5 Reasons to Do a Bridal Boudoir Photo Shoot

When it comes to wedding-planning priorities, booking the perfect wedding photographer is at the top of the list. From your engagement session to your first-look photos, there are a lot of opportunities to stand in front of the camera. But one that might not be on your radar? A bridal boudoir shoot.

Here, five reasons why you should consider a pre-wedding boudoir session.

1. To celebrate you.

A boudoir shoot is a great way to celebrate yourself, to create some amazing photographs that reflect just how vivacious and incredible you really are. It's often easy to get swept up with work and life. "Sometimes the fire glows a little dimmer than it once did, and when that happens, having some great images of yourself to look back on can help reignite that flame within yourself," says photographer Bailey Harada Stone.

"Imagine the power these images will have in 20, 30, even 50 years' time...when you can look back at these memories and see just how beautiful, confident, and sexy you were at this stage of your life," says Kylie Maree of Just for Love Photography.

2. To make you feel empowered.

A boudoir shoot is a great way to boost your self-confidence before your wedding. "Looking back at the moments when you felt sexy and beautiful will remind you that it's the dress that's not so great, not you," says Stone. "I think one of the most important reasons to organize a boudoir session is simply that you are enough...as you are right now, without changing anything," says Maree. It will empower you to feel more confident in your own skin—and that is invaluable!

3. It's an excuse to go lingerie shopping.

Between securing the venue, caterer, band, and officiant (the list goes on and on...), planning your wedding can be all-consuming. Sometimes a bride-to-be just needs a break. And what better way to spend some well-deserved downtime than lingerie shopping? After all, you're going to need a few pretty little things for your wedding night and honeymoon anyway.

4. It makes a great gift for your partner.

Your other half sees you at your best and worst (think, no sleep and bad hair)—and still thinks you're gorgeous. Bridal boudoir photos are the wedding gift.

5. To make you more comfortable in front of the camera.

"A boudoir session is an intimate experience between a client and her photographer, requiring a lot of guidance and trust," says Maree. "The sessions that I have photographed for my brides-to-be have enabled us to connect on a deeper level, which in turn makes brides even more comfortable with me on their wedding day. The more trust, the better the images are as a result."