A Tennessee bride has issued a stark warning about the increasingly popular wedding trend of jumping into a pool after the reception, following a near-fatal incident on her own big day. Shelby Crawford, who tied the knot with Corey Crawford, shared a TikTok video detailing how the tradition, part of the 'trash the dress' phenomenon, nearly turned tragic.
The Incident
In the clip, which has amassed over 3 million views, the couple is seen leaping into a swimming pool together. While Corey resurfaced quickly, Shelby became trapped under the voluminous train of her wedding dress. She struggled in the water until her husband managed to lift the fabric, allowing her head to emerge.
Shelby captioned the video: 'The saxophones getting louder as everyone films me drowning in my wedding dress.' She added, 'In their defense, they said I was so quiet they didn’t think anything was wrong… to which I replied, “Yeah, drowning is typically silent.”'
Public Reaction
Viewers expressed alarm in the comments. One wrote, 'That’s terrifying,' while another questioned, 'Now why would we even do that?' A third referenced the British soap opera EastEnders, saying, 'Did Ronnie & Roxy teach us nothing?'—a nod to characters who died by drowning in a pool.
Shelby told People magazine that the online response changed her perspective. 'The adrenaline of the day just got to us. We were excited and not thinking clearly,' she explained. 'I never understood why people did stupid or dangerous things to go viral. Do an outfit change before. We are very blessed to be okay, but no viral moment is worth losing someone you love, especially on such a special day.'
Deadly Risks
Shelby noted that she later learned people have died attempting the same stunt. One high-profile case occurred in 2012, when bride Maria Pantazopoulos drowned in the Ouareau River near Montreal, Canada, during a post-wedding photoshoot, according to the BBC.
The 'trash the dress' trend, which involves brides deliberately ruining their gowns for memorable photos, often includes jumping into water. However, as Shelby’s experience shows, the practice can be deadly without proper precautions.
