WHAT IS BRIDAL BOUDOIR? Boudoir photography has gained serious popularity among brides-to-be. Bridal Boudoir or Wedding Boudoir photography is a popular new trend that's all about photographing for your future husband. Then creating an album or framed image to give to him the morning of the wedding as a sexy surprise of your commitment to him. I do photos that are as sexy or sweet as you want.
ABOUT JEN JEN VAZQUEZ PHOTOGRAPHY Hi there, I’m Jen! I have been photographing weddings, engagements and boudoir for 10 years. Clients describe me as vibrant, enthusiastic and fun. • I believe that every woman, no matter what shape and size is beautiful just as they are. • I believe that every woman, deserves to be pampered, feel beautiful, and have photographs to preserve her beauty at this point in her life. • I believe women feel most powerful when they overcome fears. I would love the opportunity to work with you! I work very hard to ensure that every woman has the best experience working with me — it’s your turn!
10 TIPS TO PREPARE FOR A BOUDOIR PHOTO SHOOT So, you have scheduled a boudoir shoot – YAY!! How exciting and bit nerve racking too. But don't worry! My clients always have a fantastic time and feel beautiful! Here are a few tips that will help you to be prepared to get the great images you desire. 1. SLEEP: I know the butterflies will be active the night before, but try to
get a last 8 hours of sleep the night before your shoot. Do what you need to do with taking a bath, meditating, turning off the laptop and tv, drink warm milk or decaf chamomile tea. — whatever is needed to help. Your eyes and skin will thank you. 2. ALCOHOL/WATER: Even a tiny bit of alcohol the night before can
dehydrate the skin of the face and create puffiness, not to mention that it’s linked to late nights which doesn’t enable you to get sleep. It’s best to avoid alcohol for the entire day before the shoot. You should also drink a lot of water the week before the shoot. It will flush out any toxins in your system and hydrate your skin beautifully, the natural way. 3. LIPS/TEETH: Make sure to apply some Vaseline/Chapstick/Burt’s Bees
(or the like) to your lips the night before. This way, your lips will be soft and ready for the lipstick or lip-gloss to be applied by the makeup artist. Also think about using a teeth whitener a couple weeks before your photo shoot. You could potentially have red gums if you first try it the night before the shoot so test it out a couple week prior. 4. SKIN: Lotion yourself up the night before the photo shoot so that your
skin is healthy and glowing. Please do not use glitter lotion as it will reflect I the photographs and is not a good look.
5. GROOMING (Waxing): If (and only if) you are someone who regularly
waxes, do so a few days before the photo shoot, so that any red bumps go away. If you don’t normally wax, now is NOT the time to try it. It can be painful, especially for first time waxers, and you want to feel beautiful, not in pain the day of your shoot. If you shave, make sure to do so 2 days before so that any red bumps go away in time for the photo shoot 6. HAIR CUT AND COLOR: Now is not the time to try a new haircut or
color. There is nothing like a haircut or color gone wrong situation. Again, as the theme before, you want to look and feel beautiful. If you cut 6 inches of your hair or colored it pink and are in tears with regret, chances are the photographs will reflect that. Make sure that you do wash and condition your hair the night before so that it’s clean, dry, and ready for the hair stylist to work his/her magic. 7. ASSEMBLE YOUR WARDROBE: You will look your best, when you feel
your best so go shopping well ahead of your shoot. This way you can take your time picking items that you feel beautiful in. I definitely suggest going to a boutique lingerie store that will take its time to help fit the lingerie, especially bras. It makes all the difference in the world to have the proper sizing. I cannot tell you how many women wear the wrong sized bra. It’s an easy fix with the right help. Try photographing yourself in the dressing room so you can share the images with your photographer. He/she can help you to pick the best colors and styles for your skin tone and body type. You also can consider non-lingerie type clothing too. Think your sweetheart’s favorite jersey, or a man’s white button-down shirt or even boy shorts. Boudoir isn’t only lingerie so let your imitation fly. With an hour shoot you will probably only do 2-3 changes but bring 5-6 outfits, just in case. It’s best to be prepared.
8. DON’T FORGET THE EXTRAS: Don’t forget the little things like
stockings, heels, hair accessories, or any other props that you may want to use. Pack everything the night before the shoot so if you forget anything, you have time to remember. COMMUNICATION WITH YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER: It’s best to get in writing either in a contract or an email what the photographer has confirmed to do for you and at what price. It’s best to be crystal clear so there are no surprises. Additionally, feel free to be very firm on what you will and won’t do in terms of poses. The best photographers will listen to what you want and deliver with poses that you are comfortable with to achieve the look you are wanting. 9.
10. ENJOY
YOURSELF: On the day of the shoot, relax, enjoy getting pampered with hair and make-up, and know you are beautiful. When you look but most importantly, FEEL beautiful, your images will reflect that.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Where should I do my boudoir photo shoot? The location is up to you. You can choose your home, secluded outdoor location, or a luxury hotel/boutique hotel. Hotels usually provide the best results because they are spacious, nicely decorated, free of clutter, and offer plenty of natural light. If you choose to pay for a hotel, you get to use it as a fun getaway for a night with your sweetheart and enjoy your beautiful hair and makeup. How should I come to my boudoir shoot? Come with clean dry hair and a clean moisturized face. Bring your outfits with you and we will pick a few to use from what you bring. I’m not sure I feel comfortable spending money on myself. I totally understand. This will be an experience of a lifetime and provide you with a beautiful documentation of your beauty at this age. How do I book a boudoir session with you? You can contact me at jen@jenvazquez.com and I will send you my pricing details. When you’re ready to book with me, all I require is a signed contract and a $350 nonrefundable retainer to show your commitment. Please note that I only shoot with natural light which lends to my style of photography, so my last appointment time will vary throughout the year depending on the season. No evening shoots are available and weekend shoots are not possible because I shoot weddings on weekend.
How soon should I schedule my boudoir shoot? It really depends on the time of year and your flexibility of timing. If you would like to give an album or print to your significant other for an anniversary or a wedding gift, I recommend doing your shoot at least 8weeks before your special date. This will give me enough time to show you the photos, retouch your favorite images, and create your album for you. Can I bring someone with me to the shoot? You are welcome to bring a guest, but experience has taught me that images taken with just the subject turn out the best, so they will have to wait in another area while we shoot. Will my images be posted on your site/used as marketing materials? Absolutely not, unless you’re okay with it! You have the options on how you’d like your images be handled and there are different levels of privacy statements that will suit your comfort level in the contract. Will you photoshop/touch-up my images? Yes. I will retouch all images that you purchase or are in an album. Retouching includes skin smoothing, teeth whitening, stretchmarks/blemish removal.
I have areas of my body I am not comfortable with. How do you work with that? I will work with you in posing to minimize any concern areas and maximize those areas you love. Do I need to bring my own outfits? Yes, for sanitary purposes. I recommend going to a boutique lingerie store that will take their time, helping you to pick items that flatter you the best with the proper fit. Below are some stores you can check out: http://www.besos lingerie .com (Los Gatos) http://www.bombshell-boutique.com (Campbell) http://www.dutchess boutique .com (Campbell) http://www.shopromantiques.com (Los Gatos) http://www.charmelle28.com/ (Palo Alto) http://www.forever21.com / (San Jose – Oakridge Mall) http://www.lanebryant.com / (San Jose – Oakridge Mall) http://www.adoreme.com / (online but great fitting quizzes and help)
I’m not a lingerie type girl. Can I still do boudoir? Absolutely! Lingerie is not the only way to look and feel sexy. You can do a boudoir shoot wearing a dress, robe, button-up men’s shirts, sheet, etc. Let us know if you are interested in a more in-depth wardrobe consult. When and how do I view my images? We will make an appointment during your photo shoot to view the images within about a week after the shoot. Products will be chosen and paid for at the time of viewing the images. Final product delivery will take approximately 2-4 weeks following, depending on the package and album chosen.
