Megan {A Boudoir Story}

I was considering a boudoir photo shoot as a gift for my significant other and I’m so glad I ended up doing it! Not only do I think he’s going to love the photos but I really enjoyed the experience.

I was really nervous before going but as we got started I felt comfortable and by the end confident! Katie gave me feedback that made me feel beautiful. I was scared I wouldn’t want to see the photos or be happy with what I saw but after I got the previews I couldn’t wait to get the rest! I would definitely recommend this experience.

Rachel {A Boudoir Story}

I have always struggled with body image. I always compare myself to other people and wish I looked a certain way.

Doing this photo shoot, I got my confidence back and feel more comfortable in my own skin. I see myself as beautiful and strong. I would recommend doing this for anyone who wants to feel confident about their bodies. I’d women need to stop comparing ourselves to other people and love our own bodies which this will definitely do!

Kaysee {A Boudoir Story}

My experience with Katie was awesome! I was very hesitant to do a boudoir shoot. I had a few friends that had done them for day-of wedding presents for their husbands. But I always thought, “I could never let someone I never met photograph me basically naked.” But then I thought more about it and met Katie at a bridal expo.

Her business card said something along the lines of “… because no man ever said he’d rather have a watch.” I literally also considered getting my fiancé a nice watch for a gift to him on our wedding day. Right then, I knew it was meant to be and these photos would be the best gift I could give him on our wedding day.

During the shoot, I was a little bit nervous at first. But as time went on, I felt more comfortable with Katie photographing me. She was super super sweet. And I sort of just let my guard down and had fun! I definitely enjoyed it way more than I thought. Doing the shoot also definitely boosted my confidence. My whole life, I was super skinny- barely breaking 100lbs. Now granted, nowadays, I’m not much heavier than that. But 20lbs to me has seemed like a lot. So recently, I’ve been struggling with my body image. I think this shoot came at exactly the right time and gave me the confidence boost I needed.

When I saw the pictures, I was like “dang okay maybe I am pretty sexy!!” Katie definitely posed me in the best positions to make me look great. Plus seeing myself with full glam hair and makeup definitely helped. When getting my makeup done, I told Jessica to just do whatever she thought was best and she did amazing!! My hair and makeup looked so so good. Katie was the best and also sooo fast!! She had sneak peaks literally the day of the shoot and the full gallery within a week. My advice to anyone on the fence about doing a boudoir shoot would be just do it. You might surprise yourself and it might be better than you ever thought!! I would 10/10 do it over again!!

Brianna {A Boudoir Story}

I originally did my boudoir shoot as a Christmas gift for my boyfriend, but it become a gift for myself! It was such a confidence boosting experience. Social media makes it so hard to not nit pick every little “flaw” on your body, but this boudoir experience has helped me realize that I need to love my body no matter how imperfect I think it is. Everyone should do a photoshoot like this! It’s so empowering and it’s a great way to feel like a badass.

I don’t think my experience would have been as amazing if it weren’t for Katie and Jessica. From the minute I walked into the studio I felt at home! They did such a good job of making me feel comfortable. Jessica’s hair and makeup skills are top tier! I don’t usually wear makeup and she made me look and feel so beautiful! I don’t think I would have felt as confident during the shoot if I didn’t get my hair and makeup done.

Katie is a badass photographer! She was such a pro and you can tell she LOVES what she does. She has so many props and sets. She was hyping me up throughout the entire shoot. She showed me every pose she wanted done and guided me in posing which was amazing! No awkwardness in front of the camera. If you are considering doing a boudoir shoot with Katie, take this as your sign to say yes! You know you want to!

Jenny {A Boudoir Story}

I wanted to do a boudoir shoot for my husband and my anniversary. This is something totally unexpected of me to do. But once I started picking out my outfits and trying them on before hand, I realized I needed to do it for myself as well. I have very low self esteem when it comes to my body even though my husband brags on me and compliments me all of the time. For once I wanted to see myself the way he does, a beautiful, sexy woman.

I still don't like my body that I saw in the pictures, and I probably never will, but I do feel so much better about myself after seeing all of them. Having my hair and makeup professional done and talking to Katie while getting it done relaxed me so much and made the shoot so much easier for me. Katie explained every little thing she was going to do and told me how to pose perfectly. Everyone's body is beautiful no matter the size of it and that beauty comes out in Katie's photography. I am so glad I did this not only for my husband, but myself as well.

Ashley {A Boudoir Story}

My advice for other women would be yes, a boudoir session might seem a little weird at first but at the same time the outcome of the final photos are drop dead gorgeous. Katie walked me through everything and it was really great. I had fun and it was a big self esteem and confidence booster for sure!

5 out of 5 stars

Niki {A Boudoir Story}

Katie and I have been friends for years and you would have thought I would be the most comfortable because of that. I was terrified. Being naked and vulnerable for someone you don't know seems so much easier then someone you will have to face again. Katie brought down each level of my anxiety and before I knew it I trying all kinds of new outfits, poses and sceneries. She knows exactly where to start with you, how to ease you into it, pose you just right and make you feel sexy. And BOOM! It all comes together just like that. My only regret was that I hadn't done it sooner!

Dont wait until you're "ready". You will always be at your best when you are in her studio, feeling like a million dollars no a matter what. I want to post my pictures everywhere, show everyone, but they are a little risky, if you know what I mean!

Kercia {A Boudoir Story}

My thoughts about soviet beauty standards is everyone should have a vixen body. Everyone you see on TV has a slim waist, perky boobs and a big booty! I wanted to do this shoot you feel beautiful at any size! I recently lost 80 pounds to gain my confidence back and to be more healthier. I still see myself as I was before the weight loss and I wanted to do this photo shoot to celebrate my hard work and prove to myself that the weight loss is real! My biggest fear was to see myself in photos half naked! After the shoot I’ve learned to embrace my body as it is currently! My body confidence before the shoot was probably a 3; after the shoot 7. I was definitely nervous, Katie helped by saying “yaassss” when she got that perfect shot then showing me a sneek peek of that photo right then and there! When I de my photos for the first time o had to say to myself... IS THAT ME?!?! I really enjoyed working with Katie and look forward to working with her in the future. I would tell those that are thinking about a boudoir photo shoot to GO FOR IT!!! Such a great experience!! Very professional and a great photographer.

Jessica {A Boudoir Story}

Katie is so magical to work with!

I have now done two boudior sessions with her and each have been absolutely amazing!

My first session was a Valentine's Day gift for my then boyfriend (now husband) and I loved them so much I returned to her to have a bridal boudoir shoot done when my husabnd and I got married.

Katie truly makes you feel so comfortable throughout the whole process ams each time I have been so pleased with the outcome!

I seriously can't believe how sexy and confident her work makes me feel and look! It is such a confidence boost and of course my husband loves all the photos. I framed a few and hung them in our bedroom to remind myself that I am a badass, sexy woman everyday!

Andrea {Another Boudoir Story}

While I have written my story before, my story is still continuing and I still have constant struggles to overcome especially when it comes to self love.

I was bullied in school for my weight even though I honestly wasn't fat. I had gained weight from stopping gymnastics since I wasn't as physically active but it wasn’t too bad. But I was made fun of for it and made to feel like I was fat and ugly. Because of that I became bulimic. I was sexually assaulted at the age of 13 and raped at 16. After the rape, I had an even worse view of my body and myself as a whole. I felt dirty and disgusting. No matter how many baths I took, I couldn’t become clean. No matter how deep I would cut myself, it would never be deep enough to take the guilt and disgust away. I finally spoke up about the rape a year later, in 2009 ... my senior year. I was looked at like I was filthy by some people. My health was also declining due to chronic migraines and had me hospitalized for a lot of my high school years but it was getting worse because of my stress and depression. I was in so much emotional and physical pain that I felt like I was drowning and taking my family along with me. One thing led to another and I tried to commit suicide. I stabbed myself in the abdomen and had to be rushed into emergency surgery where the doctor barely saved my life. I have the scar from the stab wound but I also have the huge surgery scar that has made me feel even more self conscious and honestly ... ugly. It has taken many years to try to train my mind to not think that way, but it comes natural to me to put myself down. Not but a little over a year after that, I ended up losing our first child. The one thing that my body is supposed to be able to do, the one person that my body is supposed to create and protect ... it failed. I failed. My body couldn't keep my own child alive. That is when I really started to hate myself. I felt helpless. Two months later, I got married .... to a man who not too much later became abusive and cheated on me. If my own husband can't even love me, how can I love myself? The abuse and cheating went on for years and I ended up divorcing him in 2014. I felt like I had nothing going for me. I failed in my marriage and I had failed as a mother. I still felt trapped but by my own emotions. I felt worthless for so long that I didn't know how to think differently. But I have ended up getting stronger and trying to reset my mind and way of thinking to learn to give myself plenty of patience and some much needed grace. But one reason why I have done multiple sessions with Katie is because I still struggle some with suicidal thoughts and how I feel disgusted with myself and how I have "let myself go" in how much weight I have gained.

All of this has been what has caused me to have the view of myself that I have. I have slowly been changing that and by some happy circumstance, I was led to Katie. I had always wanted to do a boudoir photoshoot but it would have been for my husband. After learning about what Katie does, I knew that this had go be for myself. I needed this for ME.

I was quite nervous going into my first session as I had never done anything like this before. Jessica helped pamper me with doing my makeup and hair and then Katie helped make me feel comfortable and sexy as I was doing the photoshoot. She gives you great directions and suggestions on what poses to do and let's you rock it in your own style. She helps make it comfortable and you end up having more fun than you imagined. I love all the kinds of different props that can be used and the different colored backgrounds that help give a different vibe to each look. So not only is it fantastic to be in lingerie and feel drop dead gorgeous, you have a photographer who brings you in as a client but then you end up leaving as a friend. To me, that is one of the most valuable things that I have taken away from these photoshoots. Katie is so encouraging and caring in real life and it spills out into her photography. She puts care and love into each of her clients's sessions and photographs. And when you see the finished products, you will be in awe of the fact that it is YOU in those pictures. It is YOU in that lingerie looking sexy, beautiful, gorgeous and worthy. YOU!

These sessions and pictures help keep me motivated to pursue better for myself mentally and emotionally. It is an encourager and a confidence booster. This was the starter to my self love journey and has helped me so much. If this can help me in the way that I needed, I know that it can help you too.

Miss Y {A Boudoir Mini Story}

I have been contemplating to come to Katie for a shoot for a while now. I decided to make the jump and schedule a mini session so I could see if I’d like to do a full and as a Christmas gift for my boyfriend. I’m in the military, train dogs, and go to school for engineering so my normal day look is a messy bun, leggings, and a hoodie or my uniform. I’ve never thought of myself as beautiful, hot, sexy, etc but Katie made me feel so at ease and comfortable.

I was highly impressed how proficient she is and how many amazing photos she was able to capture in such a small time. I love my photos so much I bought more on top of what was included! The icing on the cake though was seeing my boyfriends face Christmas morning. He was speechless and just smiling and couldn’t muster up words just the ability to hold and kiss me til he could say how happy he was. So thank you Katie for helping me feel like my old self again and making it a Christmas that’ll be hard to beat!

Miss A. {A Boudoir Story}

A short and sweet anonymous blog is up for you today! There’s nothing more heartwarming than people trusting me from a google search! No connection, no friend recommendations, just purely about my work. <3

This was a spontaneous decision for me. I decided it was something I wanted to do, did a google search, found Katie, and booked within a couple of days.

I had a moment of uncertainty, like 'do I really want to pay money to just have pictures of me?' But, I have to say, that I am so happy that I did.

Day to day, I am very low key.. very minimal makeup, nikes, and jeans, that’s me. Looking at my photos, it almost feels like looking at a different person. I was so happy with the end results and know that I will keep these pictures forever!! I recommend this experience for everyone.

Naomi {A Boudoir Story}

If you would have told me that at 8 months pregnant that I would be doing a sexy boudoir shoot I would have told you that you were crazy. I've struggled with how I look and being this pregnant on top of it really just made my anxiety at an all time high with doing this shoot. Actually, I had a bit of a panic attack on the way to the shoot!

Of course when I got there Katie made me feel so welcomed and just so comfortable that my worries just kinda started to melt away. Granted, getting your make up done and hair to look so on point helps a girl feel 100 times better too! Now when I started that anxiety did try to come back, it’s always the what if's that try to creep into your brain saying to yourself, "You’re not feeling sexy enough" or the one that happened with me is "This belly is all in the way".

Katie being the wonderful human she is however was just so encouraging and even would show me a few shots of myself telling me how sexy I did actually look and wow! I did look sexy! I started to really feel myself in those moments which made me so elated! Now I will say moving from pose to pose being 8 months pregnant was no easy task but Katie was more than willing to help me get situated every time, which was great because we would just crack jokes about it.

When I got the pictures back from the shoot I was absolutely blown away! I just thought to myself, "Look at this amazing beautiful pregnant body that I have!". Seeing myself in that light made me realize that I could look sexy even being 8 months pregnant. I cried when seeing them because I needed that positive reassurance, I am a mother but I am still a beautiful strong woman. She made the whole experience for me one of the best and I really cant stress that enough.

I've already been on a bragging spree to any of my friends that will listen to me! Do boudoir, do it at whatever point you are in your life and I promise you that you will feel so much confidence from seeing your beauty, strength, and raw power in your sexuality and every woman deserves that in her life.

Lindsey {A Boudoir Story}

I never thought I would have the confidence to do a photoshoot. Especially one where I was wearing nothing! I have struggled with body image and self love for most of my life. I have always compared myself to others and wondered why I couldn't measure up. Kids to adults have been cruel throughout my life. I have had many people try to bring me down for different reasons from my teeth before braces to my weight changes.

I have struggled with eating disorders, depression, anxiety and self harm. I have to choose every day to fight to rise above it and have realized life is more than trying to fit in and measuring up to a certain "standard". I also reaIized the standards I've had for myself are unrealistic because everyone is unique in their own way.

Another thing I've struggled with is different health issues from 9 years old being diagnosed with a thyroid disease and at age 25 being diagnosed with bells palsy. Dealing with this has honestly made it hard to not lose confidence in myself but I try everyday to be positive, take care of myself and love myself because if you don't love yourself and see yourself as positive its hard to do the same for others.

I randomly did this shoot with Katie because I wanted a special Christmas gift to my husband. I felt nervous about it at first because I was afraid how big my body would look or if my nerves started spasming in my face how funny I would look. But after seeing the pictures I smiled and looked at myself differently seeing my beauty that Katie captured made me feel good. I would highly recommend Katie, she is so sweet and makes you feel comfortable and gorgeous and takes amazing pictures!

Mary {A Boudoir Story}

A short and sweet blog post for you today. I always tell my clients that this experience is all about THEM. It’s about breaking down all those barriers and misconceptions that women hold onto so tightly. While society is getting better about showing people of all sizes and abilities in advertising, it still highlights the need to be “skinny” or “have perfect large perky boobs” or whatever attribute that is socially most attractive at that time in history. It makes it super hard to be confident about ourselves no matter what our body type is because we always focus on what we think that we lack.

While most of my clients still come into the studio thinking that they are giving a gift to someone else, it ALWAYS becomes a gift to themselves as well. The images might make a great gift to a significant other, but the EXPERIENCE is all about you, about making you feel smoking hot in the body that you’re in, about embracing your “flaws” and highlighting the things that make you you.

Without further ado - I give you Mary: “I thought I was doing this for my husband's big birthday that's coming up. I think it was actually more for me! I felt so beautiful and the photos turned out so amazing! I'm thrilled I decided to do this for us. It will be something I can look back on for years to come.”

Play Time {A Boudoir Story}

What happens when a photographer gets one day access to the most phenomenal building in town? BOUDOIR ALL DAY! We gathered up a few models, hair and makeup artists and photographers, brought beds, outfits, a beautiful cake and flowers to the venue and made a day of it. It could honestly not have gone any better. It was an absolute dream and I'm dying to go back already. Check it out below!

Makeup: Jessica Hall
Hair: Lyndsey Lenee
Cake: For the Love of Sweets

Jodie and Ryan - The Struggle with IVF {Session Review}

I've known Jodie since college and have loved her so so much through the years. She's been with me through graduations, job changes, very first Slumber Parties events, very first boudoir sessions, breakups, weddings, a whole array of important events. If you have ever spoken to her, then you know that she is so full of passion. Passion for her job, passion for her husband, for their pups, for her friends. She has wanted to be a mother for a long time and the struggle for her is beyond anything that I can imagine.

She has been SO STRONG in being able to share her journey and shed light on the fact that there are so many women struggling silently with this. One in eight women struggle with this and nobody's really talking about it. I'm so glad she is willing to share her story with us. There's so much emotion in this blog. It has sadness, disappointment, grief, love and most importantly hope.  Also, a special thanks to Glam by Jeet for the amazing hair and makeup artistry. Here we go:

May 17, 2015 I married my best friend. We were in our mid twenties, and just decided to “let things happen” and stopped using any type of birth control on our honeymoon. 6 months passed, no pregnancy, which isn’t unusual. A year passed, still nothing. Then the doctor visits began, it was three years before we finally received a diagnosis. 1095 days of waiting for an answer.

It hit me like a ton of bricks when I realized the issue was me, and while my condition is rare (which is why a diagnosis took so long) it made our chances of conceiving naturally less than 1%. Our only option now for a family is In Vitro Fertilization. And even with that, each cycle is a 37% chance of a live birth.

Not only that, but the process is also taxing, mentally, physically, and financially. IVF isn’t just growing an embryo in a Petri dish, it’s waiting until the timing is perfect for your body, it’s multiple daily injections, suppositories (and not for your butt), pills, patches, and bloodwork. More waiting. Waiting to see if you had any viable eggs, waiting to see how many of those viable eggs fertilize, waiting to see if any make it to the blastocyst stage. And then, if you’re lucky enough to have a viable embryo, more shots, and implanting it. Then more waiting, two weeks in fact, to know if the implantation worked. And if it doesn’t? Well, scroll back up to the top & repeat.

So next time you go to ask someone in casual conversation when they are starting a family, don’t. Because if you ask me, I won’t hold back. Waiting on our miracle, 1168 days & counting.

Glambassador Brittany {A Boudoir Story}

Growing up I never really hated my body. I was happy and athletic. It wasn't until I turned 23 and became diagnosed with a chronic disease that I started to hate my body. When I first became sick I was miserable I was below 100 lbs, I couldn't even look at myself while naked let alone let my husband see me!

My flare passed and I started to gain weight back but still never made it back to my healthy weight. I still didn't feel comfortable in my skin, for years I was this way. Then yet again my body fell under an awful flare, I had to have surgery and have an ostomy bag attached to my body to help me heal. Talk about an all time self-confidence low!! It took my months to even think about changing shirts in front of my husband. Intimacy was out the window for me!!

Then Katie and I had a long and beautiful talk about how I could prove myself wrong with boudoir photos. So I made the decision to go see her. Katie was the first to really see my bag outside of family and Doctors, and boy was I nervous!! Gosh I think I shook the whole time she helped me with outfits and the first set of shots she took. Then with Katie's amazing guidance and her ability to literally see the beauty in every woman, I became more confident throughout our first shoot.

When the glambassador positions came up and I just had to apply! By this time I no longer had my ostomy bag and had gained my weight back, I was finally nearing my healthy weight. Honestly, I was still struggling because of my scars from surgery and also being rounder than I have been in years!! But yet again Katie and her team showed me how beautiful I can be throughout any stage of my body and disease.

My husband and I are so in love with the way these boudoir sessions have changed my confidence! I have never felt more sexy or beautiful in my entire life!! I couldn't Thank Katie, her glam team, and the boudoir community enough, for the beauty and love they create and radiate!!

Glambassador Autumn {A Boudoir Story}

I have always wanted to do a Boudoir session but lacked the confidence to book an appointment. I kept saying to myself, "lose 20 pounds, or wait until you get a tan!!" I wanted to look like what Hollywood shows us how we should look. A certain standard.

I have never fit into that Hollywood standard. I have always had an issue with what I see in the mirror, with no clothes on or in sexy lingerie. I avoid mirrors like it's the plague. I have let hurtful comments from men replay in my head over and over until I have literally believed them. The strange thing is, I have never heard women tear me down but rather the men have and for most of my life.

One day, a friend of mine invited me to Katie's Boudoir private group page and Katie offered up an application if you will to become one of her Glambassadors. I kept looking at it and reading it. Wanting to apply and then backed off and went to apply again and thought to myself, "why not, what have a got to lose?" I never thought I would have been been chosen. But that day has played a significant change in me. A new me. No more rude, derogatory comments will bother me, no more abusive words will tear me down. NO MORE!!!! So I accepted the position as Glambassador and chose to walk down the path to a new me and to help create a new path for all women and of all sizes. I hope to be a part of this movement and stop the problem we have as women. We should be uplifting our sisters, friends, co-workers and such. Instead of tearing down these beautiful creatures we are all meant to be. Doing this Boudoir session will empower you as a woman...I promise!!!

My biggest fear before my photo shoot was: will the cellulite show up, will my big legs and arms look bigger in the pictures, will my lower pooch be a prominent element in the pictures from having surgeries and kids. Basically, will all the flaws that I see look gross in the pictures??? The answer is NO. Katie is such a professional and has a keen eye and how to use the lighting and angle of the camera to show off your assets!!! My confidence in myself was about a 4 out of 10. After the photo shoot, my confidence level was a 20. I was on a high all night long. Then, Katie sent me about 4 images and I was all on fire!!! I couldn't believe that was ME in those photos. ME!!!!! I couldn't stop looking at them and days later, I am in complete AWE!!!! It literally made me proud and tears flowed down my cheeks. All these years I have been seeing myself all wrong.

I was absolutely nervous before the shoot. I'm such a planner and I really didn't know what to expect. But once I arrived and met the glam team, my nerves disappeared quickly!!! Her team is completely amazing and the transformation is outstanding!! After I looked in the mirror and saw my makeup and my hair; it lit a fire in me. I was going to perform, with Katie's guidance and make her proud as a Glambassador and to make myself proud!!!

I would highly recommend Katie and her team. If you have been holding back for any reason, let it all go and do this for yourself. Empower yourself!! It's in you and Katie will guide you the whole way!!!

Andrea {A -second- Boudoir Story}

My idea of how I see beauty standards is that while women need to have a certain slim look, if you aren't skinny and toned, you are fat. If you are plus sized, you are fat. But then people want to say that you should love yourself no matter your size or shape. While the latter is true, there is so much more to that.

While we should be happy and confident with our bodies, we also need to remember that it's not just a physical issue, it's a mental one too. A lot of women like me have low self esteem for different reasons or from certain things that have happened to us. For me, while I do need to get healthier and lose weight per my doctor, it's mostly about my mentality of the whole idea because of physical and emotional scars, of extra stomach fat, of not feeling pretty or skinny or sexy no matter what I wear, because of how I see myself versus other women.

In one of my past relationships, I was cheated on multiple times and I was never complimented. Ever. He was abusive in all forms and I felt like I was nothing. I was told I was worthless and useless. I never thought I was pretty enough or skinny enough even though I was a lot skinnier then than I am now. I felt like I was the ugliest female that walked the earth. How could someone ever love me like this? I was so broken. So lost. In need of love and affection. In need of affirming that I am beautiful or sexy or at least worth something.

Whether she realizes it or not, Katie is helping me through this difficult journey of self love, confidence in my own body, changing how I view myself in the bedroom, and knowing my self worth. While I am in a better relationship now, I still have a lot of healing to do and learning how to have confidence. Katie is so encouraging throughout these sessions that you can't help but to feel her excitement and confidence in this whole idea. She radiates happiness and passion that automatically flows right into you. She makes you feel so attractive and sexy. Because of that, you automatically feel confident and ready to strike those poses and embrace your womanhood! Oh the difference even just a little encouragement can make.

If you are nervous about trying a boudoir photoshoot, you needn't be. Katie is so easy to talk to and she is the sweetest. Just talk to her first and she will help calm you down while her artist does your hair and makeup. After you look at yourself in the mirror when the artist is done, you will automatically feel elated and stunned. Your confidence goes up and it helps you become excited for your shoot! When you get into your lingerie ... or not ;) ... you will feel like you are a Hollywood starlet! Katie walks you through everything and suggests different poses for you to be able to do. The more she takes pictures, the easier it is to be calm and enjoy the experience of embracing your womanhood. You can flaunt your curves and sexiness while also being able to look elegant and classy. When she shows you your pictures after she has edited them, it will blow you away! And I will just put this out there .. there may be tears at this point. No matter how you view yourself, these photos will remind you that you ARE beautiful. You ARE sexy. You ARE worth it. But most importantly, that you are a woman through and through. The journey to confidence and self love may still be longer than you expect, but this is such a great start to changing the way you see yourself. You will not be disappointed! ♡ I promise you that.