WELL, HELLO GORGEOUS!
THIS GUIDE IS GOING TO WALK YOU THROUGH THE PROCESS OF WHAT A BOUDOIR SHOOT IS AND HOW THE PROCESS WORKS AT CANDACE GURLEY PHOTOGRAPHY. I AM EXCITED TO GET YOU IN THE STUDIO! ONCE YOU READ THROUGH THIS GUIDE, YOU'LL BE FULLY INFORMED AND READY TO SCHEDULE YOUR SESSION!
THIS GUIDE IS VERY THOROUGH...WHICH MEANS ITS LONG!
SIT DOWN, GRAB A GLASS OF (INSERT FAVORITE BEVERAGE HERE) AND READ THIS UNTIL THE VERY END!
First of all, WELCOME!
First, let me say that I am SOO excited that you have taken a very big step towards booking a boudoir shoot with me- inquiring! Literally 90% of the women I speak with about boudoir light up, and immediately say that they want to do it! But- I don't always have the chance to work with them right away because they never actually take that very important first step. Well lovely, YOU are in for a treat!! I like to think of it as an extended spa day – but better! A boudoir session is better because you get to take home images that remind you everyday of how amazing you truly are! Overall I want to create images that you would be proud to blow up & hang on your bedroom wall.
We believe that every woman is uniquely beautiful and should celebrate who she is, as she is, right now.
WHY BOUDOIR?
My name is Candace, I am the owner of Candace Gurley Photography. I have been specializing in boudoir portraits for almost 8 years, this genre is the only one I shoot 365 days a year. Boudoir is so special to me because I love helping women feel better. I love helping women learn to embrace and love their bodies exactly how they are. Not only will the session show you how beautiful and sensual you can be, but my goal is to change the way you feel about yourself. I want you to love that woman that you see in the mirror every day. We all struggle with self-image, and I want to help women overcome as much of that as I can. Almost every woman that comes to me is self-conscious about their body, but I make it my mission to show them that they're wrong. I believe all women deserve to feel this special and I hope you really consider treating yourself. You may be thinking of gifting these images to your spouse or loved one, but most importantly do this for YOU, you're worth it! Boudoir is the ultimate empowering experience and is revealing in more ways than one. After seeing yourself in a new light, you will have a new perspective on the strong and inspiring woman you are. I promise you will have no regrets in giving yourself this gift of confidence and beauty.
YOU DON'T NEED TO LOSE 15 POUNDS TO DO A SESSION WITH ME. YOU DON'T NEED TO BE BEYONCE CURVY. YOU JUST NEED TO BE YOU. HAVE FUN. AND ENJOY THIS MOMENT. YOU WON'T REGRET IT!!
“The entire experience was really life changing. I arrived that morning feeling like the number on my scale was going to determine how my pictures turned out. I left there an hour later and felt like a goddess. I felt free. The session made realize that I’m still sexy. I’ve still got a fierce lioness living inside me. The experience ended up being more of a gift for my wellbeing, my self worth, than it was a gift for my husband.” -Mrs. B”
WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED?
Our studio is located in Vancleave, MS. We have a fully custom studio with multiple set ups. Our studio is full of gorgeous natural light from our large private windows, beautiful wood floors, and beautiful textured walls. Our hand selected décor is designed to fit our beautiful studio.
We do travel to other areas with a travel fee.
WHAT EXACTLY IS BOUDOIR?
To most people, boudoir means sexy, seductive photos of women in lingerie, or little to no clothing. The truth is, boudoir is a celebration of sensual beauty, which is hugely different for each woman on a personal level. I will talk with you about what makes YOU feel beautiful, and I'll customize your experience to bring that out in your photos. To some women, that WILL mean lingerie, but to others, it will mean knee high socks, bikini panties, and a tank top, and that's TOTALLY ok! So the answer is, boudoir is YOU, in your most beautiful state of mind and body. IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY JOINED OUR PRIVATE VIP GROUP ON FACEBOOK, I HIGHLY SUGGEST THAT YOU DO!
WHAT DO I DO WITH BOUDOIR PHOTOS?
I believe boudoir is the best gift that you can give yourself! To capture all that you are at this very moment in time. When you need a reminder of the strong, beautiful woman that you are, you will have a collection of amazing portraits to look upon for years. I love when my clients come to me all for themselves. The images that we create together will boost your self esteem, your self worth, and your confidence, and that should be celebrated by you! It's about time we all celebrate our sexuality! As women, we really tend to put everyone else before us: be it our kids, spouses, friends, etc, the list is never ending! It is time to stop that, even if just for a day! Let us take some time to celebrate you and your own beautiful self! YOU DESERVE IT.
“As a mother I feel we are so hard on ourselves about the way we look, and we are so concerned with taking care of our families that we forget the beauty that is contained within. A woman has the power to light up a room, she can turn heads from any angle with the grace of her smile. Our love is so strong for our relationships, careers, and whatever we set our minds to that sometimes we forget to love the woman inside of us. I chose to do a session with Candace not just for her beautiful pictures, but to recapture the raw energy of my womanhood again. Being a mother is exhausting, getting divorced drained me, moving and starting my career over nearly took away my drive. I wanted to feel empowered again, so I did this merely for myself, to find that confidence that was lost. When I met Candace at wine down Wednesday I saw the talent in her pictures but I also saw how she could bring the light of a woman out in her photographs. I knew then that I wanted to do a shoot with her. I had considered boudoir before but I knew that I didn’t want it to only be “sexy”. There is something more powerful to the experience than just looking pretty in lingerie. There is an essence of raw womanhood and the beauty that accompanies it.
I was very nervous coming in to the shoot, I was worried about posing and my smile and all the little details but Candace made me more than comfortable and she knows all her stuff. It was so much fun! We laughed, joked and had a great time! It was definitely the most empowering experience I have had. Not to mention the pictures are gorgeous! I am so grateful to be able to capture this moment in my life as the woman that I want to be. I would recommend anyone to do this, maybe for your significant other, but definitely for yourself.” -Ms. P”
I am nervous about my body, I don't look like the women on your site, should I still book a session?
Yes, you absolutely should! I’ll let you in on a little secret… all of the women on our website believed they didn’t look like the women on our website! Crazy right? Because here you see them looking so fierce and so confident. But I can assure you that they were just as nervous and full of self doubt as you are. They all showed up, put their trust in me, and let me coach them through the whole day! I will show you the beautiful sides of yourself and capture it in gorgeous pictures for you to cherish long after our session. I am happy not all my clients look the same. I love how we are all beautiful in our own way! There is no such thing as the perfect body. You are never too big, too small, too old, too young (well, I only accept boudoir clients who are 19+) to do a boudoir session. Boudoir is for every(body). Let me show you.
DO YOU RE-TOUCH IMAGES? CAN YOU REMOVE BLEMISHES, BRUISING, SCARRING ETC? CAN YOU MAKE ME SKINNIER?
I want to help you feel beautiful now, just the way you are. We flatter you with hair and makeup styling, a wardrobe that compliments your figure, and amazing lighting and posing techniques to highlight you best assets. I do not believe in heavy photoshopping. I lightly retouch each image. I remove blemishes and bruising. That is the extent of my editing since my brand is all about the real beauty of all women and not changing who you are. If you have scarring or stretch marks, I leave those in since they are a permanent part of your body, we just don't have to focus all the pictures on those if you don't like them. I do not do any body reshaping in Photoshop. Part of my job is to find the most flattering pose for each of my clients for all shape and sizes. I want every woman to receive their images and have full confidence that who they are is what is reflected in that image, and not someone who had their body manipulated in Photoshop. Several of my clients have felt nervous about this, and in the end, appreciated that the beautiful photos they received, were actually pictures of themselves. I do take specific requests from my clients, so do not hesitate to discuss any issue with me.
Is professional hair & make-up provided?
I have a very few select wonderful hair and make-up artist that I schedule for all my shoots. The cost is a part of each of the experience sessions. These stylists know how to do hair and make-up styled perfectly for the camera. I have noticed that make-up helps to give my clients the confidence they need to shine in their images. When a woman shines, this is where the real beauty shows through. If you feel more comfortable skipping this, that is fine too!
“The most important thing a woman can wear is her confidence”
What do I wear??? I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING SEXY TO WEAR. Do you provide outfits?
One of the most common worries from clients is "What do I wear???" The biggest piece of advice I can give is DON'T stress! Bring EVERYTHING you could possibly want to bring and I will help you narrow it down! Don't have a lot to bring?? I have done an entire session in jeans and a t-shirt! We can do your session nude, with a sheet, in a sweater.... ANYTHING at all! Don't let outfits hold you back! We will take care of Also after you get your session booked, you will be sent our what to wear guide that is full of great outfit ideas for all body types!!
I've got you covered (or actually uncovered lol). One of the amazing perks about working with Candace Gurley Photography is our incredible Client Wardrobe. We’ve specially curated our closet for boudoir, and we’ll be with you every step of the way to make you sure you look and feel amazing!
Our Client Wardrobe (which is included in your Boudoir Session Experience) contains sizes S-4X, averaging a total of about 200 total pieces at the studio. We have a variety of styles available like bodysuits, 2 piece sets, robes, and bustiers. If you're not sure what some of those things are (I get it, before I was a boudoir photographer I had NO IDEA what a bustier was), Google it! There are so many different styles and cuts of lingerie available out there and we try to showcase items to fit and flatter all body types and accent different styles and personalities.
We keep our Client Wardrobe clean and sanitary by requiring all of our clients to use a protective liner with all of our items, in addition to laundering or dry cleaning each item between every single use.
Boudoir is not about reinventing yourself or having to wear anything you don't feel comfortable in. While it can be a good excuse to buy some new bras or panties, my favorite way to photograph women is in their favorite everyday outfit.
IMAGINE: Your favorite leather jacket with just a bra underneath. A cozy sweater pulled up to reveal lacy undies. Your photos should reflect exactly who you are, and part of who you are is what you like to wear and feel comfortable in.
WHAT TYPE OF SESSIONS DO YOU OFFER?
YES, THERE ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF BOUDOIR SESSIONS YOU CAN BOOK!! AND OOOH GIRL, WE ARE ALWAYS CHANGING IT UP! WE ARE CURRENTLY OFFERING THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF SESSIONS:
// TRADITIONAL STUDIO SESSIONS- there are three experience options for these
// COUPLES STUDIO SESSIONS
// OUTDOOR BOUDOIR SESSIONS (EXTREMELY LIMITED: MAY - SEPTEMBER)
// DESTINATION SESSIONS (IF WE HAVE ONE RUNNING AS A GROUP TRIP, OR YOU MAY FLY THE TEAM TO A DESTINATION OF YOUR CHOICE)
HAVE SOMETHING ELSE IN MIND? ASK US! WE ARE ALWAYS UP FOR NEW ADVENTURES.
HOW DOES THIS ALL WORK?
YOUR ENTIRE EXPERIENCE WILL LAST APPROXIMATELY 3-4 HOURS. YOU WILL RECEIVE COMPLIMENTARY HAIR AND MAKEUP, EXPERT COACHING, AND A HUGE DOSE OF EMPOWERMENT. I AM GOING TO POSE YOU FROM HEAD TO POINTED TOE, AND HELP YOU WITH A VARIETY OF FACIAL EXPRESSIONS! PREPARE TO BE SORE AFTER YOUR SESSION, WE DO A LOT OF BENDING AND TWISTING (IT'S QUITE THE WORKOUT!).
All my sessions are held on select weekdays starting at 9am and weekends starting at 8:30am or 11:45am. Hair and makeup takes about 1-1.5 hours, then we'll go through your outfits together and the shoot time is about 1-2.5 hours as well.
HERE'S WHAT A TYPICAL DAY LOOKS LIKE:
- Hair and Makeup / 60-90 minutes
- Shooting / 60-150 minutes
Right after your session, I will go over the most popular product options and we will schedule your online reveal & ordering appointment for 5-14 days after your session. You will never have to be overwhelmed with galleries or not knowing what sizes and products to order. At your reveal appointment, we begin with a beautiful slideshow for you to see all of your gorgeous images for the first time. Girlfriend, wear waterproof mascara- this can be a really emotional experience! We then go through each image to select your favorites. We will work together to select the best images for your Heirloom Products. I have hand selected the best products to last for generations!
WHAT IS THE TURN AROUND TIME TO GET MY PRODUCTS?
You will receive your images in approximately 3-5 weeks once your final payment is processed! So, just be mindful of that when planning your special occasions.
IT IS TIME TO INVEST IN YOU!
WHAT DO I NEED TO BOOK?
The session fee is all that is required to book your date. You will choose between our three experience sessions; the ultimate experience ($700 session booking fee), the luxury experience ($500 session booking fee) and the experience ($350 session booking fee). The session booking fee will be due to secure your date and time on the calendar. Once your date is secured we will then start the personalized boudoir experience with your very own boudoir prep guide, where we go over everything on how to prepare! *ALL EXPERIENCES ARE AVAILABLE FOR A PAYMENT PLAN.
Each portrait experience includes: your welcome + preparation guide, professional makeup application, individual lash application, professional dry hair styling, the boudoir shoot, standard retouching, pose and expression coaching, client closet access, wardrobe selection assistance, and concludes with a private photo reveal/ordering appointment.
THE SESSION FEE COVERS ONLY THE ITEMS LISTED ABOVE, THE TIME AND TALENT OF YOUR CREATIVE TEAM, AND OTHER OPERATIONAL COSTS TO PROVIDE SERVICES ON THE DAY OF YOUR APPOINTMENT.. IMAGES AND PRODUCTS ARE SOLD SEPARATELY AT YOUR IMAGE REVEAL.
THE INVESTMENT
We use the word Investment because that’s exactly what a boudoir experience with us is. An investment of money, yes. But more importantly, an investment in YOU. And you are worth every penny.
I offer my clients a beautiful selection of products, albums and digitals to show off their gorgeous images! I have hand selected each product to insure you have heirloom quality products to last lifetimes. YOU will get to hand select your photos and choose the products that are right for you!
Most clients invest between $1500-3000 for their custom boudoir portraits. Our packages are thoughtfully customized based on our client's most frequent purchases. Our a la carte menu begins at $399 for wall art and $1199 for albums. Collections begin at $1300.
Cash or Credit Card payments are always accepted.
MOST OF OUR CLIENTS OPT FOR A TRADITIONAL CREDIT CARD WITH A LOW APR OR ONE THAT EARNS POINTS. WE TAKE ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS FROM ANY TRADITIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTION.
But for those of you who need some time to pay off your order, I do offer a few options.
DO YOU OFFER PAYMENT PLANS?
Payment plans are a great option for any client. You can purchase amazing heirloom products and not stress over the cost. Payment plans are a way to get EVERYTHING you want in an affordable monthly payment! Here are just a few ways to get it all:
FINANCING OPTIONS:
WE ACCEPT ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS. FOR MANY OF OUR CLIENTS, THEY OPT TO UTILIZE THE BETTER FINANCING PERKS PROVIDED BY MAJOR CREDIT CARD COMPANIES WHERE THEIR PURCHASE WILL EARN POINTS TOWARD FREQUENT FLYER MILES, CASH BACK, AND OTHER BONUS INCENTIVES.
OPTION 1: PAYPAL CREDIT
Our 3rd party financing partners over at PayPal Credit have an awesome 6 month zero interest program for those approved. Depending on your traditional credit lender, if you’re looking to finance your purchase, the 6 months zero interest is often times better than the APR rates that come with normal credit cards. And if you need more time, they’ll offer easy flexible payments for you to manage beyond the 6 month period. PayPal will determine your eligibility and credit limit immediately after submitting an application. If you’d like to apply to see what credit limit you’ll be given prior to booking, I’ll leave the link below. With this option you get to pick up your products in about 3-6 weeks! Are you ready to invest in yourself? See if you qualify below...it will only take a few seconds!
OPTION 2: AFFIRM
AFFIRM ALLOWS YOU TO PAY OVER TIME WITH FLEXIBLE PAYMENT OPTIONS. YOU'LL APPLY FOR A VIRTUAL CREDIT CARD THAT WILL ALLOW YOU TO SHOP SPECIFICALLY WITH CGP.
YOU'LL GET AN IMMEDIATE DECISION AND A PRE-APPROVAL AMOUNT WITHOUT A HARD INQUIRY ON YOUR CREDIT REPORT.
THIS OPTION IS BASED ON CREDIT APPROVAL. WE DO NOT HAVE ANY SAY IN WHO IS APPROVED FOR FINANCING.
No late fees, no prepayment fees, no annual fees, and no fees to open or close your account. Depending on the size of your purchase, your payment plan may include interest.
1. Create an account.
Go to https://www.affirm.com/ or download the affirm app.
2. Get prequalified.
You will put in what you are shopping for - photography - they will tell you how much you are pre approved, you will put in how much of that amount you wish to spend, and then they will give you a one-time-use virtual card you can use to complete your purchase.
https://www.affirm.com/
OPTION 3: PRE-SESSION PAYMENT PLANS
Our pre-session payment plans are ideal for ladies who want to pay off their products prior to the session. It’s an auto-debit system that will charge your card on file on a monthly or bi-weekly basis. You’ll be able to designate your preference in your payment agreement contract. We will take all of the available monthly (or bi-weekly) payments from the day you book to your session date and split them into payments so you can take a few months to make smaller payments, instead of making a purchase in full at your image reveal. You may book up to 8 months out to take advantage of the pre-session payment plan.
Option 4: POST-SESSION PAYMENT PLAN
If you are not approved for PayPal Credit, or there is not enough time to do a pre-session payment plan, you can still do an automatic payment plan through me after your session! C'mon girl. I'm not gonna leave you hangin'! Here's the lowdown:
There is a minimum of $300 deposit on the day of your reveal session. The more you put down, the less your monthly payments will be.
I offer payment plans starting at $150 a month (also available in biweekly payments). This is an automatic payment system, which requires a primary and backup credit/debit card to be kept on file, with a signed contract, and payments are automatically charged on a recurring schedule.
There is a onetime payment plan fee of $200 added to your total product purchase.
Payments can be spread out up to 9 months after your session date.
Please note: Products are only delivered once your payment plan is paid in full.
When you book a session at Candace Gurley Photography, you not only enjoy an experience that will help you reconnect with yourself as a woman, but you also have the opportunity to invest in preserving the memories of that experience in a luxurious way.
I firmly believe in the power a boudoir session has to transform a woman's doubt in herself, into confidence. I've seen it happen before my eyes, and I know it will happen for you. Give me the chance to show you that you are a unique, beautiful woman, and you will walk away from this experience more confident and powerful than you were.