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wedding blog + planning guide for creative weddings | inspiration for DIY Brides

Brenda's Wedding Blog is your online resource for planning your dream elegant wedding. Helping you find the "wow" in weddings.

Posts in Trash the Dress Session
A Gorgeous & Rustic "Day After" Wedding Session at the farm with a white horse

Today's couple, Sara and David married on a European cruise surrounded by a few family members and close friends. While they did have a photographer on board, once they came back home, they realized they didn't have enough photos of them together and wanted to capture more. So, they contacted Arina B Photography and headed to the farm where they were surrounded by the most amazing white horse, dogs, cows, lots of hay and sunshine. Arina writes . . . "For me as a photographer, the Day After session or Trash the dress session is the happiest of all, simply because I get to take photos of a beautiful bride and groom without wedding rush, stress and time line. This session makes a perfect anniversary present as well. Couples get to refresh their sweet wedding memories and capture more photos of that gorgeous dress the bride is no longer afraid to get dirty!"

Canadian Lovebirds in the Snow : Winter Themed "After the Wedding" Session

This "wreck" the dress session, photographed by Caroline Ross Photography, is definitely not the typical kind you see. It's also the perfect wedding session to end with before the holidays. Melanie and Brandon were married over the summer and decided to don some of their wedding attire with winter accessories for a fun play date in the snow. On the couple's first date, their waitress had written "Good Night Lovebirds" on their receipt. This turned into one of their wedding themes and their lovebirds cake topper was converted into a Christmas tree ornament {which you will see in this photo session}. There is so much to love about this shoot that took place at the Cedar Green Golf Club - candy cane striped finger nails, snow angels, hot chocolate - it's the perfect "lovebird" winter {holiday} shoot

Winter Wedding Photo Session : Playing in the Snow | photographed by Caroline Ross Photography

Wishing everyone of my readers that's celebrating the Christmas holiday a wonderful time with family and friends.

I was originally planning to pop in on Thursday and Friday with a few winter themed inspiration boards, but have decided to take a break until Monday when I will share a New Year's inspired post. I am in desperate need of some much needed down time with my family and to refresh myself so I can be ready to bring you a brand new year of inspiration and wedding goodies. I'm now signing off to start prepping the Christmas dinner, crafting a few fun goodies for the table decor and get everything ready for a fun holiday break with my loved ones.

For those that are wondering, Melanie's wedding dress is by Maggie Sottero. She fell in love with it, but soon realized it was discontinued. She proceeded to call over 50 shops in Ontario, Quebec and the US . . . finally finding a dress boutique in Renfrew, Ontario that had her "dream" wedding dress.

Trash the Dress : Urban Decay + Grunge Look with tips for your shoot

Happy Monday. I'm back from a wonderful week away with my hubby and daughter. There's something so calming and amazing about a week at the beach - I'm back, refreshed and recharged. And, to start the week off, I'm sharing with you a fun and artistic trash the dress session with Judi {whose daughter actually took these photos, you can see her a bit later in the photos}. And, you are all going to LOVE this - the wedding dress Judi is wearing is actually a prom dress made by Masquerade Dresses and only cost her $25 {it was new with the tag still on it}. She bought it from her daughter's high school. And, after the photos, Judi joins us with her great Trash the Dress Tips.

For this particular Trash the Dress session, Judi did not want to get her hair wet so she opted for the urban decay / grunge look which would be best suited to her personality. And, Judi is sharing some great Trash the Dress Tips with us today . . . 

1. A professional cleaning service should be able to restore the dress to brand-new quality so you can do what ever you like with it after the shoot.

2. If you are not sure about trashing your own wedding dress, consider buying a cheap dress off the rack.

3. If you want a bouquet, you can pick up one at a local grocery store or make one from fake flowers bought from the local craft store. Mine are fake.

4. Bring some props to add a unique touch and that is exactly what your looking for.

5. Wear comfortable and contrasting shoes. And, don't be afraid to break out the bling as it really adds to your photos.

6. Not sure what to do? Or are shy? Search Google images for trash the dress photos and print out the ones you like. Your photographer should also be able to walk you through body placement and facial expressions to help you get creative and loosen up.

7. The sun is NOT your friend! The sun will wash out your photos and makes you squint your eyes like crazy. Schedule for an overcast chance of rain day or later in the day as the sun starts to go down.

8. Bring your improv skills and don't be uptight. This shoot is where you want to have fun and NOT do the norm. Relax, be silly, get dirty, goofy and bring out your personality in these photos.

Now, you're probably wondering why I'm now showing you hand-painted glassware, right? Well, if you are looking for something custom made for your wedding or a personalized thank you gift, then you need to check out Judi Painted it. The very same Judi that you see above custom paints dishwasher safe glassware specializing in the wedding industry. Her big sellers are the huge 20 oz wine goblets in the sunflower and stargazer lily design and the custom painted iced tea pitcher set as a shower gift for the bride to be. You can visit her Judi's etsy site, her blog, her web site, or become a fan of her facebook page and share for a 10% discount.

Trash the Dress Session : a brick wall and a masquerade mask

Earlier today I shared with you some lovely photos from a reader's engagement session, complete with horses. Now, I'd like to share some of Nicol's photos from her Trash the Dress session in Romania. Nicol looks gorgeous in all the photos and I love brick wall as the back drop. Plus, the shot with the masquerade mask is stunning, check out the necklace...WOW! The photographer was Ioan Margineanu Photography.

Thank you so much Nicol for being a faithful fan of my blog and for sharing these spectacular photos with my readers today. Wishing you and John all the best with your upcoming wedding.

Trash the Dress Session : Jenna and Barry in FL {with parasol}

Earlier today I featured the Real Wedding of Jenna and Barry that took place at the Marco Island, Marriott Resort and Spa in Florida. And, now it's time for their Trash the Dress Session with Roger of Thomspson Photos. This session was held at the same location as the wedding and features a beautiful monogram parasol from Cherin of Customized Wedding Creations. I just love how the parasol is the perfect accent that completes the look.