Shelby Swink has a powerful message: When life throws you a mess, make an even bigger mess.
When her fiancé unexpectedly dumped her five days before their wedding on Nov. 1, Swink, 23, decided to commemorate the day with some unconventional — and colorful — wedding portraits.
"I knew that a pity party was the farthest thing from what I wanted or needed. A few people brought up the idea of trashing the dress, and at first it sounded crazy," Swink said in an e-mail.
The ingredients for a memorable "trash the dress": family, friends, celebratory cigars, champagne and paint — lots of it.
Wallowing was not invited to the party.
Via a phone call from her hometown of Memphis, Tenn., Swink tells USA TODAY Network the inside scoop: "Liz (Hoard, the photographer) wanted to make sure we wouldn't go all out and just throw all the paint in 15 minutes. She wanted to stage it, so it starts formally and everyone slowly loosens up. By the end, everyone is crazy and wild," she says.
The day of the shoot, Swink says, it was freezing. "We were wet with the paint and our fingers were numb, but it was so, so fun to just live in the moment."
Swink says that when her fiancé broke up with her, she felt "numb." They started dating in the beginning of 2011, moved in together in December 2013 and got engaged in March.
While the fame is unexpected, Swink is excited that the photos have empowered others in her situation. "So many people have contacted me telling their stories. I did the photo shoot for myself, not realizing that it would affect others," says Swink.
Her advice: "Everything happens for a reason and when life gives you something you can't handle, just face it head-on."
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