Preparing for my session | Part One

Sweaty palms.

Inner mean girl screaming.

Body shaming.

Countless returns.

I’ve been a professional photographer for over a decade now.  After being a bride, I learned so much from my own experience.  I could finally relate to the wedding jitters.  I could relate to the struggles, the challenges, the highs, and the lows.

When I launched the boudoir side of my business, I knew exactly what I needed to do in order to relate.

I needed to book my own boudoir session.

So that’s exactly what I did.  I did the damn thing.  I took my own advice and spent money on myself.  A lot of money.  A lot of self-love, “I’m worth this”, kind of money.

The journey from booking my session to having the session wasn’t always rainbows and unicorns though.

Shopping for my Boudoir Session

I struggled a lot with finding outfits that I felt beautiful…no scratch that…confident in.  

I’m a momma to two littles.  At the time of my session, I was barely 12 months postpartum.  I have breastfed both babies.

I have curves.  I have a round kubus, and my boobs – they resemble utters these days.

My first challenge with my boudoir session wasn’t canceling after receiving the first order of lingerie in the mail. 

I felt ashamed and frustrated with my body.  I’m not one of God’s favorites who bounces back after a pregnancy.  Those extra baby pounds hang on.

I took a few days and started shopping again.  

I’m most self-conscious about my boobs.  Knowing that they are ginormous, I would need to find something with full coverage up top.  These girls aren’t perky, either.  Nourishing and keeping alive two small humans has made them sad and deflated balloons.  So not only would I need full coverage, I would also need support. 

Pro tip – Amazon and Shein have great deals on lingerie pieces, however, order a size or two UP if you’re curvy like me.  Chinese clothes don’t account for the extra carbs and chocolate us Americans divulge in.  

Self-Love Appointments

• Brazillian

I used the excuse of my boudoir session to book some appointments for myself.  

The first appointment I booked was with Sarah at Studio 103 in Belden.

Sarah is a certified Full Body Sugar specialist.  (IE: she waxed my vagina and butthole.  Talk about vulnerability….yikes!)

READ MORE ABOUT MY BRAZILIAN EXPERIENCE HERE!

• Mani and Pedi

This truly goes without saying.  Don’t you just feel better when you have a manicure and pedicure done?! 

Those pedicure chairs alone are worth the $45 experience!

• Spray Tan

I’m the first to admit that for years I recommended my clients avoid spray tans before their sessions.  

If it wasn’t for a friend referring Nikki from Glow Spray Tans, I would probably still think spray tans are the devil!

Disclaimer:  I still feel that there are good spray tans and bad spray tans.  And it’s important that if you decide to have a spray tan, you go to someone highly trusted and knows what they are doing.  

READ MORE ABOUT MY SPRAY TAN EXPERIENCE HERE!

I thought that simply booking my boudoir session was the only leap of courage I had to take in this experience.  In reality, every single day leading up to my session took courage.

I’m excited to share more with you in my next blog post about my actual session experience!

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Big thanks to following ladies who contributed to the largest confidence boost I have felt in years!

Photography | Mallory Ann Photography
Hair and Makeup | Rachel Gabrielle and Co.
Studio | The Creatives