10 Dos & Don'ts To Prepare You For Your First Boudoir Shoot!

You guys! I’m getting boudoir photos done tomorrow. Yes, me.

One of my favourite people, Ashley Ketch from Ashley Marie Creative Studios is doing a boudoir session tomorrow, so I HAD to blog about it. If you’ve been following me this last year, you know I’ve been working hard on self love and body positivity, so this aligns perfectly with that personal mission of mine.

I’ve been spending the past couple of weeks preparing for the session, and I’ve come up with this list of dos and don’ts to help prepare you for your first session too!

Advice from the photographer:

Check out this boudoir section of Ashley’s website to see her professional advice on how to prepare for your session!

1- Do Look Up / Follow Body Positive Influencers, Bloggers, Friends, Etc

Leading up to my session, I’ve been taking in ALL the body positivity I can. Sometimes we can get into a cycle of following people who aren’t so great for our mental health, so it’s important to take a step back and ask yourself if the people you follow are actually good for you.

2- Don’t Crash Diet

You want to FEEL your best leading up to this shoot, and crash dieting will just make you feel WORSE. Focus on staying healthy, active and hydrated.

3- DO Make a playlist

I’m a bit of a playlist connoisseur, and I make playlists for literally every event, occasion or mood. Leading up to the boudoir shoot, I’ve been listening to music that makes me feel happy, upbeat and empowered. Or in other words, music that makes me feel like a baddie- because hello.

4- Don’t change up your skincare routine leading up to the shoot

I’ve been obsessed with skincare lately and recently ordered some new Retinol by The Ordinary. I decided to wait until after the boudoir session to try it, because sometimes retinol can make your skin worse before it gets better. YES your photographer can edit out any blemishes you don’t like (although there’s nothing wrong with having blemishes)- I just personally know I wouldn’t FEEL my best if my skin was having a meltdown.

5- DO practice hair and makeup ahead of time

If you can swing it, I would 100% recommend getting your hair and make-up professionally done. First of all because it’s fun and luxurious to be pampered, and second of all because make-up artists know how to do proper make-up for photos. Also double check with your photographer before booking, because some have a make-up person on location during the shoot. I considered getting my make-up done, but sis is on a budget (I was quoted $80 for make-up alone) so I opted to do it myself. Im comfortable enough with make-up and false lashes to whip something together, but if you aren’t, again I would recommend getting it done.

*Note: I have a lot of friends in the beauty industry, so I wanted to mention that I 100% think their services are worth the price they charge! I personally just felt fine with doing it myself vs paying for it for this particular shoot.

I first researched the proper way to do make-up for photos. There are certain things you should and shouldn’t do for professional photography- for example don’t use SPF because it can cause flashback. Then I pinned some ideas to Pinterest, and ordered lashes from Amazon.

Yesterday was my day off, so I took a couple hours to practice curling my hair (for the first time in YEARS), and doing my make-up. I sent the final look to my amazing goddess photographer friend for approval, and she liked it, so fingers crossed I can recreate it tomorrow!

6- Do Go Shopping

A boudoir shoot it a fun excuse to get some new delicates. Delicates? Lingerie? What do you call it? I wanted something that I would be comfortable in, so I opted for high waisted black bottoms and a black lace bra. I personally didn’t want to show any more skin than I would on the beach, so this outfit allows me to be covered but still feel classy and confident.

Side note- if you’re plus size and in Canada, I found this HOLY GRAIL bra at Pennington’s! I have it in both black and white and it’s incredible.

7- Don’t get a spray tan

I wasn’t sure if I would list this one or not, but the more I think about it, the more important I think it is. I considered getting a spray tan before my session- but then I had a flashback to a crisp white dress that got ruined by a spray tan a few years ago, and pictured the bed at the hotel having the same fate. The last time I got a spray tan (by a highly recommended professional) it was 2 days before the “event”, and even after 2 showers, I still ruined my dress. Imagine showing up to a boudoir shoot at a fancy hotel and leaving an orange imprint on the white bedding - with several other clients getting their photos done after you. Eek! I’m extremely pale, but that’s just me so I’m owning it.

8- Do pamper yourself (but not the night before your shoot)

This is a time to feel like a goddess, so you’ve probably got some things on your “to do” list leading up to your session. Any waxing should be done a week before to avoid any skin irritation, and any major hair changes (like going from brunette to blonde, etc) should be done with enough time to fix them if needed before your shoot.

If you’re planning on getting any services that aren’t typical for you (eyelash extensions, etc) for the first time, do a trial run ahead of time to make sure you don’t have any adverse reactions.

Some things you CAN do the night before your session are things that are tried and true- take a bubble bath, use your favourite face mask, moisturize with the expensive lotion you only use on special occasions, etc.

9- Don’t wait until you’re at your “ideal” weight to get boudoir photos done!

If you’ve read this list because you WANT boudoir photos done, but are planning on doing them once you’ve reached some sort of milestone, here’s your sign to do it NOW. I’ve been saying for YEARS how I want to get boudoir photos done once I reach my ideal weight. When Ashley told me she was doing boudoir sessions this weekend and asked if I wanted to come, I almost messaged her back and said no. That I would when I was thinner or more fit. But then I realized how many things in my life I’ve avoided because of my weight. I’ve avoided running full force into the ocean with my son because I was afraid of my body jiggling. I’ve avoided being cool and comfortable on hot Summer days because I didn’t want people to see my arms. I’m done avoiding things that I actually REALLY want to do. And when I’m old and looking back at my 31 year old body in these photos, I know I’ll be glad I got them done. When I do reach my ideal weight or level of fitness, I can always book another session!

10- Do relax!

This is supposed to be a fun and empowering experience! I’ll admit, I’m a bit nervous for tomorrow- because I’m human and I’m doing something I’ve never done before. It’s normal. Tonight before bed I’m going to take in as much body positive content online as possible, maybe do a guided meditation on YouTube, some confidence journaling, etc.

Just focus on having fun!

Have I inspired you to book your own session? Let me know in the comments!

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