For Maggie Soon-to-Be Davis

Mags!! Your wedding is four weeks away already!! Treasure these last few weeks in your parents' home, as you look forward to making your own with Matt. I remember when you were born, your little belly and HUGE blue eyes, and the first words I heard you say - "UH-oh, Jordy." I could spend all afternoon blogging my memories, but that's not the point of this post right now!! Remember my Trash the Dress session? I know you probably spent big bucks on that dress. It's probably dazzlingly beautiful. You dream of floating down the aisle to your betrothed.

But don't forget to trash it. Dare I say, it's way more fun than worrying if your makeup is perfect, your hair still shellacked...it's just fun. You'll never wear it again, and either you can stuff it in plastic, and let it suffocate for years, lonely and miserable, in a closet or under your bed...or you can trash it.

For those of you who have never heard of Trash the Dress, may I introduce you to the most way fun thing to do with a wedding dress EVER. Find a photog. Stuff yourself back in your dress. Do your makeup like crazy if you want. Let your hair do whatever it does. And go to the beach...immerse yourself in the water. Climb a tree. Jump off a dock. Roll in the sand. Because WHO CARES? Your vows are spoken, the cake is eaten, the party has been had...and now you can get some amazing shots that'll make your kids say someday, "Whooooaaaa...mom, you are SO COOL."

Anyway, Maggie, as the last four weeks close in, even the most cool-as-a-cucumber bride gets a little freaked out about the details. So here's a reminder of some after-the-wedding fun that you can look forward to!

I did my trash the dress session with a friend and amazing local photographer, Amy Johnson. I was a primary nurse for Amy's twin daughters, Stella and Mya, in the NICU a few years ago. Amy did the session for me for free, as an "artistic license" afternoon. Everyone else who was supposed to participate chickened out and opted to keep their pristine dresses stuffed in the plastic drycleaner's bag. Not me, man. These were actually taken on our first anniversary! Matt was standing in the background with the dog. He didn't want to trash HIS dress. ;)

The following courtesy of Amy Johnson Photography





I have several more, but these are just a few of the highlights. Amy chose the locations (the old gas station, behind some buildings downtown Grand Haven, and Grand Haven State Park). Yes, I fully submerged in Lake Michigan in my dress!!! Yes, the water was fairly warm...and yes, I'm glad it was unusually calm. A wet dress + a current makes for quite a lack of control in your movements!

Gasp as you may that I took my gorgeous dress and sat on a greasy gas station parking lot, backed up to rusty gates, filled it with wet sand, and swam in it...after drying it on the porch overnight, shaking off the sand, and tucking it back in the plastic (*sigh*), it's still good as new and wear-ready! It's been stuffed in a box in the basement since we moved into the house. After so many friends' basements flooded last week, the first thing I retrieved from OURS to ensure its safety was my dear dress. And get the heck out of this...




...a year and a half post-trashing, and it's still as beautiful as the day I floated down the aisle to my betrothed!!

I'm thinking of you and praying for you, Mags, as your day approaches. Just don't forget to trash that dress!!!