A Canadian bride was killed after her waterlogged wedding gown anchored her to the bottom of a deep river during a photo shoot inspired by the social media trend known as “trash the dress.”
The 30-year-old had entered a river as part of a post-wedding photography session when the weight of the soaked gown dragged her into the current, raising fresh concerns about the safety of the increasingly popular trend.
‘Trash the dress’
Eager to capture the symbolic farewell to her bridal gown, 30-year-old Maria Pantazopoulos entered the murky waters of Quebec’s fast-moving Ouareau River to take part in the increasingly popular – and controversial – trend known as “trash the dress.”
The real estate agent, who had exchanged vows with Billy Klouvatos two months before, arranged the photo shoot for the symbolic session, meant to mark the end of her bridal chapter.
This edgy style of photography places brides in unconventional or rugged environments – including muddy fields, urban alleyways, or bodies of water – and often ends with the gown torn, stained, or destroyed. It’s meant to symbolize a dramatic, even defiant transition from bride to wife.
But what started as an artistic tribute quickly turned into a nightmare for the real estate agent.
Dress turns deadly
Photographer Louis Pagakis was capturing Maria’s shoot in the river, roughly 46 miles northeast of Montreal, Quebec, when disaster struck.
As she stood in the water, her wedding gown absorbed so much liquid that it became unbearably heavy, dragging the “petite” bride into the thrashing current.
“She had her wedding dress on and she said, ‘take some pictures of me while I swim a little bit in the lake,’ she went in and her dress got heavy, I tried everything I could to save her,” Pagakis told CTV News, explaining the horrifying moment that the current pulled her to the bottom of a 26-foot-deep section of the lake.
Though she knew how to swim, she was quickly overpowered by the weight of her soaked wedding gown.
“I jumped in, I was screaming and yelling, we tried our best,” a teary-eyed Pagakis said.
‘I can’t anymore’
“She was screaming and scratching and trying to stay above water,” Benzacar said. “[Louis] tried to swim with her, but she was pulling him down. She was too heavy. He couldn’t breathe anymore,” Pagakis’ wife, Anouk Benzacar, told the Toronto Sun.
“I can’t anymore, it’s too heavy,” were the last words Pantazopoulos spoke before she let go of the photographer and disappeared beneath the current.
Two police officers who responded to the scene bravely jumped into the river in a desperate attempt to rescue Maria – but she had already vanished with the weight of the gown, that police said, “was like an anvil.”
Her body was not recovered until later that evening.
Trash the idea
Pantazopoulos’ tragic death has reignited scrutiny over the “trash the dress” movement, particularly involving water shoots.
Photographer and blogger Rhiannon D’Averc, in a 2022 post, warned that while the trend is visually compelling, “going into water with them is a very bad idea.”
“Even if you are not wearing a voluminous wedding dress, water can be a dangerous environment. Water at the closest edge of a stream or river may be easy to stand up in, but as soon as you push away from the bank, you may find a different situation,” D’Averc writes. “Currents can be deceptively strong and fast, and your model could be heading down river before you know it.”
She adds, “Don’t underestimate the power of a rushing current, even in relatively shallow water.”
This story is a heartbreaking reminder that some trends are not worth the risk.
What do you think of these dangerous trends? Please share your thoughts with us and don’t forget to share this story with your friends!
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