The Boudoir Session Master Planning Timeline
Ok you’ve decided to book a session, and you want an album or prints in time to gift on your wedding day (or night), awesome! If you’re shooting with me, my turnaround is comfortably a month. So if your wedding is July 1st, aim to do your session no later than the first week of June. I try to be really quick at editing, but these days shipping and printing times can vary, so give yourself at least 30-45 days to safely have everything created and delivered to you. If you’re reading this less than a month out, no fear! We can still probably have digital images ready by your date, and then you can gift your album on your honeymoon, or even save it for your first anniversary, which is the Paper anniversary. We start talking, reserve your date, and get you all setup and ready for a great session with me.
1 Year- 2 Months Ahead
\Get in touch with me, schedule our pre-session zoom chat, and think about some dates that might work. If this is a surprise, it could be helpful to think about a date/time where your partner might be at work, occupied, or out of town.
I typically shoot Sun-Fri but have Saturday availability when I am not scheduled for a wedding.
6-1 Month Ahead
You do not, I repeat, do NOT need to lose weight, diet, workout out like crazy, or conveniently get a stomach bug before your photoshoot. You are beautiful just as you are. What you DO need to do, is get comfortable in your body. You are stepping into something you’ve never done before, you wouldn’t throw the opening pitch at a baseball game never having thrown a baseball before, right? After hours and hours spent coaching clients makes the most difference, is just being aware of your body. Try a body scan meditation, yoga, (try this yoga flow for self love) Pilates, dance, Zumba, weight lifting, running, really anything to get you more in touch with that beautiful vessel you live in. Get to know how it moves, how it feels, get to love it a little more. We spend most of our day sitting typically, and it’s easy to live in your head so much you forget what your body is capable of, so just show it some extra love leading up to your shoot, you’ll feel way more confident for it.
Get Your Body Ready!
2 Months Ahead
Start looking at outfits, maybe try a few things on, order a few things (double check return policies!) and get an idea for what feels best on your body. If you’re not a lingerie person that’s ok, it’s all confusing and overwhelming, just pick what you think is cute and see how you feel. There is something out there that will feel great, I promise. And if not? Just wrap yourself in a sheet or your veil and call it good, nothing wrong with that at all!
Book any appointments you need to. Feel free to leave your nails bare or paint them yourself, but if you do choose to get a mani/pedi, hair color refresh, spray tan, wax, now is the time to book those.
4-6 Weeks Prior
1. BEGIN DREAMING ABOUT YOUR IDEAL BOUDOIR OUTFITS.
SHOP YOUR CLOSET FOR YOUR FAVORITE PIECES YOU ALREADY OWN AND LOOK AT MAGAZINES AND BRANDS YOU LOVE FOR INSPIRATION. A FEW OF MY FAVS ARE MADEWELL AND ANTHROPOLOGIE.
2. GO SHOPPING!
ASK A GIRLFRIEND TO JOIN YOU AND HELP YOU FIND PIECES YOU NOT ONLY LOOK GOOD IN, BUT FEEL GOOD IN! THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX AND DON’T BE AFRAID TO TRY SOMETHING THAT’S A LITTLE OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE. YOU NEVER KNOW, YOU COULD LOVE A NEW PIECE!
3. CHOOSE 3-5 OUTFITS
BEGIN TO NARROW DOWN YOUR OUTFIT CHOICES TO 3-5 FAVORITE OUTFITS. DON’T BE AFRAID TO LET YOUR PERSONALITY SHINE!
4. THINK BEYOND THE SHOOT
THINK ABOUT HOW YOU WANT TO PRESERVE YOUR PHOTOS. AN ALBUM AND PRINTS ARE MY FAVORITE WAY TO SHOW OFF MY BOUDOIR PHOTOS!
For more examples of our Signature Style, check out our Pinterest Board.
3-5 Days Prior
1. Wax or shave and moisturize.
2. Avoid spray tans or tanning lotions. No matter how natural tanning sprays and lotions may seem, they create an orange glow that cannot be retouched after your session.
3. Drink plenty of water to hydrate your skin.
4. Remove all price and sizing tags from lingerie. Even the permanent ones.
5. Choose your final 2-3 outfits.
1-2 Days Prior
1. Get a fresh manicure! Avoid bright colors, neutrals are best.
2. Avoid alcohol and drink plenty of water to hydrate your skin!
3. Moisturize your skin.
4. Pack your boudoir bag the night before to ensure the essentials aren’t forgotten.
5. Double check your list, relax, and get ready to be pampered!
Boudoir Session Day
1. ARRIVE WITH A CLEAN AND MOISTURIZED FACE. OUR TEAM WILL PAMPER YOU WITH HAIR AND MAKEUP.
2. MOISTURIZE YOUR ENTIRE BODY!
3. WEAR LOOSE FITTING CLOTHING AND UNDERGARMENTS TO AVOID IMPRESSIONS ON THE SKIN.
4. EAT A LIGHT MEAL THAT WILL ENSURE YOU’RE SATISFIED BUT NOT BLOATED.
5. ALLOW PLENTY OF TIME TO ARRIVE A FEW MINUTES EARLY. YOU’LL FEEL AT EASE AND READY TO SLAY YOUR BOUDOIR SESSION!
How To Gift Your Photos and Nail the Surprise
Think about how you’d like to experience your images. Do you want digital copies to share in a text or email? Do you want a beautiful Art Album? Do you want loose prints so you can frame them, or slip one in a book or planner? We have lots of options that are perfect for whatever you have in mind.
If you want to present this as a surprise, here are some tips:
- Say you’re doing a hair/makeup trial, or that you got a free makeover at Sephora so you have an excuse to be a little extra glammed up.
- Book your session when your partner is out of town, at work, or on a day you can take a half day at work.
- If you want to keep your makeup on, schedule a date night, girls night, or something fun after, you’ll be feeling great and why not celebrate looking extra done up?
We have makeup wipes and face wash at the studio, and you can throw your hair up into a bun to conceal the curls.
I hope this guide was useful in helping you plan your Bridal Boudoir session! If you’re shooting with me, this is all things we’ll go over when we chat. It’s a really fun and unique experience, and I can’t wait to create some incredible, beautiful photographs that you and your partner will love forever.
ABOUT THE HAUS OF GREY
Creative. Clean. Different. We are a group of creatives in Atlanta, Ga. with a passion for storytelling. Founded in 2016, our studio has been serving women, especially women of color, at the highest capacity of creativity. The Haus of Grey experience is unrivaled. We’d love to treat you to a tea an panini in the Marietta, Georgia area and walk you through our albums, canvases and other print photography products. We can also provide more information on our Wedding Videography and introduce you to our team