Trashing Your Wedding Dress

I was at a photography class tonight and the subject came up about photographing wedding dresses, then it turned to what they called a new trend, "trashing your wedding dress".

I was flabbergasted. I had never heard of such a thing before. It seems that when some woman divorces they take their wedding dress out and dump, oil, paint, or wallow in the mud, or burn it and have a photography session at the same time.

It just hit me what this says about the state of our society. This should be a sorrowful time, but instead it is made into a spectical. What has happened.

I told them that it says a lot about what is happening in our world, what should be sacred it demeaned in this awful way, worst of all most of these folks are church goers, and see nothing wrong with this practice.

I know they must have thought I was from Mars, but I had to point out that this is wrong.

The reason marriages are dumped so easily is because they never had heart commitments in the first place. It is all a game. Dump the guy or girl and find a new one, burn and trash the dress to make everybody know just how much it meant to you in the first place.

God help us as christians to realize that marriage is a life committment. We don't change spouses like we do clothes. That committment is binding unless the one we are married to commits adultery, or dies. End of story. I know some will say in abusive situations you can divorce, but the bibles does not say that. My personal opinion on that is get out of harms way, but don't divorce and if the other one does, you are not free to remarry.

I know that many will not agree with me on that, but it seems biblical to me.

But apart from marriage issues, don't degrade marriage by trashing your wedding dress.

Wow...

Well Goldminer, I for one agree with you.

I can't put into words how this "trend" wounds the heart.

As one standing for a broken marriage, I hope that my wife has not destroyed her wedding dress. Though, even if she has, God is still greater than man kinds ability to destroy, and He can heal a dead marriage, no matter what has been done.

I know a lady, who's husband melted down his wedding ring and mailed it to her. After 22 years of them being remarried to each other, She still wears that twisted lump of gold (now on a necklace) as a testimony to God's healing power.

Jason

People also have parties to celebrate their divorce.

What next?

Don't ask.

When I told my husband about this conversation last night he said it is because life has become disposable. Throw away the old cellphone and get a new one, and people are viewing marriage the same way.

I understand that the world is what the world is, but I don't understand the church with the same mentality. The same committment we have towards our spouses, is the same depth of committment we have towards God. If we can trash the one, we can trash the other. Covenant is covenant and should be valued.

I agree 100%. If we were all committed to God and believe the teachings of the word of God concerning marriage, our committment to our spouses would be in fact holy, as God intended it to be.

I can speak from experience, We had no committment to God ,our marriage was a shambles, we committed our lives to God and asked for His help and He saved our marriage, which by the way is on the road to holiness and purity.It's a miracle and yes God can repair your marriage too, but you must do it God's way.

Most people divorce because they feel sorry for themselves and give up when there's trials that seem to over whealm them, but if you would put God way above your spouse and cast your worries on Him, He will be faithful to you, just be patient and pray. Don't give into arguments, put on God's love and live it out.

Just to give another thought, I have a friend who is a wedding photographer and not just divorced woman have "Trash the dress" sessions. Its a really popular post honeymoon thing to do now. Once the couple is back from their honeymoon they meet with the photographer and have their pictures taken again as a newly married couple. The new bride will wear her dress and they take all kinds of pictures that they wouldn't have done on their special day for fear of ruining it. One couple just had theirs done and the wife wore her dress, they stood in the middle of a hay field, played in a river, and even climbed trees. I guess when they were done the bottom of the dress was a bit torn and covered in mud. My photographer friend said it can be a really fun way for the new couple to get past worrying about looking perfect and just have fun being themselves in their pictures.(her words not mine)

It is so sad to hear about marriages coming to an end. People trade partners like they change their socks and I think it must grieve the Lord so much.
My personal thoughts are that the amounts of money some people spend on the dress and the wedding over all is way in excess and can be very worldly. For those who are still lost and in the world this kind of behavior does not surprise me. It is a fallen world and sin is everywhere. I pray for those who are lost, that they might find Jesus.

It is sad to hear about these things and I know it goes on all to often but I just thought I would share that it is not "only" divorced woman who take part in these photo sessions. They are hugely popular out here on the west coast and lots of couples are doing them.

rainydaygirl

Thanks for sharing that rainydaygirl. I have never heard of either.

This morning while pondering this new understanding. I thought about the bride of Christ and the wedding dress we are called to wear. It struck me that we too have set little value on a dress that is supposed to be with out spot or wrinkle, and that when we turn away from Christ unto the world we also trash our wedding dress and spurn the one that we had a committment to.

I am blessed to know that the real bride is making herself ready and she will be very particular about what happens to her wedding garments. Let us be part of that number.

OK, I have been wanting to ask this question. And this thread seems like the perfect one to do it in. It is probably a somewhat comical idea the way I will ask it. Though I do not really intend it to be so.

Women have no problem talking about being the bride of Christ. As a matter of fact it seems that lots of women I have met whom are believers often talk so affectionately about being the bride and being espoused to Jesus.

I have to admit though, being a man, this ALWAYS makes me feel a bit awkward. It always raises little questions and thoughts in my mind that I never verbalize, but I have to admit, I have not come to a place personally where I rejoice at being called a bride.

In a legal, technical sense, I get it. It speaks so much of Christ's commitment to His church, and that he will never leave us or forsake us, but the imagery, as a man, still makes me always ponder the implications.

How have you men, whom have walked with the Lord for many years thought about this, or have you?

The flaw is not the word, nor the concept, the flaw is me. I guess I just wonder if I am the only guy who has ever really thought about this.

I have a problem with the 'wedding dress' itself. Too much focus on that and the setting for the ceremony and the wedding party and not enough focus on the commitment necessary for a successful marriage.

White_Stone you are right about your word of caution. However when it comes to the marriage supper of the Lamb and the bride arriving dressed in her wedding garments it is very important.

You know, I knew a girl once that jumped into a lake in her wedding dress with all her bridesmaids, and she wasn't a girl that went to a Babylon church or anything. I, and I know others do as well, respected her to be a very spiritual girl and still do. At the time, I thought this to be very cool thing, and would have even considered doing it myself, if it were not for the Dry cleaning bill. Now, I don't know what I would do.

But my point in this is, everyone celebrates these things differently. David danced before the Lord in his underwear, and was despised by most people. But the Lord loved him for it because it was for HIM and no one else!

I am not to judge, to say her heart was set out to do evil in this thing. She was just sharing her excitement in getting married.

Now these other girls, that y'all are talking about, I don't know them or where their heart is, but In this instance to this girl, her motive was not to blaspheme the Name of God by getting her wedding dress dirty!

Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

Perhaps I'm going against the grain here..but I'm just sayin'...

Lord bless you all..

i just went back and read this and realized you all are talking about people that get a divorce and then trash their wedding dresses.

I wish there was a delete button.

But still, I am not an advocate for divorce, but it is a just a wedding dress.

Why has only one man answered Areadymind's question?

I can't answer it, but it seems to me it would be made easier if you think about the fact that it is a corporate bride Jesus is espoused to, not just an individual. It's like saying women are part of mankind. Just my thoughts on it.

"It seems to me it would be made easier if you think about the fact that it is a corporate bride Jesus is espoused to, not just an individual."

Unfortunately I have tried a thousand times to resolve the awkwardness by thinking of it this way...and frankly it still doesn't help much. I appreciate the thought though Goldminer

And Grant...thanks for being honest.