Hot damn! You did it. You booked a boudoir session. 

I’m proud of you for taking that first big step to doing something amazing for yourself.

Boudoir sessions are about celebrating and loving you and your beautiful body – every curve, lump, roll, and dimple of it. It’s about channeling your inner badass and feeling fantastic about yourself.

At the beginning of a boudoir session, most clients are a little nervous or overwhelmed at first. But they quickly get over it when they realize how much fun we’re having. I create a safe space for you let go and be your true self. You’ll feel comfortable and cared for. I’ll give you gentle guidance and direction throughout the boudoir session, so you never feel at a loss for what to do. 

This boudoir session welcome guide is full of information on prepping for your shoot, as well as what to expect during your shoot. 

Again, I know this can feel overwhelming, but I’m always here to help you if you’re feeling nervous. If you have any questions about anything, please drop me an email at photos@blossomboudoirstudio.com.

Hair & Makeup Prep

Please arrive at my studio with clean, moisturized skin, and clean, DRY hair.  

Nails

My suggestion is to either have nothing or your nails or have your nails done in a simple neutral color. Try to avoid neon colors unless that’s your trademark thing! Soft pinks, white, burgundy, or dark red, navy blue, black, taupe, or grey all look great. 

Salon

If you’re planning to get a haircut or color, make sure you give yourself a few days to make sure you are happy with it. I recommend scheduling your salon appointment 5-7 days before your shoot. 

Basic Prep

Eat before your shoot. DO NOT STARVE YOURSELF! 

Boudoir shoots are a lot of work, and you’ll need lots of energy, so it’s really important that you properly fuel your body on the days leading up to your shoot. Do not starve yourself thinking that it will make you look thinner for photos. That’s not what this is about. 

Drink lots of water! 

Keeping properly hydrated is always important, but try to drink extra H2O all the way leading up to your shoot. It makes your skin look great and can help clear up breakouts. 

Stretch the night before & the morning of your shoot. 

Again, boudoir shoots are a lot of work. It’ll be easier to achieve poses if you’re properly stretched. 

Stay out of the sun or wear lots of sunscreen. 

Please do NOT spray tan or go to a tanning bed. It does not translate well on camera. 

Use moisturizer or lotion regularly leading up to your session. 

Your skin will thank you! Along with all of that water you’ve been drinking, your skin should be looking glowy and fabulous. Like the immaculate creature you are.

Do not get waxed if you do not normally get waxed. 

Now is not the time to experiment! You’ll likely end up with angry, red, irritated skin and that’s NOT something that can be hidden or “Photoshopped” out.

Do not pop pimples before your shoot. 

It’s easier to cover pimples if you DON’T pop them. Our in-house hair and makeup artist will do a fantastic job covering any pimples! (Just go on ahead and pick up a box of these and if you wake up the morning of your shoot with a pimple, you can put one of those little stickers over it to calm it down and shrink it a bit before your shoot. You can thank me later.)

Do NOT drink alcohol before arriving at your shoot. 

I get that you might be nervous. But trust me, alcohol is NOT the answer. It’s my job to make you feel comfortable! I do not allow drinking before my boudoir sessions.

Make sure to try on all of your outfits ahead of time. 

Make sure everything fits how you like, and is comfortable. You can leave the tags on (unless you’re absolutely sure you want to keep it) that way, if we don’t end up using something, you can return it if you want. 

The Day of Your Session: What to Bring

Arrive wearing loose-fitting, comfy clothes. We want to avoid tight clothes or bras that will leave red lines on your body (so feel free to skip the bra altogether!)

Arrive 10-15 minutes early for your shoot so we have time to go through your outfits, and you can peruse the Client Closet. Bring as many outfits as you’d like. If you’re not sure about something, bring it anyway! I’ll help you narrow down the best options. 

Jewelry

If you love jewelry, don’t forget to bring some of your favorite pieces. You can wear jewelry with your outfits, or nude! 

Shoes

I don’t usually shoot with heels or shoes, but if it’s part of your outfit, or something you’d like to include, we can definitely do that! Make sure the bottoms of your shoes are clean (just wipe them down) if they’ve been worn before. 

What to Wear for Your Boudoir Session

I’m also sending you my What to Wear Guide that goes through everything in more detail, but here’s the gist of it: Wear what you feel amazing in. What matters is that you’re comfortable, you feel good in it, and it feels like you. The point of this shoot is not fitting into any mold or idea of what “should be”. 

Here are some links to online options for lingerie. I know lingerie shopping in person can be incredibly difficult (and frustrating) if you’re not a “standard size”. Most of these are inclusive or at least go up to a 3x. 

Siobhan Barret
Hey Mavens
For Love & Lemons (sustainable)
Just Babes Club (one of my faves)
Savage x Fenty
Smart Glamour (also check out their body suits!)
Bawdy Love Clothing
Playful Promises
Rebirth Garments
The Girlfriend Collective (sustainable / more casual)
Tomboy X
Burgundy Fox 
ASOS
Torrid
Lane Bryant
Target
Shein
Amazon (tons of reviews!)
Aerie
Hips & Curves
Cacique
Parade
MeUndies
Arq

and my favorite website for styling: 

PebbyForevee — The sizing is mid-size range, but you have to check her out to see how she styles things. I love what she does with bramis and glam jewelry. Def boudoir-inspo worthy browsing. She’ll show you how to make the stuff you probably already have in your closet look sexy as hell. 

And the tees… I can vouch for the tees. They’re soft and comfy and they look amazing with leggings. The sleeves aren’t too long or baggy or off. 

If you’re super self-conscious about your middle, then you’ll def want to check out how she styles her tees. It’s the most boudoir shoot worthy styling of a tee I’ve ever seen. 

During Your Boudoir Session

Prior to your boudoir session, I will give you the posing spiel rundown. Then as we are shooting, I will demonstrate each pose first, and gently guide you through everything. I’ll let you know everything you need to do, from where to look, how to tilt your head, what to do with your hands and your feet (point the toes!) as well as give you basic pointers on what not to do.

My biggest tip is to just get into it! The more you really get into it, the better. It’s a joint effort of making art together 😉  

Some poses are uncomfortable, but let me know if anything hurts or pinches or pulls. Let me know if you have any injuries or limitations. (This is why it’s important to stretch!) 

There is no sucking it in or hiding or minimizing in my studio. There is no apologizing for the space you take up. 

Your Belly

If you have a big belly and it hangs low or pokes out or has stretch marks or it jiggles, then I encourage you to show it off. If you’re still working towards accepting this part of your body, then this is a fantastic way to celebrate it, or any part of your body that you may have some harsh feelings towards. 

Your boudoir session is a great way to connect to your body. So let your belly (and your body) do its thing, uninhibited. 

Nudity

By no means is nudity mandatory, but getting naked (or even just topless) during your boudoir session is soooo liberating! I keep nude poses beautiful and classic, and the level of sexiness is totally in your control. It’s whatever you’re comfortable with! (And we can always use an artfully placed white sheet or plush blanket for implied nudity.) 

Policy Reminders

NO ALCOHOL

I do not allow alcohol to be consumed before or during your shoot. If I suspect a client has been drinking before their shoot, I will ask them to leave and our contract will be terminated. This rule is VERY important! If you’re feeling nervous, please know that I’m here to ease your nerves. You do not need alcohol! 

NO FRIENDS / FAMILY

Please come alone to your boudoir session. If you must bring a friend or family member, they will have to wait out in the hallway or in the coffee shop while we shoot. It is VERY difficult to get comfortable and let go and have fun when someone you know is watching you. You’ll feel more weird than empowered. Trust me. 

NO BULLSHIT

My studio is a safe, loving, accepting space. There is NO self-hate talk, diet / diet culture talk, or intentional weight loss talk. If you want to talk about the things you’ve been through, that’s totally ok! Just don’t depreciate yourself. My studio is a place of positive, loving thoughts and comments about ourselves. 

For example: saying something like, “I used to loathe myself and my body, but it’s something I’ve been working on,” is okay. Saying, “Ugh. I am sooo gross. I should have lost weight before my shoot. Can you make me look skinny?” is NOT okay. Which brings us to… 

NO PHOTOSHOP

I DO NOT and WILL NOT edit your photos to make you look thinner, more toned, etc. This is non-negotiable. I also do NOT allow my clients to take their photos to be edited elsewhere. I do NOT get rid of tattoos, sun burns, tan lines, logos, etc. 

However, I WILL get rid of pimples, upon request. (And we’ll talk more about that at your shoot.)

Blossom Boudoir Studio Contact Info

1320 Milton Road, Alton, IL 62002

blossomboudoirstudio@gmail.com

314-656-6596

I hope you’ve found this Boudoir Session Welcome Guide to be helpful! You check out more helpful content here:

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