The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Boudoir Session in New England | Boston Boudoir Photography
A flat lay of lingerie and beauty products as someone gets ready for their blushing bride boudoir session
Reasons for scheduling a boudoir session are like the books in your “to read” pile, practically endless but full of the potential for all kinds of stories. But once you’ve chosen yours and are ready to share your story, what should you be doing to get ready for your upcoming Boston boudoir session?
Communication - If it’s your first session, shooting boudoir can make you feel a little exposed and awkward. Part of overcoming that is going to be good communication with your photographer about their style and what you’re looking to get from the session - I usually like to have a nice welcome call to talk about your goals, how we do things, what’s important to you (and maybe what you don’t want to emphasize). We want you to feel amazing about your experience and your photos…
Research - If you’re scheduling your session you’ve probably been looking at a lot of photos and portfolios. What drew you into boudoir? What ideas excite and inspire you? A lot of our boudoir sessions are creative collaborations because they’re about you telling a story about a different side of you.
Styling - Start with the persona you’re looking to create for the shoot or the story you’re looking to tell. For most of my clients, I recommend bringing three outfits: cozy, safe, and something adventurous. Cozy can help you ease into a session and get more comfortable. Something safe is an outfit or set that makes you feel confident and amazing. Something adventurous or daring can be harder to define - maybe it’s a little more revealing than you normally like, maybe it’s something silly, maybe it’s nothing at all.
Sometimes you want to be the sexiest version of yourself in your boudoir session, other times you want to be an evil sorceress enchanting all and sundry with her wicked wiles.
Right After Booking:
Book hair and makeup (or we’ve got some great recommendations)
Tanning, waxing, haircuts or coloring should be done about a week before the session - close enough that you’re still feeling fresh but with enough time to fix any issues.
Manicures and pedicures are fine one or two days before as they’ll see more wear and tear.
Figure out shoot locations. We’ve got a great studio location with a lot of variety, but maybe it doesn’t exactly match your vibe.
The Lead Up:
Stay hydrated, get good sleep. Keep your routines for skincare and beauty, the last thing you need is a weird rash because you tried something new.
Try on your outfits to ensure they fit right and remove or hide any tags (including the labels).
After your shoot is a great time to set up a date night or outing, you're going to be looking amazing and feeling confident and you should make the most of it.
Pack everything you want for the shoot - extra pair of shoes; makeup for touchups, brush, and probably more outfits than you think you’ll need.
The Day Of:
Give yourself plenty of time to get to the studio, you don’t want to feel rushed or stressed going into the shoot.
Eat something, you can keep it light if you want but don’t shoot hangry.
Wear loose fitting clothing and avoid bags with narrow straps. Tight clothing and bags can leave marks on your skin.
Be glammed up and ready to go before your start time.
It’s normal to be nervous, once we break the ice you’ll have a great time.
What are you looking forward to about your Boston boudoir shoot? Have you had a shoot and have some great tips to get ready? Let us know.
Ryan Richardson is a wedding and engagement photographer serving Boston and beyond; including Cape Cod Weddings, New England Weddings, Massachusetts Weddings and Rhode Island Weddings.