Couple Criticised For Wedding Photographs Inspired By The Handmaid's Tale

A couple have been facing an online backlash after taking some fairly questionable shots at their wedding inspired by hit US TV show The Handmaid's Tale.

The picture shows the bride and groom enjoying a tender wedding day moment, which would be fine were they not flanked the now-iconic handmaids - women used by the state as servants and sex slaves - in front of the 'hanging wall' that is used to display the dead bodies of dissenters in the dystopian TV series.

This slightly misjudged, if fairly innocent, themed wedding saw Kendra Munro and her husband Torsten Mueller tie the knot at a ceremony in Cambridge, Ontario.

Much of the TV show is filmed in the Canadian town.

The wedding photographers, Shawn Van Daele and Clint Russell initially shared the photograph on Facebook last week and wrote: "Praise be! Kendra and Torsten are married! If there's any The Handmaid's Tale fans out there, you'll know most of it is filmed in Cambridge!

"So, as fans of the show, it only seemed fitting for there to be some Handmaid's in K&T's wedding photos along the 'hanging wall' in Mill Race Park!"

Since the photograph was shared online there has been a significant outcry suggesting that maybe - just maybe - they've missed the mark on this one.

On Twitter, one person said: "OH MY WORD SOMEONE HAS HAD A HANDMAIDS TALE THEMED WEDDING AND I AM HORRIFIED."

Another commented: "'They're fans of the show.'

"Umm, did they watch it with the sound off because WTH would you want a Handmaids Tale theme... for a wedding???"

Well, now the photographers have hit back, suggesting that people need to have a think before piling in on a couple who just wanted to do something a bit different for their special day.

After all, nobody has been hurt in the making of this photograph. Hell, even the handmaids in the shot have been photoshopped in.

In an email to TIME, Van Daele said: "They're being harassed, which is an absolute shame,

"Everyone loves a good witch hunt, apparently today we are their witch."

The photographer went on to say that he and Russell, his husband and business partner, only had decent intentions.

He continued: "The image and entire show touches on the oppression faced by the gay community, women, and many other minority groups,

"It's deeply personal, and a shame people are attacking without first learning."

They then replied to one of the tweets about the photo, thanking the person for drawing attention to what they see as an important issue.

They wrote: "Thank you for being moved by an issue that deserves much, much more attention. Everyone is talking about this issue now, rather than binging on a television series and then not doing anything about what they're so worked up over until the next season."

Featured Image Credit: Facebook/Van Daele and Russell

Topics: TV and Film, UK Entertainment, US Entertainment, Weird

Tom Wood

Tom Wood is a LADbible journalist and Twin Peaks enthusiast. Despite having a career in football cut short by a chronic lack of talent, he managed to obtain degrees from both the University of London and Salford. According to his French teacher, at the weekend he mostly likes to play football and go to the park with his brother. Contact Tom on [email protected]

@TPWagwim