Ask anyone that knows Katye, a confident and bodacious plus-sized Jersey gal, and they’ll tell you her personality has always shined bright like a diamond.
“I have always been plus size, and I usually rocked out any outfit at any size and made it known to the world that I didn’t care what others thought of me,” says Kayte.
Finding her partner, Chris, boosted her confidence, even more, when he proved he loved her for who she was, regardless of size, by proposing to her.
But two years ago, Kayte’s confidence was shaken to its core.
Two days before her wedding, in June 2017, Kayte’s mother passed away after a grueling year battling Stage 4 Breast Cancer.
“She made me promise that I would still go through with it and party and be happy and go on my honeymoon, knowing that that is what she would have wanted,” says Kayte.
“It was literally the hardest thing that I ever had to do.”
When her and her new husband, Chris, returned from their honeymoon they took in her younger sister and nephew and suddenly she was married caring for two kids.
“My life took me in a whirlwind.”
Kayte put on the most weight she had ever gained at one time. Her weight gain, coupled with her mom’s passing, put her in a depressive state.
“Feeling confident in my plus size body went away pretty quickly and I stopped dressing up, going out and letting my ‘sexiness’ show for my hubby,” says Kayte.
Kayte came across an open call for an Empowerment session with our photographer, Annie.
“My husband and I had just had a conversation about wanting to do something like a couples shoot. This would be solo, and I thought it would be a perfect way to get back on my feet and get my head straight. I wanted to be able to show the ‘real’ me. The confident, fun-loving, bold personality that I am known for being.”
The Empowerment shoot did just say, she says, adding that throughout the process Annie was a “gentle soul”, putting Kayte at ease throughout the entire process.
“I was able to explore some spaces in the new studio, try on a number of different outfits (or lack thereof), and basically smile and laugh out loud the entire time. My hair and makeup were on point! Katherine [our makeup artist] is literally amazing and also made me feel like a million bucks! One of the highlights of this experience!”
While Kayte says she may not be exactly where she wants to be in terms of her weight, the empowerment session gave her back her confidence and helped her set some goals for when she returns for a couples session with her husband.
“I may not be exactly where I want to be, but I feel so much better than I did – and I know what my future goals look like. There is a light out of this tunnel. And THAT is when Chris and I will do a couples session – to celebrate being where we want to be (or at least closer) and share that special time with one another, capture it, and savor it. I absolutely cannot wait to come back and do a shoot with my husband.”
Book your own empowering Allebach Photography boudoir session by calling 610.539.6920 . Join our VIP group to learn more at https://www.facebook.com/groups/allebachboudoirvip/