Boudoir or not to boudoir?

You may have caught wind of the steadily growing trend for bridal boudoir sessions as a gift to the groom. What guy wouldn't be thrilled to see pictures of his lovely wife looking hot to trot, right? But running around practically naked in front of a photographer often seems daunting and nerve-wracking to many girls. This feeling is completely legitimate, but I would like to offer some food for thought in the hopes of encouraging any girls out there *thinking* about doing b-pics to just go for it!

• You don't necessarily need to be 'half naked'.

There are many attire options that can be great for boudoir, without being to risque (if risque isn't your thing). Is your honey a sports fanatic? Throw on his favorite team's jersey and some cute booty shorts. Voila- instant sexy! Or do you love the look of bridal white lingerie, just not the whole garter get up? You can find some gorgeous satin slips that are elegant and still scream hot mama. Whatever you choose to wear, be sure you are comfortable because you will ultimately look more relaxed if you are confident in what you have on.

• Consider this- the shoot can be just as much for you as it will be for him.

How much fun would it be to get glammed up and have a talented photographer capture the beauty that is you from all the right angles? Super fun- and totally liberating! Most boudoir photographers love what they do because you leave the shoot feeling like a gorgeous woman, which is exactly how you should feel every day.

• Boudoir doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg.

Be smart about your outfits, and limit yourself to a few awesome choices instead of going for a zillion costume changes. (Trust me- your hubs won't be counting outfits when he sees the pictures). And get creative if you want to avoid paying a bunch for your shoot location. Consider doing the shoot on a week day, if possible- many hotels have discounted weekday rates. Or even find a friend who is looking to do b-pics as well, and offer for her to use the room for one portion of the day while you use it for the other half. Just be sure you consider your surroundings so that your photographer has plenty of unique and picturesque options to work with.

Two of my recent brides inspired this post after I spotted their killer boudoir pictures on Sarah K. Chen's blog. My two favorites that Sarah posted are below; simply gorgeous, if I do say so myself!