoid the inevitable question “do I have to literally trash my dress?” to which my answer will always be “your dress does not have to be any more dirty than it was at the end of your wedding day, if you choose so.” A Fashionista Bride shoot is a positive and liberating experience that concentrates on paying homage to your wedding dress and celebrating this special time in your life. Not a negative experience that concentrates on damaging what could possible be the most fabulous dress you are ever likely to wear.

The second reason being Fashionista Bride is the perfect combination of fashion photography and bridal photography, which just happen to be two of my favorite things and one of the main reasons why I choose to become a specialise  in wedding photography.

The definition of a Fashionista is: a devoted follower of fashion, particularly unique or high fashion and a real fashionista is someone that does not believe in trends. The word and phrase that stand out the most for me from this definition is “unique” and “does not believe in trends.” In my opinion Trash The Dress is a trend where Fashionista Bride a unique experience and so much more.

From a creative point of view, Fashionista Bride is all about personal style, love and above all celebration. It should be an emancipating and self-loving experience that celebrates who you are and where you are in your life story. The true style and personality of the bride is captured, rather than maybe ‘a certain look’ that is sometimes portrayed due to expectations, traditions and stereotypes on the wedding day.

There are no limits and there are no rules. You can choose to be inspired by the pages of your favorite fashion magazine and go all editorial on the streets of London, play dress-up and create a balloon wonderland or throw caution to the wind along with buckets of powered paint and imagine you’re rejoicing at the Holi festival in India. It is your story to tell how ever you like.

From a practical point of view a Fashionista Bride shoot will ease your nerves, save you time, defy the unpredictable British weather and allow you to enjoy your wedding day even more so. All of this is simply achieved by booking your Fashionista Bride shoot before your wedding day. You are then able to relax and spend time with your guests, rather than them watching you have your photo taken from afar, something that can often make the best of us feel a little uncomfortable and self-conscious, in the knowledge that you have another day set aside just in case a guest spills a glass of red wine down your wedding dress or Jimmy Choo shoes, or there is a fatal accident on a major motorway and your photographer misses your wedding ceremony, or your wedding breakfast is delayed by over an hour which has a knock on effect on the rest of your day and just in case you are wondering … yes all of these situations have happened at weddings of mine. Life has a knack of getting in the way of our good intentions. Consider a Fashionista Bride shoot like your wedding day insurance policy.

So just imagine how good you could feel knowing you can relive your wedding day all over again, you can take your time, enjoy yourself, experiment with your style, change your location or put into practice what you have learnt from a little hindsight from your wedding day. Then imagine the shots you could create with the help of our combined imaginations, my technical skills and 13 years of photography experience – exciting isn’t it?!

Let’s not forget you also get to wear your wedding dress again. That alone is surely enough of a reason to treat your self and book a Fashionista Bride shoot.