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 stepped into the river for a post-wedding photo shoot when the weight of her waterlogged gown pulled her under, sparking renewed concerns about the dangers of a growing photography trend.
Trash the Dress
Hoping to capture a bold, symbolic farewell to her wedding gown, Maria Pantazopoulos entered the rushing waters of Quebec’s Ouareau River. The 30-year-old real estate agent had married Billy Klouvatos just two months earlier and had arranged the session as part of the popular and increasingly controversial “trash the dress” trend.
This edgy form of bridal photography places newlyweds in unconventional, often rugged settings muddy fields, urban ruins, or rivers where the dress is intentionally stained, ripped, or destroyed. It’s meant to symbolize the emotional leap from bride to wife, embracing imperfection and change.
But for Maria, what began as an artistic and emotional gesture quickly spiraled into tragedy.
Dress Turns Deadly
Photographer Louis Pagakis was documenting Maria’s river shoot roughly 46 miles northeast of Montreal when the joyful session took a tragic turn.
As Maria stood in the water, her wedding dress began to absorb massive amounts of water, quickly becoming dangerously heavy. The weight proved too much for the petite bride, pulling her into the powerful current.
“She had her wedding dress on and said, ‘Take some pictures of me while I swim a little in the lake,’” Pagakis told CTV News. “She went in, and her dress got heavy. I tried everything I could to save her.”
Despite being a capable swimmer, Maria was no match for the drag of the sodden gown and the force of the river. She was swept into a 26-foot-deep section and couldn’t fight her way back to the surface.
“I jumped in I was screaming and yelling we tried our best,” a shaken and tearful Louis Pagakis recalled.
‘I Can’t Anymore’
“She was screaming, scratching, trying to stay above water,” said Anouk Benzacar, Pagakis’ wife. “Louis tried to swim with her, but she was dragging him down. She was too heavy. He couldn’t breathe anymore.”
Maria’s final words before slipping beneath the surface were heartbreaking: “I can’t anymore, it’s too heavy.”
Two police officers rushed to the scene and bravely dove into the river in a desperate attempt to rescue her. But it was too late. Maria had already disappeared beneath the current pulled under by a gown that, according to police, “was like an anvil.”
Her body was recovered later that evening.
Trash the Idea
Maria Pantazopoulos’ tragic death has cast a harsh spotlight on the “trash the dress” trend, especially water-based shoots.
Photographer and blogger Rhiannon D’Averc warned in a 2022 post that, while the aesthetic may be striking, entering water in a wedding dress is extremely dangerous.
“Even if the dress isn’t huge or layered, water can be unpredictable,” she wrote. “What feels like a shallow, calm stream at the edge can turn into a strong, fast current just steps away. Your model could be swept away before you even realize what’s happening.”
Her final warning is chillingly relevant: “Never underestimate the power of a rushing current even in water that seems shallow.”
Maria’s story stands as a haunting reminder: some photo trends simply aren’t worth the risk.
