I recently asked my LL Boudie Babes VIP Group on Facebook why they think every woman should have a boudoir photoshoot and their responses both made me do the arm-dunk “YESSS!” motion and a hand-over-my-heart Sigh.
Perhaps you've heard of Boudoir photography, or maybe you haven't yet. What you may not realize is what a boudoir session REALLY is and what the full experience leaves women feeling afterwards.
Since you made it to this post, you might be on your trek of researching because you're considering a boudoir shoot! If so, AMAZING! If not, maybe you'll learn a little something here and decide that you, too, would like to have an experience like a boudoir session.
I've polled past clients and collected my thoughts from my own experience to deliver you my "5 Reasons to Do A Boudoir Shoot"! as well as the feedback from the gorgeous gals in our VIP Group. Do you have other "reasons"? Leave them in the comments!
5 Reasons to Do a Boudoir Shoot:
1. Reached a goal or milestone
Did you have a goal you recently achieved? Was it a promotion at work? Weight loss? Special birthday milestone? Financial goal? When a goal is reached, it tends to give a tremendous sense of satisfaction and excitement! You want to go out and celebrate with your friends, family, or loved ones! Grab drinks, a bite to eat, maybe a vacation. And - more recently - book a boudoir session! Many past and clients have said they decided on a boudoir session to celebrate a big birthday (30, 40, 50, 60!), pregnancy, giving birth, and getting a big promotion at work. In any case, a boudoir session is an amazing way to treat yourself and, more importantly, congratulate yourself for a job well-done.
2. Recently engaged/married
You said "YES!" and have begun planning for your wedding. What an incredibly exciting time in your life! If you're like a lot of brides, part of your planning is thinking of gifts for the bridal party and for your groom or bride. Bridal boudoir has become increasingly popular in recent years and is one of the hottest gifts (no pun intended) to surprise your other half on your wedding day. What's the most popular gift from a boudoir session? Albums. A discreet but timeless and gorgeous piece of art with their favorite subject in it - YOU! Brides often opt for a traditional boudoir session but bring their veil or honeymoon lingerie for a quick set during their session to remind their gift recipient of when they received their album. And don't think that grooms are left out - male boudoir is incredibly popular today and some grooms gift their soon-to-be-spouse with boudoir albums, too.
3. Girl's Day
Have you heard those stories of girlfriend vacations? Think: girls night out, but WAAAAAY more fun! One of the newest trends today is a Girls Boudoir Day, where a handful of BFFs get together for a full afternoon of glamour, mimosas, laughs, and quality time with one another while each receiving their own boudoir mini session. Do you have an annual girls retreat or trip that you attend (or thinking about starting one)? How about Boudoir Girls Day! What a fun and sentimental way to celebrate your friendships and sisterhoods and take home an album and a retro image viewer with your favorite group/girlfriend images!
4. Boost your self-esteem and empowerment
So often do I hear any variation of the following: "I'd love to book a boudoir session once I lose 20lbs", "I would totally book a boudoir session if I looked like HER!", "I would've booked a boudoir session back in the day, you know, before I had kids", etc. Oftentimes these statements are made through guarded walls from women who suffer from any level of poor self-esteem. Of the few that push through those walls and have a boudoir experience, all have emerged with an incredible new confidence that perhaps they thought they needed to lose weight or have a "perfect" body for up until that point. Every woman who has left a session with me has exclaimed that their experience was so empowering and uplifting, that they didn't realize they had an "ass like that" or "could be so sexy!" And these women are able to reflect on that feeling any time they question or doubt themselves by picking up their folio box or album of images and admiring themselves.
5. Treat Yo'self!
I'm sure there are countless other reasons to book a boudoir session, but what better reason than to just treat yourself to something incredibly satisfying and indulging? A professional hair and makeup stylist to glam you up, personal one-on-one attention from your photographer to pose and highlight your best ASSets (ha! see what I did there? <— ), and a private portrait reveal to see your images upon their debut…all 100% focused on YOU! Boudoir is an investment that many women save for, much like a designer handbag or pair of shoes. Many clients schedule their annual boudoir session as their way to treat themselves to this incredible luxury!
What did the Boudie Babes have to say when I asked them why every woman should have a boudoir shoot? Take a look:
“It has a certain type of magic to it… I mean, idk about everyone else, but personally, I don’t see sexy when I look in the mirror. To be able to harness that inner magic and be able to see myself as beautiful as the artist behind the camera sees… that’s something you can’t put a price on! It can literally change the way you view yourself and your body!”
“If I had the chance to work with someone with your talent and humor and love, I’d do it in a heartbeat.”
“I’m working on myself, by myself, for myself…so I’d be doing it for me.”
“I’ve done a lot of ‘I-thought-I’d-never’ over the last 12-15 months and this would be one hell of a treat.”
“To feel beautiful.”
“Even though it was a gift for my husband, I did it for myself and to step outside of my comfort zone. It was an amazing experience to feel comfortable in my own skin and see a side of myself I don’t normally feel or see. I don’t see the sexy you captured when I look in the mirror daily. I don’t see the reason why my husband finds me attractive, but with the pictures you did I see it a lot clearer now. I got the mobile app for me. When I am not feeling so great about how I look, I go through the pictures and it helps my self-esteem”
“To feel beautiful as a woman and have great keepsake photos for the future!”
What other reasons should you book a boudoir session? Let me know in the comments!