How to prepare for a boudoir session: A holistic, body-positive boudoir planning resource

As you look ahead to a boudoir session, you might be wondering about some of the logistics of what you should prepare (like what to bring with you), or you might be curious if I have any tips for caring for your body, skin, or hair before your session. I've got a pile of tips that I like to suggest, and I'm excited to share some suggestions here. But first, let's also name something important.

Over the years as a Minnesota-based boudoir photographer, I’ve encountered a lot of unfortunate resources about “how to prepare for a boudoir session.” It’s common for new clients to wonder how to best prep for their upcoming photoshoot, and yet too often the dominant messaging about boudoir reinforces toxic beauty and harmful diet culture standards that tempt us to believe we have to change in order to be “photo ready” and beautiful. This is a really hurtful misconception about boudoir, and it is one I am striving to change.

Here in my Minneapolis studio, I work hard to resist this messaging and to make my boudoir philosophy clear: boudoir sessions are not a makeover - you are already art. You, as you are, are worthy of being photographed right here, right now, today.

Prepping well for a boudoir session comes not from meeting some insurmountable external beauty standard; it comes from filling your own internal reservoir of authentic wellbeing. So as you prepare for a session, I invite you to gently set aside the pressure you may feel to change any part of yourself and instead think about how you can celebrate yourself as you look ahead to this experience.

Rooted in this lens of body-positivity and self-celebration, and shaped by the hundreds of inspiring clients I've worked with over the years, I’ve compiled my top recommendations for how to prepare your whole self for a boudoir session.

How to prepare FOr a boudoir session

1-3 weeks before your session

Hydrate, exfoliate, moisturize: Drink lots of water in the weeks before your session to keep your skin (and your whole self!) well hydrated. If you already have a skin care practice that you love, keep doing it. And if you don't have a routine in place, I recommend moisturizing daily and exfoliating your face/body twice a week - this routine will remove dead skin cells and help your skin look extra glowy in your portraits.
Try on your outfits ahead of time: Make sure you’ve tried on all of your outfits before your session and confirmed that each one makes you feel confident, comfortable, and you, because if you feel happy and yourself during your session, then that will absolutely shine through in your final portraits. I also recommend gathering all of your outfits ahead of time, cutting off any visible/distracting tags, steaming out any wrinkles, and hanging everything in a garment bag so it’s ready to go on your photoshoot day.
Plan what you’ll wear to the studio: To make the morning of your session extra simple, plan which outfit you’ll wear to and from your session - I suggest picking something cozy and loose fitting so it won’t leave any marks on your skin.
Be kind to yourself: Self-loving boudoir photography is a brave and vulnerable thing to do. Sometimes having our pictures taken can stir up a lot of emotions or stories about our relationship with ourselves or our bodies, so hear me when I say: you are already and always abundantly enough, and your session is designed to capture and celebrate your enoughness. Think positive, affirming thoughts in the weeks before your photoshoot. Play your favorite, empowering playlists. Ask a friend to send you an encouraging note. Take a relaxing bath. Reflect on all the growth and positive changes you’ve made in your life. You deserve to be celebrated my friend.

1-2 days before your session

Hydrate, moisturize, exfoliate: Make sure you keep drinking water and moisturizing right before your session - this tip applies all year long but is especially important for clients doing a session in the dry winter months. Exfoliate twice a week, and time the last one so that it's 1-2 days before your session to help your skin look glowy.
Stretch: Boudoir posing involves a lot of stretching and posing in positions you may not be used to. A bit like a yoga class, my clients often find that their hips, legs, and especially their back muscles can be a bit sore after their session. I encourage stretching the day before and the morning of your photoshoot. You can also take note of any injuries or flexibility limitations you may have so we can chat about that at the beginning of your session! I'll easily adapt poses to make sure that we're working with what feels good in your body.
Be nourished: DO eat food, drink water, and care well for your body before your photoshoot. While nourishment can look a little different for each of us, you get to decide what feeling well nourished means for you. For some folks this looks like limiting alcohol or caffeine before their session, and for others it means planning a favorite power breakfast before their photoshoot like veggie-loaded scrambled eggs or overnight oats. Think about what habits help your body feel well, and do that :)
Be well rested: Get plenty of sleep in the days and especially the night before your session. Not sleeping well changes how our bodies look and feel, so try to prioritize restful sleep and rejuvenation. This can also include doing your favorite meditations or grounding practices, but if these practices aren’t part of your normal routine then don’t feel any pressure to do so! Rest in the ways that feel natural and intuitive.
A note on body hair: There are a lot of opinions out there about how to treat your body hair before a boudoir session, many of which don’t feel body-positive to me, so here’s my take - it is normal and okay to have body hair in life, and in your boudoir portraits. And it is normal and okay to remove body hair in life, and in your boudoir portraits. Whether you feel inspired to embrace or remove body hair, the only right decision is choosing what feels authentic to you!
Get excited!: Your upcoming boudoir session is for you! It’s normal to feel nervous beforehand, so I encourage you to stay in touch with the spark of inspiration that led you to schedule a photoshoot. Let yourself feel happy and proud - to plan something lovely and empowering all for yourself is worth celebrating and savoring.

On the morning of your session

Eat breakfast: Make sure you eat breakfast before your session so you'll have energy throughout our session together! I’ll have some snacks ready too :)
If you’re doing pro hair/makeup: Arrive with a clean, moisturized face and clean, dry hair (it doesn't have to be day old hair). I also have makeup remover and face wash in my studio if you'd prefer to wear makeup here. I recommend bringing along 1-2 photos of yourself where you like how your hair/makeup looks (it could be a fancy vibe or an everyday look - just for reference of what you like to look like) and 1-2 photos of hair/makeup ideas for how you want to be styled for your session. Clothing wise, you may want to wear a top that will be easy to change out of after hair/makeup styling, like a breezy button up or flannel.
If you’re doing DIY hair/makeup: Plan to arrive at your session ready to go. You’re welcome to bring extra hair or makeup supplies if you want the option to touch up during your session. Whether you opt to go for your everyday look, a totally natural no-makeup look, or your going-out fancy look, I always say don’t worry about trying new techniques — just do what you like and what feels like you!
If you’re doing an outdoor session: Because outdoor boudoir sessions are weather and location dependent, they have a few extra planning steps to keep in mind. Check out this resource I made about how to pack for an outdoor boudoir session.
Take a deep, self-loving breath: Breathe deep, my friend. You’ve got this.

What not to do before a boudoir session

Don’t do any intensive skin treatments the week before your session: Cupping, tanning, facials - avoid anything that might irritate your skin in the week before your session
Don’t try any brand new skin/hair/body treatments right before your session: I’ve had clients who dyed their hair or tried waxing for the first time the day before their photoshoot, and then felt really self-conscious if it didn’t turn out how they expected. You’re gorgeous as you are! Right before your session, focus on celebrating yourself, not changing yourself :)
Don’t show up with brand new outfits that you’ve never tried on: Lingerie can be hard to size, and I always encourage you to try things on at home (long before your session) so that you know you feel confident and like yourself.

Don’t feel pressured to care differently for your body because of your photoshoot: As I’ve mentioned, there is a lot of harmful rhetoric out there about how to change yourself to make your body “good” or “ready” for a photoshoot, but I invite you to gently resist that mindset. Boudoir in my studio is all about capturing your natural, radiant self, so before your session, I encourage you to care for yourself in whatever ways feel healthy, authentic, and self-loving.