Self-Love Boudoir Shoot

In December, I took a leap I’ve considered off and on over the years. I decided to book a boudoir photoshoot. What initially started as an idea for a gift for my husband evolved into an act of self-celebration. The more I read and researched, the more I wanted to do this to grow my confidence and love for my body.In December, I took a leap I’ve considered off and on over the years. I decided to book a boudoir photoshoot. What initially started as an idea for a gift for my husband evolved into an act of self-celebration. The more I read and researched, the more I wanted to do this to embrace and grow my confidence and love for my body. 

I found a photographer whose work I loved, and more importantly, my communication with her made me feel comfortable, not pressured and excited. So, I put aside my anxieties and booked my shoot. 

I had several months to mentally prepare for this, but they flew by quicker than expected! This led to some last-minute anxieties as time got away from me, especially with the outfits I ordered arriving with just days to spare. 

I shared my plans with my husband and a few girlfriends, all of whom were incredibly supportive. Their messages of encouragement and excitement helped me focus more on viewing this as an exciting and empowering experience rather than settling into the nerves I was feeling. 

On the day of, I started by having my hair and makeup done (included in my package, adding further ease to the day). I don’t wear much makeup, and the makeup artist was incredible at listening to my preferences and making me feel softly glam. 

Upon arrival at the studio, the photographer was incredibly warm and welcoming, and I immediately felt comfortable. She reviewed the plan for our time together, and I got into my first outfit! As we got started, I was surprised by how comfortable I felt. I believe a part of this was the photographer’s pacing. My theory is that we moved from pose to pose so quickly, and I thought so much about what she told me that I didn’t have the time or headspace to be nervous! The photographer was energetic and kept her encouragement and complimenting at a genuine level. When we wrapped up and I left, I felt satisfied and proud. 

Within a week, I had my photos back. I opened the email with such anticipation, driven by excitement and nervousness. As I scrolled my photos, I was beyond pleased. I felt incredible. The woman I saw in my photos was confident, beautiful and strong yet soft. While I chose not to share my pictures on social media, I loved looking through them with my husband and even shared them with a few friends. Otherwise, I decided to keep them just for myself, as this experience was about finding my inner confidence and sensuality. 

This experience brought with it a further kindled desire to embrace and love my body with each passing year, to care for it in a way that makes me feel strong and secure. As I am sure my confidence will be challenged in the coming years, I will aim to carry forward the gratitude this has brought me and settle back into this sense of appreciation. I am incredibly thankful for challenging myself to pursue this boudoir session, and for choosing an act of self-love, I hope to carry forward in my day-to-day relationship with myself.