22 Bridal & Wedding Boudoir Ideas (+ Outfit Inspiration)

Bridal boudoir photography is a powerful way to bring out a bride’s self-confidence.

When done with taste, style, class, and a bit of the bride’s personality, these photos can produce some mind-blowing results.

Learning more about your bride can help you use the many bridal boudoir photography ideas included here and adapt the following tips to meet your client’s tastes.

Throughout the years, I’ve worked to create a portfolio of boudoir photographs, and I’ve needed to come up with unique and fun wedding boudoir ideas in the process.

I hope this list of tips and ideas can help you to create some sensual bride photographs as well.

Continue to read more about how to prepare for an upcoming bridal boudoir photo shoot.

• 25 Boudoir photography tips

What Are Some Bridal & Wedding Boudoir Photoshoot Ideas?

Shooting bridal and wedding boudoir photos lets photographers get creative and have fun working with their subjects. 

Some fun and creative bridal boudoir photo shoot ideas for brides may include any (or all) of the following: 

Use the Veil

Use your wedding veil as a fun, flirty accessory that can personalize a boudoir wedding photo, creating striking images. 

The veil can also add mystery and provide a layer of anonymity that can help your subject warm into the shoot.

Be creative with poses, including sitting in a chair, standing in front of a window, or lying on the floor. Close-ups of the bride’s face through the lace of the veil can also be extremely enchanting.

• Read more: How do you pose for a boudoir shoot?

Wear the Groom’s Clothing

Take some things that belong to your groom, like his favorite shirt or sports jersey or the tie he’ll wear to the wedding, and incorporate them into the photoshoot. 

Bath Full of Flowers or Bubbles

There are a bunch of bridal boudoir photos you can do using a bathtub. Bubbles make for a fun and playful setting, while a milk bath or tub filled with flowers can be soft and seductive.

Wear a white shirt or a veil to cover the most private parts of the body, or obscure them with the bubbles, flowers, or opaque milky water.

• Read more: How do you make a milk bath for photography?

Remember to always communicate with your subject to make sure they feel comfortable with any scenario you create for them.

Wedding Bouquet

A bridal boudoir photoshoot provides the perfect opportunity to use your wedding flowers as a prop. 

Use the bouquet to cover up parts of the body or take cheeky photos looking through the petals of the flowers. 

Lightweight Fabric

A large square of lightweight fabric can be used in various poses, covering all the private parts with it. 

For some fun bridal boudoir poses, hang the material and let the bride walk in and out of it or peek through it playfully. 

On a Balcony

Take boudoir photos early in the morning as the sun rises on a balcony, and if the bride-to-be isn’t too shy, only have a sheer cover or transparent robe covering the body. 

Taking photos on the balcony can also be thrilling and sensual at night, with the city lights glowing in the background and the lights from passing cars below. 

In a Garden

Head outdoors to a lush garden for a bridal boudoir session among the beautiful flowers. 

If a butterfly garden is available, take photos there, and hopefully, some beautiful butterflies will land on the subject during the photoshoot. 

By Some Water

Water can make for some sexy bridal boudoir images, especially when you can lie and sit in various poses by the lake or pond. 

If the water is safe to get into, or if you have a pool accessible, conduct the boudoir shoot both floating in and emerging from the water. 

Highlight Your Jewelry

Grab some of your favorite jewelry pieces and wear those for your upcoming bridal boudoir session. 

Whether large earrings, multiple necklaces, or just your wedding ring, jewelry can make for a fun prop to use when taking sensual photographs. 

• Read more: How to take photos of jewelry at home

Pin-Up Girl

Everyone loves a pin-up girl, and won’t your husband be impressed (and turned on) when you give him your boudoir wedding photos of you as a pin-up girl? 

Getting dressed up for the camera is also a really fun and totally empowering experience for many brides.

• Read more: Vintage pin up girl poses

Sensual Masks

Add some mystery to your bridal boudoir shoot by wearing stylish, lacy masks in colors to match the lingerie or accessories you use during the photo session. 

In the Bed

Nothing is more suggestive than a boudoir shoot in a bed, where accessories such as flowers, your veil, jewelry, etc., can surround you. 

Or, if you feel confident, wear nothing and only cover the private parts with a bed sheet. 

Another fun bridal boudoir photography idea is to cover the bed in roses. Shoot photos as the bride rolls around in them or tosses them up in the air.

• Read more: How do I take DIY boudoir photos on my phone at home?

Getting Ready for the Big Day

Stage a rehearsal of you getting ready for the wedding day and shoot several incredible boudoir images as you do your make-up and hair and try on your wedding dress. 

Wearing Oversized Clothing

Wearing an oversized sweater of your mate, and only the sweater, can create a seductive look in bridal boudoir photography, and he will think of you every time he wears that sweater. 

As another idea, you can even buy a shirt or sweater that’s too big for you and wear it for the photoshoot, then give him the shirt and copies of the photos on the wedding night. 

• Read more: Plus-sized boudoir photography tips and poses

Window Light Photography

Have the bride stand in front of a large beautiful window and take several shots of her looking out the window. 

Taking boudoir wedding photos in front of a large window as the sun is setting can create shadows, creating a fantastic image. 

• Read more: Tips for taking photos with window light

In a Vehicle

Take sexy bridal boudoir photos in his car or rent his favorite sports car for the day to take pictures on the hood, in the driver’s seat, or in other poses where the vehicle is the main prop. 

A vintage vehicle also makes for fun boudoir photos that make a great wedding day gift for your husband. 

Mirror Mirror on the Wall

Play with reflections for creative and inviting boudoir photographs.

For example, stand in front of a large mirror – whether in a hotel room or your own home – to capture a lingerie-clad body from both front and back.

Silhouettes

Silhouettes can create a sense of sexual mystery in boudoir photos. By obscuring private parts with a darkened image, you can highlight just the beautiful shape of the bride’s body.

• Read more: What settings should I use for silhouette photography?

Twinkle Lights

Use strands of twinkling lights and hold these lights in various positions for different poses during the wedding boudoir photo session. 

You can also string the lights up behind the bride and use a shallow depth of field to create a stunning bokeh effect.

Strawberries and Whipped Cream

Strawberries are a sensual food to enjoy and can be a fun prop when accompanied by whipped cream during your boudoir photography session. 

Professional Preparation

To help ensure you look fabulous and feel confident for the bridal boudoir photoshoot, it’s a great idea to get your hair and make-up professionally done before arriving for the session. 

If you’re the photographer, you might like to advise the bride-to-be on how to prepare and/or offer recommendations on where to go for hair and makeup. 

What outfits should you wear for a wedding boudoir photoshoot?

It can be stressful finding sensual outfits to wear during a wedding boudoir shoot – you want to feel your most confident!

Finding the perfect outfit to wear for a wedding boudoir photo shoot can make all the difference in creating incredibly sexy images.

If you are unsure what to wear or to bring to your wedding boudoir photography session, speak with your wedding photographer who can provide suggestions based on experience and what other brides-to-be have worn.

Ultimately, when it comes to choosing what to wear during a boudoir photo shoot, wear what makes you feel comfortable.

Here are some great tips to help you create the look of your dreams when planning a bridal boudoir photography session:

Sexy Dresses

Bring your favorite sexy dress or two to wear during the photoshoot with sexy heels or boots. 

A bodycon dress that hugs you in and shows off curves is perfect for creating silhouette images.

Favorite Jeans

Do you have a pair of jeans that make your butt and legs look amazing? 

Bring those jeans and wear them with an oversized button-up shirt you can wear unbuttoned or with only one or two buttons done up. 

You can even wear your jeans with just a bra or no top at all, which makes for a stunning photo when shot from behind giving an over-the-shoulder look to the camera.

A Hint of Shoulder

Off-the-shoulder shirts or sweaters can be very sexy and flirty, making them perfect for a boudoir photoshoot. 

Underwear – Of Course!

Sexy lingerie is a staple of any boudoir session. Choose whatever undergarments are most empowering for you, whether that’s something delicate and lacy or something more bondage-inspired. 

A sheer, see-through, or lacy robe is also a great option to wear alone or over your sensual undergarments. 

Lace & Tulle

Lace is very sensual and beautiful looking, and can add texture to your boudoir photos. For a classic bridal feel, add lace in pure white.

Tulle (the fabric used for tutus and veils) is also a beautiful fabric that adds a soft, sensual and feminine mood to any boudoir photo. Wear a tulle ballet skirt or buy a roll of tulle fabric to drape around the bride.

Jacket

A leather jacket, jean jacket, or fitted blazer, when worn without an undershirt, can be very sexy and suggestive, which means they can be the perfect thing to wear during a bridal boudoir photography session. 

Oversized Hat

Add an oversized hat to your outfit to create a fun, flirty look during your boudoir session. It could be a floppy straw hat or felt hat with flowers.

The flower hat can be worn with lingerie or any other boudoir session outfit, or it can be used to cover up parts of the body you don’t want to reveal in the photographs.

Fishnet Stockings

Throw on a pair of fishnet stockings to wear under an oversized shirt or with some sexy lingerie for a fun look. 

Garter Belt Set

A garter belt set is a standard to wear during a boudoir photo session that you really can’t go wrong with. It will create fantastic images for your other half. 

Why should you do a bridal boudoir photoshoot?

There are several reasons why you should schedule a boudoir wedding photoshoot. First, with the right photographer, you’ll have fun memories to cherish forever, reminding you how sexy and self-confident you are. 

It has been a tradition for couples to exchange gifts on their wedding day, and sexy photos of you in a silk robe or lingerie placed in an intimate photo album make the perfect wedding gift. 

Bridal boudoir photos are much more unique than giving your partner a traditional watch or sweater. A boudoir wedding shoot is empowering and a fantastic experience, providing you with an unforgettable wedding day gift your spouse will always cherish. 

Here are some of the many reasons why a bridal boudoir photoshoot is the ultimate experience to schedule and use as a gift for your spouse-to-be: 

• Photos last forever and can make a beautiful heirloom that won’t go out of style
• Give yourself as the real gift, reminding him why he fell in love with you
• It’s a far more memorable gift than traditional wedding day gifts
• Spice up the wedding night by wearing what you wore in the photos
• Feel gorgeous and empowered in your own skin in the leadup to your wedding day
• It gives you a reason to get pampered, including hair and makeup
• It serves as an excuse to buy new beautiful lingerie
• It serves as a reminder that you are beautiful – so you never forget
• Preserves a time in your life and helps you to remember your special day

Thinking of incorporating the groom into your shoot and doing your boudoir session together? Check out this guide to couples’ boudoir photography for some great ideas.