When Kevin Cotter's wife of 12 years moved out of their home in 2009, she took only the belongings she wanted in her new life.
And that meant leaving the wedding dress she wore at their wedding behind. She told Cotter that it wasn't coming with her.
"What do you expect me to do with it?" Cotter asked. Her cold reply? "Whatever the **** you want."
And so Cotter, newly divorced, decided to do just that.
After his family made some strange suggestions as to what to do with it, the idea for Cotter's project, My Ex-Wife's Wedding Dress, was born.
The project shows Cotter trashing, embellishing, and generally desecrating the wedding dress in all kinds of ways, from wearing it as a costume to using it as a cooking aid in the kitchen (really).
Trashing a wedding dress is something people do for a variety of reasons. For some, like Cotter, it's a cathartic way to release anger over a past relationship.
For others, it's a statement that they'll never get married again — because they've found their perfect mate. And sometimes, it's purely, and hysterically, an accident.
Cotter compiled a book that has caught the attention of many, including people looking to heal from their own past relationships. Check out some of the highlights below.
[H/T: Daily Mail]
As Kevin Cotter explains on his website, My Ex-Wife's Wedding Dress, it all began like this:
My wife of 12 years packed up her belongings in 2009 and moved out of our home. After her car was loaded I couldn’t help but notice that a single item remained in her section of our closet, her wedding dress.
“You forgot something” I told her.
She replied, “And what’s that?”
“Your wedding dress,” I said.
“Yeah, I am not taking that,” was her response.
“What do you expect me to do with it?” I asked.
And to that she replied, “Whatever the $%^@# you want.”
And this is what I did…
It began simply. Here, Cotter uses the box as a nice ottoman, kicks back, and enjoys a beer.
But soon, the project grew more complex — and the uses more hilarious.
Here, the dress is transformed into a Darth Vader scarecrow. It's a stylish pop culture reference, and it will keep the birds out of your flower garden!
And it turns out the gown has plenty of practical applications around the home, too. In the morning, it makes a great coffee filter…
… and later, it serves as a strainer for some pasta.
During a particularly messy meal, all that clean, white fabric makes for a great bib.
The dress is great for cleaning up shoes, too. We assume this was done after anything food-related.
Here he uses the luxurious fabric to lovingly detail his car.
And it's good for heavier maintenance, too.
It also serves as a nice shower curtain!
It can also be appreciated by dogs large…
… and small.
And it doubles as a pretty great parachute when drag racing.
In fact, it's great for all kinds of activities. Who knew a wedding dress could be so sporty?
It also makes a good umbrella to keep the sun off. You'll notice that it has also, at some point, served as a banner at a game. We're sure the Cats appreciated it.
And who says a wedding gown isn't practical wear… or tactical wear?
It's white color makes it the perfect camouflage for snowy conditions, and with the veil, you don't even need a special head covering.
And thanks to being a plain white, it serves as a great canvas for some impromptu creative expression.
And naturally, you can't look at all that fabric and not want to get a little superhero about it.
We think the wig is a nice touch here, too.
After a long day of dress-trashing, it can even provide a place to kick back.
At this point, we'd also like to point out that this is a really well-made dress.
Not only can it support Cotter's weight, but it's survived some serious trashing. Kudos (and apologies) to the makers!
Cotter's project even inspired some other divorcees to get in on the action. Kim from Australia, seen here, went on a muddy motorcycle ride in her wedding gown after her nine-year marriage ended and had a blast.
You can see the rest of Cotter's dress-trashing on his website, or pick up a copy of the book on Amazon. There's also a Facebook where you can keep up with the latest trashing.
What suggestions do you have for Cotter? Have you ever trashed something?
Be sure to watch Cotter in action in the funny video below — and please SHARE this project with anyone who might be feeling less than romantic!
