I’m not exactly shy about nudity — just ask my girlfriends or my kids. The body is beautiful, and it’s never really phased me to let my kids or friends see me in my birthday suit. So it’s amazing to me that as I got my hair blown out on a random weekday and put on makeup (you know, more than lip balm and a little mascara), I was nervous. Really nervous. Getting ready for my maternity boudoir photo shoot had my heart pounding a million beats a minute, and I was nervous the whole drive there.
Turns out it was a waste of nerves.
The second I walked into the vintage-inspired studio of husband and wife team Felix and Sara with my bag full of Pinterest-worthy outfits and my husband in tow, I calmed down and got excited. Maybe it’s their sense of humor, or maybe it’s the fact that they are both professional and fun. But they made the idea of posing in my underwear seem like no big deal. As soon as we started discussing the shoot, I felt beautiful in all my pregnant glory. Doing a boudoir shoot with them turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve made. And whether you’re pregnant or not, you should do it too! Here’s why:
You are beautiful
Because I’m not working out as much as I would like, and I feel uncomfortable in my own skin right now, my self-esteem has been at an all-time low this pregnancy. I know this can be a common occurrence for women, pregnant or not. Doing a maternity boudoir shoot made me realize how much of it was in my head. I definitely had a vision of how I looked, and what I saw in my pictures made me feel beautiful. Sometimes, seeing yourself in a totally different light is all you need to know you are amazing. Plus, carrying a baby is a pretty incredible thing.
You deserve to celebrate YOU
Girl, get off the couch and do something for yourself. I haven’t been feeling very much like myself this whole pregnancy, and my photo shoot helped light a fire in me that had been gone the last few months. Owning my sexuality, feeling proud of what my body is doing, and celebrating it in a series of beautiful photographs to treasure forever is such a lovely way to treat yourself and remember this little blip of time in your life. Plus, Felix and Sara make sure a photo shoot like this is all about you. Wear what you want, throw on accessories that make you feel good, be you, and express yourself. I actually can’t wait to do another shoot with them post pregnancy. What an amazing way to celebrate how far my body has come and let a little personality shine through.
Felix and Sara are awesome
They were a pleasure to work with throughout the whole process. Sitting down with them a few days after my shoot to look at the pictures just reinforced how good I felt that day. They work with each other so well, which helps put you at ease as they give you little instructions (Felix would give me simple tweaks to move my body or face that made a huge difference) and teach you how to pose to look your best (and Sara made sure I looked perfect, from fixing collars to making sure my jewelry was laying just right). Plus, they really did make the shoot about me. They were enthusiastic about my ideas and suggestions and made sure I was part of the whole process.
Getting out of my comfort zone felt empowering as a woman and a mother. My boudoir session was what I wanted it to be. I wanted to show off my bump, feel like a more sexy version of myself (which included not wearing lingerie or a full face of glam makeup), and capture this moment in a way I hadn’t before. Felix and Sara proved to me that boudoir is for anyone — pregnant or not. All you really have to do is relax… and it doesn’t hurt that my husband’s jaw is still on the floor!
To learn more about how boudoir is for everyone, check out the FAQs on Felix and Sara’s website and view their beautiful gallery.
Thank you, Morgan for this amazingly insightful, inspirational and refreshing post. We are so happy to hear that all of the nerves were for nothing and you felt like the rockstar you truly are!
With love,
From all of us at Felix and Sara <3
Morgan,
I absolutely LOVE this. You look gorgeous., I’m a huge proponent of boudoir and nudes. Did you see my blog post on when I posed for a nude photographer? It changed my life. So empowering and freeing.
http://jennyedencoaching.com/being-ok-with-your-own-nudity
You ARE a goddess. Can’t wait to see you soon.
xoxox
Jenny