When couples are newly-engaged, their first order is to book a wedding and engagement photography session. However, there is a rising trend of “bridal boudoir” photoshoots which has captured brides-to-be with intrigue and an excuse to not only show him/her/their partner that they lucked out 😉 but also live a bit of their sensual fantasy.
So what exactly is boudoir?
Okay, you will find the etymology of the word “boudoir” quite amusing: Well before there was Instagram, the word Boudoir was derived from the French word “Bouder” which means “to pout!” Boudoir, as it is now understood in modern language, means a woman’s bedroom or private sitting room. However, what it really implies is a safe, private space belonging to a woman to use for a private activity of her choice. For Boudoir Photography, a boudoir photoshoot is designed for women to have sensual and tastefully sexy photos taken of themselves while posing in lingerie or sensual outfits of their choice. The sub-genre of bridal boudoir specifically focuses on a bride-to-be to pose by herself in white or traditional bridal lingerie before the actual wedding. These photos are then used for the bride to keep it for herself as well as present as a private wedding gift to her partner in an album format or as an artistic canvas wall art to be put up in the couple’s married bedroom.
A professional and responsible boudoir photographers takes your privacy very seriously and will NEVER show any of your photos to anyone without your permission. After having a consultation with a boudoir photographer, you should receive a contract from the photographer detailing your wishes of how private or discrete you want the photoshoot to be. For example, as a Toronto Boudoir Photographer, I always ensure that my contracts are in compliance with the local laws and that my clients and their privacy is always protected.
Your bridal boudoir session can be done in your own bedroom at home or at a stylish hotel room. I provide the comfort, safety, and perfection of a boudoir photography studio in Toronto/GTA. I have beautiful sets that look like luxury bedrooms, bright & naturally-lit parlour-style chaise set, darker vintage backdrops, and the flexibility to turn my studio into what suits your session the best. Because I feel that when an environment is set up that is designed to represent who you are and what you love, it automatically makes it natural to capture the very best of you in your essence.
Why choose a specialized boudoir photographer instead of a wedding photographer?
While Bridal Boudoir is for women who want to give a unique and special gift to their intended on the occasion of their wedding, boudoir photography, in its essence, is for any woman, at any adult point in her life, for any reason including a gift to herself.
Just like your spa routine, you would want to go to a manicure specialist for your nails, a facial specialist for your face, and a hair stylist for a blow out, same thing applies to your photography. Every photographer masters the genre they are most in love with. For wedding photography, you need to be a pro at finding all the details and the special moments throughout the event, for commercial photography you need to have an understanding of “agency environment.” Similarly, for boudoir photography, a photographer needs to be trustworthy, sympathetic to all the aspects of womanhood, know that beauty means different things to different people, firmly believe in a woman’s right to choose how she wants to be seen, and have a consistent and clear vision of intimate photography.
I have spent a long time perfecting my craft and my formal education in human development and political science makes me uniquely fitting to be your boudoir photographer in Toronto. My GTA/Toronto boudoir photography studio is an all-female, well-equipped studio to accommodate your taste and style. I am a short drive away from a beautiful beach where we can shoot in the summer. I am also available to travel and photograph you at a location of your choice.
Tough Questions: Will he still love me tomorrow?
Yes, my lady, yes! Some reasons are comprehendible for young women, some reasons you may only understand after you turn 50 and your body changes — your reasons to celebrate your body now are going to be different than your reasons of celebrating your body then. And you will be grateful that you have documented your evolution every step of the way.
Every woman is beautiful. This is may sound like a cliché but it is as true as the sky is blue. A girl I have been friends with for the last ten years is ridiculously beautiful. We’re talking supermodel gorgeous — but she only has a few photos of herself. I talked to her about it recently and she revealed that she has never let anyone take a photo of herself. I was dumbstruck! because while everyone had TRIED to take a photo of her, she would block them and not let them do it. When I told her this, she seriously looked sad and said, “why did I do that?”
Youth and Insecurity
Why do we feel so insecure in our youth? This is one of our most powerful phases but why don’t we celebrate it? This is not the day and age when women are forced to wear garter belts and stockings. Now we have the choice to wear what we want. Not all boudoir shoots need to look like a Victoria’s Secret ad. Your shoot can be as raw and “un-made” as you like. This is all real: Frilly & girlie or rock & butch.
As much as boudoir is basically about getting undressed in a safe environment, it really is about “dressing up” to get more than a sexy bathroom selfie! You will be showing off your very best self. Your day might start off with a bath. Then you walk in for your professional hair and makeup. We get you in your sexy “lingerie” or jeans and a sexy crop top — whatever is your calling! You come in my studio for you glam shoot, you slip out of your tracks and sweats and unleash the true beauty hidden inside.
Miss C
Miss C came was looking for a female Toronto boudoir photographer when she came to me for her bridal boudoir session one year AFTER her wedding as an anniversary present — but she wasn’t sure how her husband would receive it. She wondered if his reaction would be negative or less than ecstatic. She had never gifted him anything sexual or implicit before and he hadn’t seen her as classically sexy before. Born and brought up in a religious environment, she had no experience of embracing herself beyond the modesty she was taught to exhibit at all points in life. She came in anyway and we did the shoot. She transformed into this confident runway model while she was posing for me! When she gave her husband her favourite images in a luxury grand designer album which comes in a gorgeous glass & vegan leather reveal box, she told me that her husband looked at her in a way that she had never felt he had before! She told me that it gave their relationship a new dimension and it wasn’t all about sex, it was the fact that he started to see her as a confident woman who is comfortable in her own skin which truly surprised and excited him.
What it takes to pose like a bombshell?
A drink or two? Maybe, maybe not. As an artist and an image-creator, I want you to be in your element and in your character which can’t really happen if you’re relying a bit too much on liquid courage. An expert photographer is well-equipped to guide you through flow posing that feels natural and feels good. You will ultimately feel relaxed and at ease once we get into the groove of it.
The best advice that I can give you from the experience of photographing hundreds of women is: Be yourself! Whether you are a bare-faced natural goddess or an airbrushed diva, your choice has to be right for you and your style. You can Google and Pinterest the hell out of “boudoir photography inspiration” boards but all inspiration really is this: Being mentally and emotionally motivated to do something.
The reason we fall in love
It’s simple: We want to feel something — we want to be inspired by our partner.
Ladies of the world: Be proud of your body and no longer feel ashamed when you reveal your beauty. Is boudoir nudity? I say that Boudoir is more about art than anything else. Walk through any museum and you will see that through centuries women’s beauty has been captured to be marvelled upon forever by the most celebrated artists that have ever existed in history. Take the time to find an artist whose body of work draws you in and who you think can capture you exactly the way you want to be remembered for eternity.
