Bridal Boudoir: A Timeless Gift

Grab Your Bouquet, We’re Going For a Ride

Hey there, bride-to-be!  Don’t you look positively stunning!  Yes, the exclamation point was intentional- that wasn’t a question.  You do look stunning.  Word is someone else thinks you are really, really, ridiculously good-looking, too.  That wonderful human being who will be waiting for you at the other end of the aisle.  The one you get to spend the rest of your life with.  How freakin’ lucky are you!  Again, not a question- you are lucky.

And so is your person!  Not just because they get to spend the rest of time with a charming, caring, vibrant woman like yourself.  Although, that does make them pretty darn lucky.  But also because you love them so deeply that you are going to share every intimate corner of your being with them.  Which is truly amazing.

It also leads us to why you’re here!  One of those intimate corners you want to share with your future Forever Person is your inner confidence, sexiness, and playfulness.  You’re thinking about giving them a private boudoir album.  Well, we can help with that.

Giving boudoir albums as a wedding gift is actually a pretty storied tradition!  It goes back quite a long time, and can be a really powerful expression of your love.  That said, to set you up for success and make sure your album is delivered perfectly, and perfectly on time, consider this a primer on Bridal Boudoir.  Let’s get started.

You’ve Got Questions About Bridal Boudoir: We’ve Got Answers

So!  You’ve decided you want to do a boudoir shoot!  You got out your typewriter, hooked your modem up to the internet machine, and did an Ask Jeeves search for “Bridal Boudoir Photography in Tampa, Fl.”  Or, maybe you pulled out your phone and googled “bridal boudoir near me.”  Either way.

Every boudoir shoot begins with a consultation.  It’s just part of the process.  And Bridal Boudoir is no different.  We’re gonna jump on a call (ugh, yes, I know, the talking part of using the phone- it’s necessary, trust me, and we’ll keep it painless) and chat out some details!  Those details are necessary, though.  Because we work some pretty cool magic when we do Bridal Boudoir.

You see, some brides like to create the illusion that the boudoir shoot was done on the same day as their wedding- not weeks (or months) beforehand.  So we get a little tricky.  Are you bringing your veil?  Your shoes?  Do you want to do your makeup in the same style as your wedding day?  Hair too?  How much of the illusion do you want to create that while your person was getting ready, you were doing a private shoot- just for them.

Or maybe you want to include something of your person’s in the shoot!  A favorite t-shirt, or a treasured object that has meaning to you both, something along those lines.  We want to ensure that we plan for any and all of these little personal touches before you arrive at our studio.  

Okay!  So that’s step one.  Give me a call.  No, seriously, just click on the magic little phone number, and let’s talk!

Bridal Boudoir Is Not Your Standard Photo Album

Have you ever picked up a book off the bookshelf because you loved how its cover looked?  And if that’s a little too on the nose, what about a music album?  A stunning cover can be an integral part of how we experience something- whether it’s a story, music, or your boudoir album.  And while it really is the content that matters (spoiler: in this case, you’re the content), there is something to be said for the package that it comes in.

After all, your boudoir shoot is a pretty special experience.  You don’t want to take those photos and hand them to your beloved in a Ziploc baggy, right?  Alright, extreme example, but you get it.

One of the things we’ll do together at your shoot is pick out the exact album you want to give to your person.  And believe me, we have a LOT of options.  We can do custom gilding, as well as personalize the colors.  Maybe you want it to match your wedding colors, or maybe you want it to be their favorite color.  What do you want it to say on the cover?  Your wedding date?  Both your initials?  A personal message?

Start thinking about these things!  And don’t worry, we know there’s a certain fear of ‘not knowing what you don’t know.’  But that’s why creating the album is a collaborative experience.  We’ll be there to help out, AND we have samples on site of EVERYTHING, so you’ll know exactly what it will look like before it arrives.  No plastic baggies for this gal!  Only the finest.

Mark Your Calendar!

Okay, this is probably the most important of everything we need to cover today.  We’ve talked about timing in other articles, and you can see some of those here.  In the case of Bridal Boudoir, though, it’s doubly important.  That’s because we want to make sure you have the exact right album at the exact right time for your perfect day.  So because of that, we recommend some slightly different timelines for brides.  

Let’s start with the easy recommendation: the earlier, the better.  If you can work with us a few months before your wedding, great!  That gives us plenty of time to figure out all the little details and make sure delivery happens well in advance.  You’ll have your album in hand and ready to go.  Easy like Easy Mac.  Just, like, don’t try and eat your album- it doesn’t taste as good as Easy Mac.

But let’s talk a little more realistically.  Things happen faster these days, and everyone’s timetable is a little tighter.  So what do we recommend as the absolute floor for timing?  Just a few details first.

We’ve Got International Connections

We work with exactly two companies to produce our albums.  That’s it.  One is out of Italy, and the other is an all-female team in Canada.  We’ll choose one or the other depending on the type of album you would like produced.  Rest assured, though, both work specifically in fine art and with boudoir photographers, and handling sensitive materials professionally and discreetly is a measure of their reputation.  That’s why we only work with two, and not just anyone.  We only want professional, discreet people handling your treasured photos. 

What does all that mean for you?  It means no matter what, your photos will be coming internationally, which takes a little time.  Typically they complete the product in 3 – 6 business days, and it takes 7 – 12 business days to ship.

We then recommend adding an additional three weeks as a buffer.  Yes.  Three weeks.  JUST IN CASE.  

Again, we don’t want anything to throw off the perfect groove of your perfect day.  We want all of this to come together in advance, with some additional time for things to be changed if needed.  So figure on six weeks as your floor for delivery.  

Alright.  Let’s get off this pony and on to our last topic!

This Magic Moment

You’ve done your research (re: googling ‘Boudoir in Tampa, Florida’), you’ve done your consultation (quick phone call with me!), you’ve picked out your album (SO many options), and you’ve done all of this at least six weeks before your wedding.

Whew!  So when can you give your special person this awesome gift?!

This part is entirely up to you.  We have some thoughts and some popular ideas to share, but we really want to emphasize: this is all about how you want them to experience the album.  You’ve put a lot of time and effort into this, so it shouldn’t be something you just hand across the table while you’re eating pizza one night.  Not that there’s anything wrong with pizza, pizza is awesome.  We’re just saying.  Have a little fanfare for this moment.  Cause it’s really freakin’ special.

When It Comes to Bridal Boudoir, Timing Is Everything

Lots of women like to give the album during some of the pre-wedding festivities.  Maybe you’re spending the night together before the wedding.  Or you have a special evening with one another planned after the rehearsal dinner.  Those are both great times to give the album.  Another popular one is to have the maid of honor bring the album to the groom while he is getting ready on the day of the nuptials.  Or have his best man deliver it in a quiet moment when the two of them are getting ready for the big day.  Just make sure they exercise appropriate timing.  It should be a private moment where your special person can revel in the beauty that is YOU.  

We think the best time to give the album, though, is the night after the wedding.  When you’re both together and filled with marital bliss.  You’ll get to see their reaction and celebrate the moment together.  We think that’s worth hanging on to the album one more day.

But, again, this is all about the experience YOU want to create for your betrothed.  If you’ve got a fun, creative idea on how to give the album to them, don’t let us stand in your way!  Work those brainstorming muscles out and see what you can come up with!

You’re Ready to Walk Down the Aisle- And Into Our Studio

Alright!  You’re basically an expert on Bridal Boudoir now!

Okay, maybe there are a few more things you’ll want to learn about before you jump in.  And fortunately, we do have a ton of resources to help you prep for your boudoir shoot.  Check out our blog for more in-depth information, and check out our reviews to get a feel for how our clients feel about us!  We try and make it easy for you to gather as much information and answer as many of your questions as possible before you come into our studio.

But, and we stick by this, if you have questions you want answered, the easiest thing to do is pick up the phone and call me!  That’s what I’m here for.  To guide you through this fun, vivacious, once-in-a-lifetime experience.  You have to do a consultation with me anyway, so why not cut to the chase?  Dig your phone out from under that stunning veil, or wherever it’s hiding amongst your wedding things, and ring me.

Let’s chat, bombshell.