Rarely do I get incensed about anything at 7 a.m. But the wedding dress trashing story on CNN yesterday had me screaming in disbelief and ethical angst. Go read this blog, then come back here for my rationale. http://trashthedress.wordpress.com/why-trash-the-dress/
Okay, two points: 1) You have only two choices about the fate of this ridiculously expensive purchase? In whose world? Oh right, the same world in which the good furniture, classic books and outgrown BigWheel are waiting on the street for the landfill. 2) Would you really want to pay money to a photographer who believed trashing a perfectly useful and expensive garment for kicks was a decent way to earn a living?
1) The choice issue: additional ideas
- You could take the dress to a consignment/thrift/2nd hand shop so that another bride of more modest means could enjoy having a beautiful wedding dress. And she could then recycle it again after her wedding, etc, etc, etc. Sharing its beauty with others repeatedly. You could also donate it to any number of women’s charity clothes closets.
http://shopcollage.com/
http://www.buyselldress.com/news/apple_red_accented_wedding_dress_brand_new_wedding
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itnd_eXBb4g - You could have a cut-it-up party, giving everybody a pair of sewing scissors to cut it into neat squares of varying sizes. These could be used to later make (or have made) into little patchwork or smaller items like a ringbearer’s pillow, or bridal sachets, or keepsake bridesmaid gifts, or pillow cases for Aunt Fanny who still sleeps on a satin case to keep her beehive hairdo intact between salon trips. ( This option would also satisfy that urge to trash something.)
2) The photographer issue:
This of course is a deeply personal ethical issue for me. Like boycotting businesses which employ destructive practices or philosophies. Or who simply don’t care one way or the other. There have to be plenty of ethical photographers out there who would be disgusted by this practice. I would like to hear from some of them.
