There’s certainly no right or wrong reason, but today I’m sharing my top 6 reasons to do a boudoir session.

Over the last decade, I’ve worked with women from all stages of life, using photography as my medium to promote self love and body positivity.

If you are wondering if a boudoir session may be for you, I hope you find this post helpful!

All boudoir photos by Artistrie Co.

1. You Want to Celebrate Your Body

There are a million reasons to do a boudoir session, but one of the best reasons is to celebrate YOU. 

I’ve worked with clients from all stages of life… getting married, celebrating fitness goals, experiencing pregnancy, appreciating their bodies after pregnancy, honoring a birthday or anniversary, beating cancer, recovering from an eating disorder, going through something life altering… and the list goes on and on. 

There’s no wrong time to do a boudoir session, but I hope you chose to do it for yourself. 

After going through a tough pregnancy, one of my clients shared: “For me, it was a gift that allowed me to make space for myself during the season of life I was in. This shoot led me back home to honor and love myself again.”

I think there’s something so beautiful and powerful in that feeling. As a boudoir photographer, it’s my hope and goal to make every woman feel that way.

 

Related: 6 Months Postpartum Boudoir Session

Related: The Best Uncensored Boudoir Photos of Moms Who Love Their Bodies

 

2. You’ll Feel Pampered

This pandemic has involved a lot of staying at home in sweat pants and very little glamor. Or is that just me??

Your boudoir appointment will be a nice break from that reality.

A boudoir session is where you get to feel and look like your most beautiful, confident self. 

Many of my clients chose to treat themselves before their boudoir shoot. Some use it as an opportunity to purchase new lingerie and others may book a spa day (I mean, you can’t go wrong with something like a hydrafacial to make sure your skin is GLOWING). 

Upon your arrival, I take care of every little thing. I’ll hang your lingerie, fetch you a beverage and customize the music to your liking. 

Professional hair and makeup services are included with every appointment to make you feel like a million bucks. Your stylist will customize your look to whatever you envision so make sure to plan a fun date night or outing with the girls for later!

For your boudoir shoot itself, there’s absolutely no prep work or knowledge of posing required. Once we start, I’ll guide you into every flattering pose, making sure you look perfect from head to toe. 

 

3. You’ll See Your Body In A Whole New Light 

My mission as a boudoir photographer is to show women their strength, beauty and confidence, but maybe in a way they haven’t seen before.

Women are always receiving messages that our bodies aren’t good enough, that we need to lose x more pounds to be of value or that we need whatever skin cream because god forbid we show signs of aging.

To all of this, I say: enough.

You are enough just as you are, and if you don’t see that now, I certainly hope you will feel this way by the end of your shoot.

Yes, a boudoir session will put you outside of your comfort zone and the reward is unbeatable. One of my recent clients shared these words:

“This experience made me feel sexy in a way I never thought I could. I’ve struggled with my weight and being comfortable in my own skin for a long time. I’ve gained about 20lbs in the last two years and for the first time ever, am starting to feel comfortable in my body. These photos helped reaffirm that a healthy, happy body is so much better than one afraid to eat.”

Related: An Empowering Boudoir Photo Session

 

4. It’s The Adult Version Of Playing Dress Up 

Remember the days when we’d dress up as princesses and pirates? A boudoir session is an opportunity to play dress up.

When I asked one of my boudoir clients how she decided on her wardrobe, she replied “I asked myself: what would I wear in my wildest dreams? And then I did just that.” It’s resonated with me ever since.

A boudoir session is a chance to put on a persona that maybe you don’t get to see or be everyday and there’s so much fun in that!

And for the record, a boudoir session doesn’t just have to mean lingerie. You can wear absolutely anything you want… or nothing at all. The choice is yours!

Related: My Favorite Lingerie Brands & Stores

 

5. It’s A Beautiful Gift 

First, I think doing a boudoir session is an amazing gift to give yourself, and trust me, you’re going to want to look at your photos all the time. 

I’ll help you find just the right way to display your absolute favorite photos so that when you wake up each morning you have a physical daily reminder of how strong and amazing you are. 

And yes, if you have a partner, these photos can make an unforgettable gift. 

If you’re getting married, celebrating an anniversary, birthday or holiday, a boudoir album can be one heck of a gift. And trust me, your partner will never see it coming.

Related: A Bombshell Bridal Boudoir Shoot & Album

 

6. It’s Fun! 

While I know the pictures can be sultry and serious at times, behind the scenes of a boudoir session is a completely different story!

There’s fun music playing in the background, champagne, and lots of jokes and laughter to keep the mood fun and light.

I’ll coach you the entire time and you’ll get to hear all of my terrible, cheesy jokes. Plus, I’ll demo all the poses and do them with you so you will never feel alone in this very unique experience. 

For those of you new to the concept of doing a boudoir photo session, here are some of the basics:

What is a boudoir session? 

A boudoir session is a photography experience for any woman who wishes to celebrate her body, self and sexuality. 

Modern boudoir sessions promote self love, body positivity and female empowerment. 

Traditionally, women dress in lingerie and sometimes choose to pose fully or partially nude. Other women choose to be fully dressed. It’s all about what makes you feel the most comfortable. 

Through elegant poses and natural light, it’s my goal to create timeless art that makes you feel like your most beautiful, confident self. 

Where is a boudoir session held? 

The term boudoir comes from the french word for a woman’s bedroom or private chambers. Because of that definition, boudoir is traditionally photographed in a studio setting that looks and feels like a bedroom.

My personal boudoir aesthetic includes locations that look and feel like a vintage Parisian loft. I gravitate towards spaces that have beautiful natural light, are clean and bright, and typically feature a neutral color palette. 

While having a bed and other furniture is certainly nice, my more modern approach to boudoir requires zero furniture. All I really need is beautiful light, a bright loft space, and YOU. 

What do women wear for boudoir sessions? 

Most women will choose to wear lingerie, but what you wear (or don’t wear) is completely up to you!

Because my boudoir aesthetic gravitates towards a very natural, understatedly sexy look, I encourage my clients to bring “everyday” wardrobe pieces too. 

These everyday wardrobe pieces can include a white button down shirt, a fitted blazer, a pair of denim, a cozy off-the-shoulder sweater, your favorite leather or denim jacket, a sleep shirt, a beach cover up, a simple white t shirt, a sheer blouse, a slip skirt, a robe, or even a sentimental necklace or piece of jewelry.

We can utilize any of these pieces by themselves or with the lingerie you brought to give you lots of variety from your photos. 

Related: 10 Outfit Ideas For Your Boudoir Session

Related: Effortlessly Chic Chicago Boudoir Photography

 

Want to work together?

If you’d like to work together, I’m based in Chicago and I can be available for destination boudoir shoots worldwide. For more information about my boudoir photography, please email me at ashley@artistrieco.com or visit my website’s contact page.