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The most important thing to consider when choosing a boudoir photographer…

Connection.

This is more important than you think. Connecting with your boudoir photographer is essential to have the best experience possible. You want your boudoir session to reflect who you really are and being comfortable during your session is essential to making that happen…especially with how intimate a boudoir session is.

Connecting with your photographer is even more important than location and price. The entire session depends on how comfortable you are.

Since you’ll most likely be wearing lingerie, you will definitely want your photographer to feel more like a friend instead of a stranger. And you will want your session to feel fun, pampering and empowering.

Based on this, our studio makes comfort the priority with our boudoir experience. Our all-female staff is passionate about helping empower women and make their boudoir experience the most amazing time ever!

So, when you’re deciding which boudoir photographer you want to use, remember, if you don’t feel connected and comfortable with your photographer, you won’t end up with the images you want…and you should get what you want.
You’re worth it.

Have you heard of a boudoir party?

Boudoir parties are all the rage these days. What’s a boudoir party you may ask? This is where we host you and at least 4 of your girlfriends during a block of time and all of the slots are filled by you and your party. Parties with 5 or more get a discount too!

You and your ladies arrive at our studio(we close down the studio for boudoir sessions so you can have the place to yourselves!) you can bring food and drinks, you can touch up your hair and makeup (in our private changing room), drink wine and just have a good time while you’re waiting for your session.

Each of you will then have your own private 30-minute session (upstairs using our collection of furniture and backgrounds) and can choose from our two boudoir packages. We also offer a little black book you can get printed for your sweetheart.

Sounds fun, right? Don’t miss your opportunity to throw your boudoir party. Contact us today to set your date!

Below are our favorite tips to help you have the most fabulous boudoir experience ever: 

~Flawless skin. Skip the self tanner and moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! To ensure your skin is flawless, make moisturizer your best friend all week leading up to your boudoir shoot and make sure you bring lotion to apply for the session as well!

~Hydrate. That means swap out caffeine and alcohol with water in the days leading up to the session! Trust us, your skin will thank you! Wait to break out the bubbly until during the photoshoot 😉

~Wax. If you decide you want to get rid of some of that unwanted hair with a wax, make sure it’s a few days before the shoot. This way you can avoid redness and skin irritation.

~Sleep. Of course we know sleep is important but it makes a huge difference in how a person looks/feels! Make sure you get plenty of rest especially the night before the session!

~Eat. Make sure you eat something light before your session. The experience is more fun if you’re not hangry!

~Smooth skin. Wear baggy clothes to the session that won’t leave red marks on your body.

~The Makeup. Makeup for photographs is very different than your everyday makeup. Consider splurging and hiring a professional. It adds to the fun of the experience, minimizes stress and increases confidence!

~Heels. They are a must in our book! Heels add an elegance and sexiness to boudoir sessions no matter what you wear.

~Lingerie. It doesn’t have to be extravagant lingerie. We think special lingerie is fun but sometimes black underwear and a simple black bra can be just as sexy! Also consider something else…think about what makes you feel sexy. A favorite pair of shorts? Even a simple fav. T-shirt by itself can be sexy…we also love to play around with different fabrics too.

Check out our boudoir gallery to see more of our favorite boudoir sessions!

Our boudoir sessions are empowering. Treat yourself to an experience that will make you feel strong, beautiful and pampered. We walk you through the entire process so you feel confident and know what to expect. Through expert lighting and posing, we guarantee we will capture you in the most flattering way possible…you’ll absolutely love your images! 

Visit our Facebook Blush/Boudoir Page HERE

We hear this one a lot…”I promised my friend they could be our wedding photographer. They offered it as a wedding gift!”

Unless the friend is a legitimate photographer and has a thriving professional business (even then we’re not so sure), we do NOT recommend this. Here are a few reasons why…

FRIEND ROLE VS. WORKING ROLE
First of all, if they’re a good friend, you want them to be a guest at your wedding, not serving a working role.

YOU DESERVE TO HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS
Let’s say your friend has a nice camera and is a pretty legitimate photographer… what if you’re not totally happy with the pictures? Or with them? Or their style?  Hiring a good professional who is not your friend will ensure that you can interview them, review their work, lay out all of your expectations and make sure you love their style before hiring them.

It will ensure that they WILL:
~be there and not cancel 1 month before
~they will be on time
~they will be working taking pictures for an agreed on amount of time
~they can professionally custom design an album to preserve the day with the images they took
~ they won’t miss anything!
With a friend, you can’t make those same requirements without seeming like you don’t trust them. And, since you’re not paying them, you don’t feel like you have the right to make any demands or set your expectations.

IT’S YOUR WEDDING DAY
You only have one way to preserve it. Your wedding photos are all you’ll have to remember the day. Saving money isn’t a good excuse to gamble on a photographer for a day as important as that. The wedding day should be about what YOU want. Not about hurting a friend’s feelings by rejecting them or making things in the future awkward because a friendship is strained by business.

When it comes to your wedding photographer, 9 times out of 10, you get what you pay for…or didn’t pay for.

Go ahead, make photography higher on your wedding budget priority list. We promise…it’ll pay off.

How to coordinate outfits to get the best look in your photos

Not sure what to wear to your engagement session? We can help! You should bring two to three outfits to your session so we can get a variety of different looks for you. We suggest the following:

• Bring a ‘Dressy’ Outfit

It’s not every day you get to get all dressed up with your sweetheart and take photos together. Use this session as an excuse to really go all out and get fancied up! We’re not saying you have to wear a gown and tux (unless you want to!), but maybe a dress or skirt for you, and a suit or nice slacks and a button up shirt for your fiancé. This outfit will be great for save the date cards, or the wedding announcement in your local newspaper.

• Go Casual

We also suggest you bring a more casual outfit. This outfit is ideal for your more fun, relaxed photos. Tailored jeans and a nice shirt are always a great choice, especially if we are going to be walking around in nature a lot. Make sure to bring shoes specifically for this outfit, too.

• Coordination is Key

The most important thing to remember is to coordinate. You don’t want to be matchy-matchy, but you want to coordinate. Choose similar colors and styles that photograph well together. For example, you don’t want to wear jeans if your fiancé is wearing nice dress pants in the same photo. Also remember to dress for the location. For example, if you are doing a natural, rustic or vintage session, you’ll want to stay away from bright colors and opt for neutrals instead.

• Things to Avoid

– Logos, unless we’re doing a sports session and you’re wearing jerseys, etc.
– Patterns – Try to stick with solid colors or minimal patterns. Plaid shirts are fine as long as your fiancé isn’t wearing stripes or polka dots. It’s a good rule of thumb to only have one partner wearing a pattern at a time.
– Fluorescent colors – These don’t photograph well and also can cast bright color tones on your skin.

Always remember, if you have any questions at all or want to discuss your outfits, you can contact us any time~we love to help! Service@KishelPhotography.com

Since finishing with Lisa and Steve’s breathtaking Pensacola wedding, we kept coming back to this image. This moment was so memorable- we stole the bride and groom away to a historic bar in Seville Quarters for some alone time and a celebratory beer. As we left them alone to scope out more unique spots to take them to, this is what we captured through the iron gated door…the most perfect stolen moment! Such a romantic wedding with two amazing people! So glad we could be a part of your day! We love traveling to unique places to capture special moments!
#Havecamerawilltravel #Romanceinparadise

A note to our brides-to-be…

You are about to experience the big day you’ve waited and planned for. We have shared in so many wedding days and want each of our brides to have the best experience possible. So, we’ve compiled our top 5 musts for you to remember on your wedding day. It goes by so fast which is why we’re there with you every step of the way, capturing those moments that are fleeting. It’s a whirlwind of people, lace, pearls, sparkles, flowers, kisses, and if you’re lucky…cake. Here are 5 tips to help you get the most out of your wedding day…

1. Delegate.
Delegate EVERYTHING on the day of your wedding. Arrange it so that you are hands off as of 11:59pm the night before (and let’s hope well before then because you should be getting your beauty rest!)

There will still be little hiccups the day of and you’ll inevitably have people asking you questions to make sure they do what you want, but ultimately you shouldn’t be dealing with any wedding day logistics that day. It’s your big day…you should have people in place around you that will shield you from chaos so you can just enjoy being a princess for one day.

 2. EAT.
We can’t count how many times we’ve seen a bride go through the entire day and not eat. It causes so much more stress for you to be hungry. We know it’s a nerve-racking day, but plan ahead of time to have little things that are easy to snack on throughout the day. Have one person (usually maid of honor, or Mother) that has the job of making sure you are snacking all day. It’s especially important because we’ve seen brides go to the reception on an empty stomach and fall victim to one or two drinks on that empty stomach = one too many. And trust us when we say, no one looks good in pictures when they’re three sheets to the wind…especially not the bride.

3. Allow time for pictures.
One thing we run into is that most people underestimate how long pictures take. When capturing a bride (and groom), we like to take our time. You are more than likely going to be in heels, a heavy dress, and also playing a fun game where we’re trying to hide you from the groom. Having plenty of time with the bride is imperative to capture you perfectly on your wedding day. Rushed pictures make for a panicked bride…the opposite of what we’re going for on this day. And usually, having the extra calm helps us through the pictures with ease and we can get done early and let you have more down time with nothing else going on.
We love having just as much time with the bride and groom together as well. Because, after all, isn’t that what this whole day is about? The two of you…that’s why this day is happening anyway. So, don’t sell yourself short on time with the photographer this day of all days. Your photographs are what you have to preserve this day forever.

4. Do a “First Look”.
People have mixed feelings about this idea, but let me explain what we like to do. Often times, the first time a groom sees his bride is when she is walking down the aisle. That is a very romantic idea; however, rarely is it everything they want it to be. We’ve had several brides who were sure this was the first time they wanted the groom to see them (and we’re always completely supportive of what the bride wants!), but afterwards they have told us that they didn’t get to enjoy that moment like they thought they would because they were so nervous and the groom doesn’t always feel comfortable really reacting because everyone is watching. Let me tell you-it’s very daunting having all eyes on you as you walk (hopefully gracefully) down the long aisle in a dress and shoes that you’re not used to wearing. Some of these brides were disappointed in their first look moment and so we came up with a solution.
We create a special moment to reveal the bride to the groom. A controlled, intimate setting with just the two of them earlier in the day when she has just finished getting ready, looking perfect. We usually have her make some sort of grand entrance and it never fails…the groom is comfortable to react since no one is watching. We’ve captured (from a safe distance) grooms tearing up, reacting with amazement at how gorgeous their bride looks. The couple can take however long they want to just be in that moment together. Sometimes they exchange gifts, sometimes they just shower each other with kisses. Either way, it serves each of them as a reminder of why they’re doing this. And my goodness is it romantic!

5. Dance.
It’s your party…you’ve been planning it for a long time-enjoy it! Have a great time celebrating that you’re married! Although you might feel that you should/want to greet and talk to everyone who so lovingly came to see you get married, just know that no one expects you to do anything except enjoy your own party and celebrate! We’ve seen it before so many times…the bride and groom get swept away in greeting people and talking with everyone as the party slips away from them and by the end of the night they have only had a handful of moments to celebrate. Our advice? Stay close to the head table and dance floor. If you venture out to the reception tables, people will automatically see you as available and you’ll get ambushed. Sometimes, we see brides that never even get to sit down and enjoy the menu that they spent so many hours perfecting. We say, if there is someone special you’d like to talk to, send your MOH out to go get them and bring them to you, or make people come to the dance floor to party with you there.
There are only so many photos we can take of the “party” at the reception if the bride and groom aren’t in them. Many times we take photos of the dancing etc, but the bride and groom aren’t even in those photos because they’re off in the back talking to someone.
The best weddings we have been to have been the ones where the celebrating happens on the dance floor. You’d be surprised what relatives and friends will join in if the bride and groom are out there having a great time. It’s much more priceless to capture a bride getting down on the dance floor with her grandpa (who no one would suspect still has some moves) than a photo of them just talking.

From us to you, with as many weddings as we’ve experienced, we figured we have learned a thing or two and wanted to share it with our brides! We know it’s a big undertaking to plan a wedding AND enjoy it, but hopefully these tips will help guide you through it better! Happy wedding planning!

We just loved the details from Brittany and Marc’s Wedding day…we couldn’t just share one photo, we had to share two that convey the beauty of the day. Not only was the bride’s gown beyond amazing in all its lace and gemstones, to compliment it, instead of having live flowers for her bouquet, she had a beautiful bouquet of paper flowers from pages of books, the edges dipped in the beautiful purple shade that flowed throughout the entire wedding setup. She and her groom were just flawless as they exchanged their vows during a gorgeous outdoor ceremony on a perfect sunny day.

Every bride in planning mode might agree… it’s all about the dress. They say that once you have the dress, everything else comes together more easily. The dress is the centerpiece of the day. It dictates the style of the wedding (vintage, couture, modern, classic, etc…pearls, sparkles, diamonds, feathers, or lace). Brides spend hours finding the one dress that fits perfectly because the object of that day (aside from, of course, marrying the love of your life) is to represent the best version of who are while you make this public declaration of a lifelong bond. Every bride wants to be the picture of perfection on her wedding day. That dress represents so much to us…why do we only get to wear it once? I have heard brides talk about how sad they are to pack up the most expensive, prettiest piece of clothing they’ve ever owned and only have the memory of the wedding day images to remind them of how they looked like a princess that day. But why not wear it again?
We (Kishel Photography), seeing this need for another bonus occasion to wear the dress, have always encouraged a fun photoshoot we lovingly call the “trash the dress” session (…although, don’t worry! Rarely has anyone ever really truly trashed their dress.) We love this opportunity for a bride to wear her dress again in an unusual, casual, or adventurous setting. We’ve had brides do a downtown sassy photoshoot, an outdoor photoshoot in the woods, a photoshoot in the water (no the not even that dress was ruined) and we’ve even had a bride ice skate in her dress.

Always looking for ways to wear the dress again, this article caught our eye…the latest trend for brides? Wearing their wedding dress every year on their anniversary! We love the idea! The bride featured in this article wears her dress no matter what they decide to do as a couple to celebrate: golfing, dinner, dancing, going out on the town. It’s a chance to have some fun and be a princess for one day every year! Such a great idea!

Click HERE to go to the article!