“Life has not at all been what I thought it would be for years now. Learning to love my body for living through all that is a journey that hasn’t always been easy, but I wanted to document this time.”
Today we have Ashley, a book-loving knitter who even spins her own yarn! Ashley gifted herself a boudoir session to celebrate coming out on top of a hard few years, both physically and emotionally.
The morning of her session, Ashley met us in the South Jersey Photography studio and first sat for hair and makeup with Kayla. Ashley has gorgeous natural curls and freckles, and she felt Kayla was able to emphasize both. “She absolutely nailed it. I was so shocked. We went with my natural curls, so she spent all our time on makeup and it showed. My freckles shined through and those eyes were just wild.”
Ashley brought two sets for her boudoir session: deep purple and lace high waisted briefs with a matching quarter cup bra (House of Rowan) and baby blue “self-love” high waisted briefs with a matching bra (House of Rowan). She topped both looks off with a pair of wide-fence fishnet stockings. To play up the edgy exhibitionist feel, Ashley also brought in a pair of golden cuffs and matching collar (House of Rowan).
When asked what vibe she was going for, Ashley said she wasn’t sure at first. “I really wasn’t sure of my vibe. I wanted self-love and I wanted edgy and exhibitionist. Through the Pinterest board, I started to find more of a direction. When I showed up, Adrian clearly had a game plan and helped direct me while still letting me lead with my comfort level. When I left, the first thing I told my husband was “there was a clear theme! I was the woman learning to love herself who clearly had a kinky edge….and then she discovered it.”
If you’re thinking of booking a boudoir session, Ashley says stop waiting for the “right” time to come along:
“Go for it. I panicked for a bit about it not being the “perfect” time or how I could always wait till I lost more baby weight but I’m so glad I took the time to honor and love my body as it is now. [My session was] absolutely dreamy. Laughter and joy and gentle care all from Adrian and Kayla. And of course, full of confidence and sexiness.”
Boudoir isn’t just about slipping into sexy lingerie (although it’s a clear bonus); boudoir invokes confidence, self-love, even healing. It’s a way to memorialize a current version of yourself, celebrate making it through a tough experience, stoke a fire that already exists but needs that extra “push.”
“The past few years haven’t been all bad. I’ve discovered more about myself sexually and learned to love and appreciate my body as others do. I wanted to capture that. I also wanted to own myself again after so much trauma. To say I’m here. This body hasn’t just held three babies, it holds me. And I love it for that.”
Ashley, your gorgeous photos are a perfect testament to your strength and resilience. It was an honor to capture it all.
