Mrs. M's Spotlight - Third Time's a Charm | West Hartford Boudoir Photography

Third Time’s a Charm!

Hello, my name is Melissa and I’m 30 years old. I got married on October 15th to my wonderful fiancé! I have NEVER been a photogenic person and frankly HATE pictures. I always feel ugly, fat, and weird. However, I was determined to not only do this shoot for my fiancé, but I also wanted to prove to myself that I am beautiful- no matter what. This was meant as a wedding gift for my partner, but I always wanted to do it for myself! I wanted to feel beautiful in my own skin with imperfections and all!

I have always wanted to do a Boudoir shoot since 8th grade! How did I even know about boudoir? I do not know! But I always promised myself that I would do a photoshoot as a wedding gift for my "future" husband! After many weeks of researching and speaking with numerous photographers, I wasn't sure that I was going to go through with this shoot until I met Amber. Right away I knew she was different. Amber was very sweet, patient, and super professional. After our initial call, I felt like I've known her forever! She was easy to talk to and was amazing about communication. Any doubts I had or insecurities, Amber talked me through it and never made me feel pressured or uncomfortable!

I had almost canceled on her 3 times because of fear and doubt, and she still didn't give up on me! When I met her in person, it was even better! She was bubbly and took the time to get to know me, and was willing to work with me in whatever "vision" I had. She didn't rush me and like I said previously, did not pressure me at all. Amber was very thorough and detailed and showed me a lot of her previous work. I was blown away by her talent! Every picture I saw was absolutely beautiful and made me feel proud to be a woman. I knew after that moment that she would be someone I can trust and commit to with this process. 

I wanted a fun and sexy vibe. I started slow, with more "fun" outfits like a cute/wifey bathing suit and a jersey, and then moved into more sexy lingerie, to being fully naked. By the time I did nude photos, I was already relaxed, having fun, and felt super comfortable and safe. Amber did not pressure me at all to do this. I was ready to pose for nudes by the second hour! I was open and willing to try any new position...even if I felt silly! I wanted it to look like I was loving every minute of it and having fun! -nothing forced. In many of the pictures I chose I was smiling and laughing, which I know my fiancé will absolutely love! Amber had shown me my photos throughout my shoot right from her camera so I could see how beautiful they were, and that helped me build some serious confidence! 

I truly loved all the outfits I picked. I put a lot of time into making sure I was wearing clothes that I felt comfortable and sexy in. I did go outside my comfort zone on some of them, but I was having fun doing it! The most comfortable lingerie outfit was the babydoll. I had worn a baby doll before so I think that’s why I felt the most comfortable, but I was proud of myself for trying new things. 

My favorite going in was the jersey but that was because it was a “safe and comfortable feeling”. It did change… I loved the black and red outfit the most! Amber was giving me confidence throughout the whole process by giving me compliments and commenting excitedly on the pictures so I felt beautiful, sexy, and excited in all of the outfits! 

The make-up artist was phenomenal! I wore a comfy bathrobe while getting ready and had a glass of champagne. I felt very relaxed and pampered! It was very reassuring to have someone else do my hair and make-up. One less thing I had to worry about! She curled my hair, and made my make-up pop! We did a little darker eyeshadow and used fake lashes. She switched up the lipstick depending on the outfit. One outfit was black with black heels, so for that, we used a beautiful red lipstick which made the whole look feel super sexy!

At first, posing for the camera I felt a little silly and weird but I snapped out of that very quickly. This is coming from someone, like I said earlier, who hates the camera and is not photogenic! Amber was AWESOME about keeping the shoot relaxed and fun. She demonstrated every single pose I was going to do, making it easy to copy her. She constantly asked for my thoughts and opinions and wanted to make sure I wasn't doing anything I didn't want to do. I would ask her "what should I do with my leg, arm, etc." and she'd talk me through it. I felt extremely comfortable with her and she never rushed me or made me feel ridiculous at all! 

I loved the studio and all the rooms! I'd have to guess my favorite would be the one with the bed! We had a lot of fun with the different outfits and poses there. My favorite area to get photographed in! Of course, at first, I was self-conscious, but then I snapped out of it. I was living in the moment and was focusing on the directions that Amber was giving me. Time flew by once I was in it! I spent about 3 and a half hours with her that day! I would have to say that my favorite part of my boudoir photoshoot was all the poses I did that I would never do in my normal day-to-day life! It was so nice to do all the different poses.

When it was all over, I felt SO proud of myself! I was so glad that I didn’t give up and cancel this experience because of “fear”. I felt like I was living on cloud 9 the rest of the week! I was praying that I wouldn’t let anything slip to my fiancé about it too! He thought I was at a lot of “doctors” appointments that day- and I am not a good liar! 

When I came in to see my photos for the first time, I was terrified!!! I wanted them desperately to look good and not have all my insecurities take over (oh I look fat, look at the stretch marks, etc.) Once I started seeing them, I was like “oh my god that’s me?!?!? Wow! I look hot! Oh my God look at that one!” I was so happy with all of them! Then it was time to see my video. I felt like I was reliving the whole day over again! It was so fun to see how many she took. I just felt super beautiful and confident after seeing my video and pictures! I have learned that I am too hard on myself, and I need to be appreciative of the beautiful body I have been given- flaws and all! I think I finally appreciate the beauty of women and how incredible we actually are. I have been way more loving to myself since the shoot. Boudoir changed my perspective on beauty and on myself.

I am so grateful for Amber and this whole experience. Thank you for not giving up on me when I was trying to "cancel" three times previously because I was doubting myself and getting scared. Thank you for being patient, comforting, and understanding every step of the way! Thank you for building my confidence even when you didn't know you were. You are a true artist and I am beyond grateful for everything!  I am ecstatic to give this to my husband! It'll be the night before our wedding. I'm giving it to him in person; just him and me. I am so proud of myself and will remember this forever. I highly recommend every woman to try this. Not just as a gift to others, but a gift to yourself!

If you have been thinking about booking a shoot with Amber, don’t wait! You won’t regret feeling amazing and pampering yourself for a day. Click the button below for more info!