I am a Christian,  and I am also a photographer. Now,  I’m sure that you’re thinking, okay, nothing out of the norm here.  What I didn’t mention is the fact that I also shoot boudoir photography. It’s not too often that I get asked about how I can be both. But it comes up every once in a while. So I wanted to share with you why I shoot boudoir photography, even as a Christian (or especially as a Christian), and why I believe all Christian wives or soon-to-be-wives should do a boudoir shoot.

Now, I’m not sure where I’d begin or even if laying out boudoir photography in a biblical context would make any difference. I’ll just say that the whole of scripture implicitly points Christians away from anything having to do with lust in thought, word, and deed. Any type of sensuality or nudity apart from between marriage partners shouldn’t even be “named among us”.

Furthermore, in my study and concurred opinion, sexual desire and sensuality between a man and a woman is a gift from God meant solely for marriage. Anything outside of that, according to scripture,  is out of bounds. Of course, that’s all in the context of this (nudity/sensuality in photography and in general). Well, enough of that, let’s get started!

I asked a few of my clients if would it be okay for me to use some of their photos to write and illustrate this article.

What is a boudoir shoot?

Boudoir is pronounced Bu-dwah or Bu-dwar, and is technically defined as, “a woman’s bedroom or private room for dressing or resting.” So in the photography world, that involves a portrait shoot that a woman does privately for her man, usually in lingerie.   Although the shoot is primarily done as a gift for her man, the women find that the shoot is very pampering and creates a space for her to feel feminine, lovely, and especially sexy. Women spend far too much time comparing themselves to other women they see on Social Media, magazines, or on TV and feeling “blah” about themselves. Especially tired Mommies who feel more like a Mom than a woman, most times.

Why should Christian couples be interested in boudoir?

God created men to be highly visual.  It’s the way we’re built. I once heard a pastor refer to a man’s brain as a Rolodex, whereas men, in general, are bombarded with imagery of sexy women all the time, and no matter how committed men are to looking away to avoid lusting after the women in those images, it’s inevitable that some of those images are going to get in,  and even pop up from time to time. And, whether he knows it or not, he remembers them. How great would it be if a man’s memory was chalked full of lovely images of his wife and the majority of the images popping up in his mind were images he could cherish and feel good about?  I believe that boudoir photography is best used in the context of marriage. I think any man would be delighted that his wife (or wife-to-be) would think enough of him to give him a gift that takes a lot of courage and love to do.

The other point to consider is that in a healthy, Christian marriage, a woman should feel sexy, desired, and appreciated for her body even with its imperfections. Obviously, there is a lot more about her to be appreciated, but that’s a post for another day.  When a woman doesn’t feel good about the way she looks, she doesn’t bring to the marriage the needed energy that can help fuel true intimacy. A boudoir shoot can give a woman that much-needed confidence. It’s so amazing what a little sexy confidence can do for a marriage.