Katerina had just finished planning her wedding to her partner of 12 years when she began looking into doing a solo boudoir session. She’d realized that while kick starting their new life as a couple, she felt like she’d lost a little bit of herself in the process.
“What attracted me to doing a solo boudoir session was wanting to do something for myself. We do everything together. I saw something about doing bridal boudoir as a gift to your husband and thought ‘why don’t I do one for myself?’” Katerina said.
“I love my partner, but I feel that in the midst of wedding planning, I kinda lost a little bit of my own identity as I was so focused on us as a couple. So I wanted to do something by myself for myself,” she explained.
A quick Google search brought her to Allebach Photography.
“I saw the photos posted on Instagram and the website and was in awe of how beautiful everybody looked and I wanted that for myself. Then I read up on the blog and read about the stories everybody shared about how they show themselves in a new light and learned to love their body in a different way. So I put my name down for more information and committed myself to doing it,” she said.
In some ways, Katerina even surprised herself, as she admits doing a boudoir session is a little more than out of character for her.
“If you ask anyone that knows me if I would ever do a boudoir session, they would tell you in no way would I do one. Growing up, I was the shy reserved girl who studied hard and copiously read and only dressed up for huge events like prom and homecoming, mostly keeping in my own self-designated lane. I’ve been coming into my own being more and more as I have been doing more self-discovery.”
Katerina took some inspiration from Pinterest for her outfits, and also brought along a bridal set she had initially planned on wearing the night of the wedding but had never gotten to wear due to the busyness of the night and her own nerves.
“The day of the shoot, I was still nervous about wearing these kinds of outfits in front of other people, but after we started my nerves went away. Mike made me feel so comfortable in my skin that I was wondering why I was so nervous to begin with. He made posing so simple and broke everything down into simple instructions. Plus it was a lot of fun playing around on set and trying different things.”
She added, “I loved how subtly sexy wearing his shirt was and the sweater look.”
The photo reveal made Katerina see herself in a different light.
“Like most brides, I was a little more focused on my body for the wedding day and being able to see my body and how the work paid off was something I never thought I’d see. I consider myself a pretty person, but not a sensual person. A small seed was planted at that moment and my appreciation for my body and myself has grown and evolved since that moment. There’s been a huge boost in my confidence and sensuality so it’s spiced up our relationship a bit. But more importantly, I find myself holding my head higher and more comfortable in outfits I would usually feel a bit exposed in. “
Even her husband, who of course LOVED the photos, noticed a difference in her attitude towards herself.
“He was a little dumbstruck since it was a little out of character for me. He then said that the reason I’ve been much more comfortable in my body makes a lot more sense now.”
Katerina selected an album and says she wants to get a couple of prints later this year, after they buy a home, so that she can display them as a daily reminder of how powerful and beautiful she is.
“Like everyone who’s done a shoot with Mike says, everyone should do a boudoir shoot so they could see themselves in a new light. This experience challenged me and pushed me out of my comfort zone in order for me to learn more about myself.”
Katerina says right now she is living for our Renaissance of Mom photos and is adding a session to her bucket list once they start their own family.
Solo boudoir makes a great gift, not just for your significant other but for yourself too! Book your session by calling 610.539.6920 or by visiting http://allebachphotography.com/contact/