New York Brides Bring Their Wedding Dresses Back to Life

Randi Seltzer, 35 wanted to make the most out of her £1,300 gown, so she started Trashed In The Dress.

Trashed In The Dress is an ongoing project that allows women to wear their wedding dresses to various events held in New York, USA.

Randi knew the moment she started planning her wedding that she would want to wear her dress more than once.

She said: “I loved wedding shopping more than I thought I would - I found “the” dress every time I went to another store.

“It’s the most beautiful, expensive item of clothing I’ve ever purchased - I knew before the wedding that I would be wearing it again.”

Randi, from Brooklyn, New York, married her husband, Steve Bonica, 37, in October 2013 but had bigger plans for the gown.

She said: “At first I entertained the idea of doing a “trash the dress” wedding shoot - but I really wanted to wear it out again.

“I couldn’t imagine saving the dress for my future daughter who might not even want to wear it.

“I rounded up my friends and called a photographer and we went to a bar for some drinks, and the project has developed from there.”

Randi has held ten events so far including a trip to an amusement park, mini golfing, and even archery lessons.

She has also collaborated with other organisations on projects and hopes to work with charities in the coming year.

She said: “All the events are really special because we always have a different photographer following us around and they have their own ideas of how they see us.

“One of my favourite events was a ping pong event that my mom came to - she wore her dress too, and it was such a unique experience.”

Randi spent about £1,300 on her wedding dress that she wore to her beach wedding on Fire Island, New York.

She said: “I think I’m getting my money’s worth out of it - it’s been a lot of fun.

“When you’re a kid, you put on what you feel like wearing - butterfly wings, striped pants, and a tutu - this is the same feeling.

“We reach a point in our lives where we don’t do it anymore - but once a month I get to put on my dress and don’t worry about what other people think.”

And Randi said locals aren’t surprised when her group of brides stroll around the city in their dresses.

She said: “New Yorkers are so interesting - you can walk around naked and no one says anything.

“We do get a lot of tourists stopping us and asking what we’re doing, but New Yorkers aren’t surprised by us."