Many brides get boudoir sessions done before their weddings. Either as a gift for their future spouse or for themselves, but not everyone has the budget for a professional shoot. Having your own DIY bridal boudoir shoot is a valid option and I have some tips to help you.
Learn the Basics
Use your Wedding Dress
Pair a veil with white lingerie
Grab Something from your Fiancé
Focus on the Engagement Ring
Wear your Honeymoon Lingerie
Learn the Basics
The first step in pulling off your own bridal boudoir photos is to learn the basics of how to shoot them yourself. I have several articles on the subject. My suggestion would be to start with the following posts:
Use your Wedding Dress
There are two common ways to use a wedding dress in a shoot. One way is to take a few shots in your gown and then take it off to reveal the white lingerie underneath. The other is to have the dress hanging up in the background or lying on the bed slightly out of focus. There are so many things you can do here only limited by your creativity. Another good suggestion is to take pictures in between to get the reveal effect.
Pair a Veil with White Lingerie
This is the classic wedding boudoir outfit for a reason. The use of the veil and white lingerie is a timeless look and the combination makes for some interesting photo opportunities. If you don’t have a veil a piece of tulle or lace will work just as well.
Grab Something from your Fiancé
Borrowing a button-up dress shirt from your partner, is a go to for this. It brings something of them into your photos and is great for creating reveal shots where you can tease a little of what is underneath. There is also an opportunity here to highlight things you share and are passionate about as a couple. Love sports? Grab your favorite team jersey or wear lingerie in that team's colors. If your fiance has an old jersey from when he played football, soccer, or basketball that would be a great choice. Enjoy line dancing or horseback riding? Pull out your cowboy hat. How about something that reminds you of how you met? Maybe they won’t all be traditional images but who cares?! This session is all about your relationship and a few fun shots can really make your session unique and something special you will cherish forever.
Focus on the Engagement Ring
You have that beautiful new engagement ring that‘s a symbol of your love for each other, use it. There are many ways you can include your ring in the photos. Some of my favorites are detail shots while playing with your top or bottoms where the ring is front and center. While doing your research, Google “boudoir engagement ring” and click on the images tab to see more examples.
Wear your Honeymoon Lingerie
If you have lingerie specifically for your honeymoon, it is a fabulous addition to your outfit list. You spent the time to find the perfect thing, so why not get the most out of it. Plus, every time you look at those photos you will be taken back to your honeymoon and the fun you both had together.
Final Thoughts
You can 100% do your own bridal boudoir photos. It will take some time, preparation, research, and it will take energy, but it can be done. As a parting piece of advice, give yourself plenty of time to complete this project. Don’t expect to fit in a photo session last minute when you have a million other things on your plate; this is best done when you have a lull in the planning stages of your wedding. If you are struggling to find time beforehand you can still do this after. It would make a fantastic 1st anniversary gift as well.
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