The beauty of boudoir

The butt-kicking workouts, beauty consults and dress fittings all culminate in one day where the bride looks her absolute best as the camera clicks away. But the bride definitely deserves to celebrate her hard work more than once, and there's certainly no rule that says all that hard work put into perfectly a big-day look only gets to be captured once. Which is why some photographers believe the beauty run-through is the time to have a boudoir-photo session.

"It's so relaxing to get their hair and makeup done," says Brandy Pellegrino, a boudoir photographer in the Murrieta, Calif. "They leave the shoot feeling beautiful. It turns out not to be just a photo session but an absolutely perfect day."

Boudoir is a term for a woman's bedroom or private sitting room - "boudoir" literally comes from the French for "a sulking place" - and boudoir photography traditionally refers to intimate photos taken in that location. Boudoir photography is as old as photography itself, but bridal boudoir photography is a growing trend. Pellegrino began her photography business in 2004 and added boudoir a year later. Today,it makes up 90 percent of her business.

"Mainly the people that come to me have come to me in the lingerie store," says Pellegrino, whose studio is in the back of a lingerie store, which has some of her photos on display. "They see it and they like it. I think it's just being more popular, and the suggestion is there."

Doris Maran, a wedding and boudoir photographer in Maui, says its basically wherever the bride wants to take it. "It could mean getting shots done while the bride is getting ready in her underthings, or it can be an appointment before the wedding so the photos can be given as a gift," she says.

Most of the time it's the latter, where brides have sexy, sophisticated photos taken a few months before their wedding in order to have them printed to give to their fiancé on their wedding day or their honeymoon. A favorite photo can be individually framed, but often a set of photos are given in an album.

"They want something that's beautiful and good quality that they can tuck away," says Pellegrino, who provides photos to her clients either a leather-bound album, similar to the wedding album, or in a cloth folio.

Capturing bridal beauty without the traditional nuptial accoutrements like a dress and veil was what Maui bride Vanessa Cushenbery was aiming for when she chose to have Maran shoot boudoir photos two months before her wedding. She met the photographer at the beach, and then she took her clothes off. It wasn't lewd or coarse, Cushenbery says; it was beautiful. "It's a very special time, and [bridal boudoir] is a wonderful way to capture that moment," she says.

"What my clients like about it is that it's invigorating for women," Pellegrino says. "It just makes them feel special and pretty and happy that they could give a unique gift."

In fact, Pellegrino says only 50 percent of her client base is brides-to-be. Some have lost weight and want to celebrate their success, while others want to document their beauty as they age. It's something they do just to feel beautiful, but most are doing it "for his eyes only." Pellegrino herself stumbled into boudoir when a friend wanted something to send to her husband in Iraq.

"It's a tremendous gift to give your husband," says Danny Steyn of Adept Studios in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. "It's a unique thing that nobody else [can] give them. That in itself makes it a valuable gift."

Me? Sexy photos? No way!

Well, that's kind of the point. Bridal boudoir is about getting over your fears and enjoying the beauty that's yours. It's edgy, it's fun, and, yes, you'll look great.

"When we show our clients professional model books, their first response is 'I don't look like that,'" Steyn says.

"Then we show them that we can make just the average person on the street look incredibly sexy, and they start picturing how they would look in that setting, and they get excited."

"A lot of brides do it for themselves," says Marnee Marriott, a Scottsdale, Ariz.-based photographer. It's a time when they feel good and sexy, and they want to record that."

OK. I'll Do It. What next?

To start, choose a photographer you trust and whose style you like. Some women want a soft, dreamy look. Others want flash and glamour. Most of all, feel comfortable with your photographer but know you probably will be nervous.

"There's something valuable about overcoming that wall and feeling comfortable after being nervous," Maran says. "Usually I can get you comfortable in about 20 minutes."

Then the shoot can be a lot of fun. If you're at the beach you might find yourself rolling around in the sand like a swimsuit model, or if you're at home or a hotel, you might be luxuriously sprawled on the bed. This is your photoshoot. It's all about you, and that means your clothes, too. Many women choose to be photographed in their bridal undergarments and veil or in their favorite lingerie; some get more creative.

"It's always fun to have women bring something from their fiancé," Maran says. "Once a girl brought her fiancé's favorite leather jacket. She just wore her underwear and his jacket on the beach. It was a whole adventure - stealing it and getting it back without him noticing."

A Few Things to Consider
Ask about the rights to the photos - You want to make sure the images are released to you and that you know how your photographer plans to use them. You don't want to open a magazine and find your boudoir photo in the centerfold.

Don't drink before the shoot - You may think you need some liquid courage, but photographers don't recommend it if you want to look your best. "Brides' eyes get all droopy," Maran says.

Consider going to the shoot with friends or your fiancé - "We've started group sessions," Marriott says. "They're kind of parties where four or five friends come together and all have their photos done. It's moral support." If you're not keeping it a secret from your fiancé, it's also fairly common for him to make an appearance in a few of the photos, too.

Decide on touch-ups - The miracles of digital airbrushing are now commonplace in wedding photography, and Photoshop can have a dramatic effect on how your photos look. Steyn recently photographed a client who had a mastectomy before meeting her fiancé but wanted him to see what she looked like with both breasts. Photoshop made it happen. However, this is an extreme case, and some women don't want to be touched up on the computer at all. Make sure to discuss your preferences with your photographer.

Do the shoot well in advance - Closer to the wedding you're more likely to feel stressed, and doing the shoot on your wedding day can make you feel downright rushed. Also, if you want to be able to present your photos in a book or a poster, you need to allow several weeks for printing and designing. If you shoot closer to your wedding you may only be able present him with a few smaller prints, but whatever you do, it will be meaningful.