Moms, do you need a great gift idea for your man that will knock his socks off?  Last year I did a very brave thing (I say brave because boy, was I nervous!) and went and had boudoir pictures taken.  Several of my friends have said they never saw me as the sort who would do that but I knew my husband would love them.  After all, they were for his eyes only (well, except for the two that the photographer convinced me were appropriate for our bedroom wall).

My husband has not stopped thanking me for the pictures!  He said it was about the best gift ever!

So I am going to convince you to do the same thing or something similar to add some spice to your marriage.  Here are what I thought my excuses were and how they were dispelled.

1. “I am not back to my pre-baby goal weight and I should wait until I look amazing to do them.”  Not so!  My photographer was amazing and featured my best assets and touched up in places that needed it. That doesn’t mean she made me look skinnier or anything but I left thinking “Wow, I didn’t know I looked so hot!”  A good photographer knows how to bring out the best in you.
2. “I don’t want to disrobe in front of anyone, not even if they are used to it!” Wow, I found the most amazing photographer who made me feel so comfortable and she had a list of what she wouldn’t do which was exactly my list of what I wouldn’t do.  She was super classy and made sure the pictures were classy and not at all slutty.  Talk to your photographer, tell her what you are comfortable with and what you are not okay with.
3. “I don’t know what to wear.” Um, this one is easy, really.  What does your husband like?  Lingerie is a good choice.  My photographer recommended a bustier.  You could even go with jeans and a nice bra.  Think about what he will like the most.  Maybe even pull out (and dust off) your honeymoon attire (assuming it still fits).
4. “I don’t have the money right now.”  Well, this can be a problem but only if you don’t have  a good friend who is handy with a camera.  My photographer actually shared that she got started taking boudoir pictures by photographing friends during a girls night out.  It turned into a glamor session and their husbands loved the resulting pictures.  So grab a friend (one you feel really comfortable with), come up with a plan (place, setting), and have her shoot away.  With digital photography and photo editing software you can come up with some pretty great photos.  If you want prints you will need to be mindful of who you have print them (unless you have a good printer to print them yourself).  Choose a printer that has a good reputation with other photographers.  They can usually be trusted with your pictures.

I choose to surprise my husband when I had my pictures taken.  He had no idea until I gave them to him on Valentines Day.  Not only did he love them but I did to.  It helped me to see myself in a new light.

I took time leading up to the pictures to invest in myself (giving myself a manicure and pedicure, an at home facial, learning a glamorous new way to apply makeup, getting my hair done, etc…) and it made me realize that I didn’t spend enough time taking care of myself for me or for him.  So it was a win win for both of us.

Let me know if you decide to do it!  I think you’ll love the experience.  Occasionally I see deals for boudoir photos on Groupon or Living Social.  They are often good deals but make sure you look into the photographer first, ask all of your questions and make sure you feel comfortable with them.

Have fun!!