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Divorcée Celebrates New Chapter by Burning Wedding Dress in Powerful Ritual
13 Nov
Summary
- Woman burns wedding dress, photos, and paperwork to symbolize closure after "unhealthy" marriage
- Photographer captures emotional photo shoot as client reclaims her sense of self
- Divorce finalized in January 2025, home sold in July 2025
In November 2025, 43-year-old social worker Lindsay Hordal celebrated a new chapter in her life following a "long and arduous" divorce from her "unhealthy" marriage. Inspired by "wreck the dress" posts on Pinterest, Hordal decided to burn her wedding gown, ceremony photos, and marriage paperwork in a "powerful" ritual of closure and healing.
Photographer Christine Genevieve, 31, captured the emotional hour-long photo shoot at Jamieson Creek in Kamloops, British Columbia, on October 26, 2025. Genevieve says she could sense Hordal's personal growth and "metamorphosis" as she shed the "old version" of herself, likening it to a "phoenix being reborn." The pair even spotted a phoenix-shaped flame in one of the photos, which they believe represents Hordal's "rebirth."
Hordal's divorce was finalized in January 2025, and her home sold in July 2025, marking the end of this chapter. She says the burning ceremony was "the end piece" of her healing journey, allowing her to finally feel "free" and at "peace and joy and light."
