3 Reasons I Love a Dirty Wedding Dress

Most people think of wedding dresses as the most precious piece of clothing you’ll ever wear. I mean there are entire businesses dedicated to preserving wedding gowns and keeping them white as snow. But if you’re planning an adventurous elopement, then you’re already bucking tradition, so why not take it one step further and get a little messy? And even if you’re planning a more traditional wedding day, this trend can absolutely still be for you.

This one’s for the brides who would always rather be outside, who dream about mountain treks when they’re stuck indoors, and who live their lives in a perennial state of “plotting my next getaway.” If any of the above are true about you, then congratulations, you might just be the newest member of the dirty dress club. We’re so excited to welcome you into your league of totally carefree, down-for-anything, independent, live-life-to-its-fullest person.

Personally, I’m all for a dirty wedding dress, because at the end of the day, you’re only going to wear your wedding dress once. So why not really wear it? Here are three reasons I’m all for throwing caution to the wind and embracing the beauty of a dirty dress.

1. A dirty dress tells a story.

You know that favorite pair of jeans in your closet? It’s the pair you reach for anytime you need an extra boost of confidence. The ones that fit just right. And yes, the ones with all the patches and stains from years of late nights out and impromptu adventures. Just like that favorite pair of jeans, all our most important articles of clothing tell the story of our lives. And in my opinion, a wedding dress should be at the top of that list. Seeing a stain on the bottom of your dress might irk your great aunt, but all you’ll remember is the sheer joy you felt while you splashed through a mud puddle with the love of your life. Finding a blade of grass or some thistle tucked into the hem of your skirt gives you a tangible time capsule back to the moment when you trounced through a flower field hand-in-hand with your partner. Altogether, every last snag and stain on your dress weaves a beautiful tapestry that tells the one-of-a-kind story of your undefinable love and an epic wedding day.

2. A dirty dress means you can enjoy your day unincumbered.

Leave the fussin’ to your mama. When you’re truly living in the moment (and that is 100% the goal for your wedding day), all those tiny hiccups don’t matter, and neither will a little dirt. If you’re in a gorgeous destination, embrace the beauty of Mother Nature and really explore. Are there rocky cliffs you have to climb up to see the ocean crashing below? Hike up that skirt and get going! Is there a little mud on the path to your mountaintop ceremony location? There’s no need to pick around it. Do you want to kick off your shoes and put your toes in the sand? My best advice—do it and don’t look back. And hey, if you get right up to the water’s edge and decide you want to dive in, I’ll be right behind you snapping pictures and cheering you on. I’ve never heard of a bride who has looked back on her wedding day and wished she had worried more and enjoyed less. So why not do as you please and know you’ll absolutely have no regrets down the line?

3. A dirty dress represents a life well-lived.

Just like life, let your wedding day be nothing short of a beautiful mess. Embracing imperfection on your wedding day is the key to enjoying every minute, and it’s also a great glimpse into the journey you’re about to embark on through marriage. It’s all the ups and downs that make life truly worth living, and when you’re doing it all with a supportive forever partner by your side, there’s simply nothing more beautiful. So go ahead. Get a little dirty and mussed up because I guarantee there’s more where that came from. Just like you earn wrinkles through years of laughter, you can only earn a dirty dress by letting go and letting yourself live. And that, my friends, is far more valuable than any pristine dress collecting dust in an attic could ever dream of being.  

P.S. Your future daughter is definitely not going to want to wear your wedding dress one day, so you can go ahead and let go of that hope.