GETTING drenched in water, rolling in mud or spilling paint over one's wedding gown would be considered a bride's biggest wardrobe disaster. Not for those who ''Trash The Dress''.

While most brides treasure their dresses for sentimental reasons, a new breed of bride wants something different from her dream white gown - the chance to wear it in less pristine settings to achieve the ultimate wedding snap. The trend, known as Trash The Dress (TTD), originated in the US after Las Vegas wedding photographer John Michael Cooper decided to get more creative by setting up photo shoots in unusual settings.

The idea appealed to Sandra Quilty-Harrison, from Tathra on the NSW south coast. The 25-year-old decided to jump into the water at Nelson Beach after her wedding last February. She took the plunge, she said, because the dress was ''a material thing''. ''My dress is probably in better condition after we went in the water because the bottom of my dress was black after the wedding, plus I had satay and red wine stains from the night,'' Ms Quilty-Harrison said. ''I think my mum was more emotionally attached to my dress than I was.''

And some brides are simply drawn to the idea of a creative photo shoot, according to features and beauty editor of theknot.com, Chelsea Tromans.

''There are brides out there who hate the idea of their dress just sitting there and never being worn again,'' she said.

''Trashing the dress is not actually as destructive as it sounds considering there are so many different levels that you can do.

''Some people go all out and put paint all over it and others just put their dress in a different situation like the woods or the ocean.''