Women in their 20s are establishing an empowering worldwide movement of celebratory divorce rituals. These symbolic steps into newly single life include hosting divorce parties, getting tattoos, buying bling rings for their right hand and -- the most popular of all -- trashing their wedding dresses.
"Trash the dress" began as a post-wedding photography trend. Typically, newlyweds get another use out of their big day attire by dressing up and posing for fun, romantic photos in which they lovingly splatter one another with paint or roll around on the beach. On the contrary, young divorcées are taking the art of wedding dress destruction to a whole other level by trashing the dress and everything it represents.
By modeling in "trash the dress" style photo shoots, these women are metamorphosing an often shameful social status into one that signifies optimism and strength.
Here's how 20-something divorcées are trashing the dress:
By turning betrayal into beauty.
(Pictured: Nicky from Australia. Photo Credit: Jessica from Le Grand Photography.)
(Pictured: Jessie from Texas. Photo credit: Shelli Photographi.)
By choosing meaningful locations and methods, like greasing themselves up in oil at an auto-repair shop...
(Pictured: Hannah from Indiana. Photo credit: Lavengood Photography.)
...and then smashing their ex-husband's wedding ring.
(Pictured: Hannah from Indiana. Photo credit: Lavengood Photography.)
They're dancing in the ocean, then donating the dress to a good cause.
(Pictured: Heather from Maryland. Photo credit: David Rosenfield.)
Some are splattering it with paint.
(Pictured: Brittany from Ohio. Photo credit: Lauren Lapinta Photography.)
Others are capturing the beauty of the dress and how amazing they feel in it, not as brides but as independent women, in high-fashion style photo shoots.
(Pictured: Tara from California. Photo credit: Blake Romney.)
(Pictured: Liz from Oklahoma. Photo credit: Chandra Michelle Photography.)
A few are taking inspiration from their favorite breakup song. Christina Perri's Jar of Hearts, with the lyrics, "You're gonna catch a cold from the ice inside your soul," sparked the shoot below.
(Pictured: Santana from Felixstowe, England. Photo credit: Stevie Collin.)
Some have been spotted getting down and dirty at redneck rodeos.
(Pictured: Tammy from Tennessee. Photo credit: Caitlin Elizabeth Photography.)
...Or simply splashing around in local mud puddles.
(Pictured: Stephanie from Pennsylvania. Photo credit: Carly Bartosh Photography.)
Daring ladies are setting it ablaze, each rising as a Phoenix from the flames.
(Pictured: Louise from England. Photo courtesy of Louise.)
(Pictured: Jessie from Texas. Photo credit: Shelli Photographi.)
(Pictured: Nicky from Australia. Photo Credit: Jessica from Le Grand Photography.)
But not before they've recycled it for a zombie bride Halloween costume.
(Pictured: Louise from England. Photo courtesy of Louise.)
Glam divorcées reconstruct their dresses into short, sexy outfits...
(Pictured: Joelle from New Jersey. Reconstruction by Spencer Dargan. Photo courtesy of Joelle.)
...And then cut them up during a second photo shoot.
(Pictured: Joelle from New Jersey. Photo credit: Jenna Przybylowski.)
Others wax poetic and share Pinterest-ready inspirational pics.
(Pictured: Jessie from Texas. Photo credit: Shelle Photographi.)
They're stomping statements while looking way hotter than they ever did when they were married.
(Pictured: Emily from Tennessee. Photo credit: Happily Ever After Photography.)
Other women are ruining wedding day reminders during their shoots.
(Pictured: Tara from California. Photo credit: Blake Romney.)
(Pictured: Liz from Oklahoma. Photo credit: Chandra Michelle Photography.)
Even divorcées that no longer have their gowns are doing photo shoots to celebrate their very glittery futures.
(Pictured: Kaiti from Louisiana. Photo credit: Kristin McMaster of The Memory Box Photography.)
Whether they're trashing the dress physically or metaphorically, it's clear that 20-somethings are changing the stigma of this status change and having a pretty amazing time in the process.