I just saw this trackback from an article titled – “WTF?! Why I’m not into Trash The Dress” on www.offbeatbride.com.
Too bad, looks like a really good book and blog. It looks like the author may be coming around though 
. Check it out, I think our brides may be intrigued by her book, and it looks like she has some good tips on her blog.
I think all this of this trash talk about TTD is ridiculous. It’s an amazing, artistic idea that should be celebrated. What could be more fun than doing an artsy photo shoot in your wedding dress? The people who say that brides should donate their dresses to women who might not have dresses obviously don’t realize how ridiculous they sound. Do you know many brides who can’t afford even a simple wedding dress? I don’t. I also don’t know too many women who would want to wear another woman’s wedding dress if that woman wasn’t a relative like a mother or a grandmother. TTD is one of the coolest things I’ve come across on the web in a long time and some people really need to lighten up and see the artistry of ‘trashing the dress’.
First, let me say that I love the artistry of TTD photography, and that it’s a neat idea, philosophical issues aside. But…
“The people who say that brides should donate their dresses to women who might not have dresses obviously don’t realize how ridiculous they sound.”
Why is this any more strange than donating anything else that you don’t need to someone who might find a good use for it?
“Do you know many brides who can’t afford even a simple wedding dress? I don’t.”
How many brides/women/people do you know that have severe money troubles? There are millions of people in the US below the poverty line– do you think those women don’t want a wedding, or a nice dress too?
“I also don’t know too many women who would want to wear another woman’s wedding dress if that woman wasn’t a relative like a mother or a grandmother.”
Perhaps these women aren’t very vocal about their choices, but the many vintage and second-hand [wedding] dress shops would protest your opinion.
Well if that’s true, then they can buy a second hand dress at a vintage shop and don’t need to have one donated to them, do they? The bottom line is that it’s ridiculous to criticize a bride for what she chooses to do with her dress and pass judgment on her for deciding to trash her dress instead of giving it to the poor. And I’ve been all over the world, including some very poor countries, and women will just wear their best dresses to get married if they can’t afford a new one, they don’t need to have one given to them by another bride.
I’m interested to know how many of the people criticizing TTD have given away their dresses to the poor, or give a substantial amount of money to the poor. My guess is not many.
Donating a dress is not necessarily “giving it to the poor.” I know many people with middle class incomes who have bought second hand dresses or dresses from the Breast Cancer organization TTD promotes. Some people just think it’s unreasonable to spend thousands of dollars on a dress (or a wedding) and if they can get a dress that someone else spent thousands of dollars on for much cheaper and then give it another life by redonating, what is wrong with that? And to assume that people that are critical of TTD are hypocrites and hoarding all their wedding dresses and money is ridiculous and naive.
Well, criticizing a bride for what she chooses to do with her dress is ridiculous. And proves that some people have absolutely no taste.
It seems you’re feeling rather defensive Sonya.Interesting.
I just got an email about this site and I just had to see it firsthand. All I can say is WOW! This is such a huge waste of money and artistic talent!
First of all, you’re right. What people want to do with their own possessions is certainly their business. That said, there is nothing so totally privileged in attitude as destroying an expensive dress just because you can and have some kind of bottled rage. If you’re that wealthy, I suggest therapy. Even just a run-of-the-mill tantrum will do. But you have to be in full make-up and wardrobe to do it? Ha!
Second of all, many people can’t afford to buy a nice dress even in a vintage shop and the fact that you’re harping on people who donate the dresses is frankly: disgusting. Yes, let’s rail against people who want other people to enjoy nice things instead of taking more vanity photographs. It would be such a waste to use any energy to help someone who is too lazy to be rich like me!
Get over yourself!
P.S. Offbeat brides are the kind who don’t promote “planning a wedding” as a total lifestyle choice. They simply want to celebrate the start of their marriage in a way that is most appropriate to their relationship and personal customs. Trash the Dress is just another site stroking the egos of couples who are more focused on the attention of a wedding than their actual marriage.
And there i was thinking it was about having fun in my dress…
With the 70s and 80s back in style, I just loving vintage clothing from the thrift shops. You can find designers like Chanel and Armani for cheap there.