In My Element | Bridal Boudoir : Davina

“Becca, we’re engaged!”

I hear my little sister’s voice on the other end of the phone. Tears well up in my eyes, as I think about how her life has led up to this moment. 

It felt like just yesterday that we were giving dance recitals in front of our fireplace and laughing so hard that we fell to the ground.

I still imagine Davina as a teenager, my partner in literal crime… (If you know, you know)

…navigating the world for the first time together.

I have so much love in my heart for the moments we’ve shared together over the years, and it’s been amazing to witness who she has become. Especially after overcoming lots of obstacles that we faced in our early years. 

I don’t think either of us would have ever imagined the paths that we chose in life or the places we’ve arrived in.  

Which makes it all really beautiful and obviously Divinely orchestrated…

In the words of Davina, “My story is complicated, chaotic, and very overwhelming to discuss at times. 

After growing up in an environment where I was violated and taken advantage of, I had these patterns that continued to show up over and over again. Those who were watching from the sidelines noticed the scary and dangerous trajectory I was headed down. 

At some point, I knew that I needed to make a change. I realized I didn’t know how to love myself. Fast forward to my late 20s, I stopped blaming everyone else around me and created change in my life. I finally found my purpose and someone in my life that not only fulfilled what I was looking for in a life partner but also someone that continues to make me a better person each and every day. I feel seen, I feel appreciated, and most importantly, I feel loved.

This boudoir session embodies exactly who I am and how comfortable I feel in my own skin today. I wanted to do this as a way to honor and celebrate how far I’ve come on my journey as well as gift my husband-to-be something meaningful and sexy…”

“Leading up to the shoot, I did experience some fear and anxiety mostly surrounding logistical things. There was also a voice in the back of my head that didn’t feel totally prepared because I had never done anything like this before.

But I trusted my sister when she said she would help guide me every step of the way, and that’s exactly what she did.”

“I felt so comfortable and safe having Rebecca photograph me. Whether she was my sister or was not related at all, I know that she makes the experience so personal. We spoke a lot beforehand, and she kept everything in mind to give me the best experience.”

“When it came to some of the more “risqué” moments, it honestly felt so natural and actually very liberating! You can see it in my facial expressions as you look through my pictures. I am glowing from head to toe and truly felt in my element. I walked away from my shoot feeling very empowered and proud of myself.”

“It wasn’t until I received the photos that I realized this may have been one of the first times in my life where I can say I really fell in love with myself and my body. There are no words to explain how I felt when I received these pictures back from my sister, but I do know that it changed me.”

“I have grown from this experience. My self-confidence and the way that I look at myself have really improved. I know what a badass I am now.

I have been put down for my physical appearance my whole life, and I finally figured out that those hurtful words probably never had anything to do with me.

It’s a special feeling when it all clicks, and you finally understand your worth.”

Kodak Film // Processed and Scanned by Panda Labs

Makeup and hair by Alex Simcosky Glaviano - AG Artistry Kansas City

Venue: Beehive Studios in Kansas City, Missouri

Celebrating Out Loud | Israel Boudoir : Malka

“I am Malka. An artist, calligrapher, wife, mama, proud friend of Rebecca, and mainly a human just trying to figure life out.

I did a boudoir session as a treat to myself. I did it before I was ready or really knew why I wanted it on a deeper level.

That's how I do a lot of the more important things in my life. On a whim. So far so good.”

“I have admired Rebecca's work since I first came across it on Facebook years ago. I knew her talent was something special and worth following.

I never actually imagined myself doing a session though. I couldn’t envision for a moment that I would be the subject of such a photoshoot, despite my interest in it. Seems weird now! 

Then suddenly, late last year I got a strong feeling that I wanted to book a boudoir shoot with Rebecca after I had my best month in my business yet. That was my first idea for a self-love splurge! So I did it.

I decided to treat myself to a gorgeous boudoir experience. And I’m so thrilled I did.

The scheduled date fell at the perfect time, in a period of joy and self-love that I had no idea was coming. It was all so synchronized in ways I can only appreciate and can’t fully understand.”

“I have always been relatively happy with my body and appearance, but I was raised to see my body as something to be covered, to be somewhat shameful of, and to be hidden from the world.

I never really had a chance to think much of my body on a deep level or to come face to face with it because it was usually behind something. I did struggle with binge eating throughout high school and undiagnosed stomach issues, so I have struggled, but not really with weight or appearance. The challenge was more related to the physical sensations my body held and the treatment of my own body and self-esteem issues that come with the self-harm of stress-induced overeating. 

Basically, I considered myself lucky to be naturally thin and close enough to beauty standards, but I didn’t love my body deep down. I just accepted it and tried to stay thin.

Through my boudoir experience, I understood what celebrating beauty without constraint does for the mind, for joy, and for freedom.

I didn’t expect to feel that. I expected to feel beautiful but still hidden. This session allowed me to feel exposed in the best way. In a safe space, in beautiful light with my wonderful friend!”

“A lot changed in my life right before the session so everything actually worked out perfectly. A month before my session I had a life-changing plant medicine experience in Costa Rica that really changed my entire mindset about life.

It helped me finally kick my binge eating habit and negative self-talk out the window. It opened me up to joy and love and the self-acceptance of where I am right now. I began meditating. I was eating healthier and doing yoga. I’d also begun dressing more freely in a way that felt more me and less influenced by outside rules and obligations.

So my session came at the perfect time, and somehow, without preparing, I was more ready than ever. I healed from within, and it helped me be ready to heal in my external view of myself and my body.” 

“My boudoir session with Rebecca was perfect in every way. The makeup and hair by Rhonda was so glamorous and better than I could have ever imagined. Rebecca was so fun to hang out with, and she made me feel so effortlessly comfortable. During the preparations, I happened to get a call from a dream client (Dior!) so that was another exciting unplanned addition.

After that, it took me a few minutes to let go and feel the posing more naturally, but Rebecca was patient and encouraging every step of the way.

The experience was pure fun and an example of jumping into a newness that I think keeps us young and ensures life doesn't become dull.

The shoot went by so quickly. Rebecca made me feel really beautiful and confident in a situation that was entirely strange and overwhelming to me at first.”

“I was on a high for the rest of the day and totally kicked ass at Dior in full makeup. It left me forever changed. I realized celebrating my outer beauty had value.

I gave space for my body to be celebrated out loud, and that was certainly a first. G-d makes us beautiful, and that is something to share in the right time and place. This place and time felt right, and I’m thrilled it’s been captured as a true art form with Rebecca’s eye and guidance.”

“This experience changed my perspective on sharing our bodies with the outside world. It helped me understand why others would share images of themselves or dress in a way that’s more revealing. It allowed me to release judgment of people who do that.

I still have modesty police that lives in my head sometimes, but overall I feel I have a new understanding and acceptance of what a sexually and physically liberated woman brings to the world. And it isn’t a bad thing. It just is. It’s natural. It’s what naturally happens when patriarchal control is relinquished.”

“When Rebecca sent me my gallery, I lit a candle to set the tone and then scrolled and scrolled and couldn’t stop. I was so happy!

There were so many photos I loved at first sight, and some I couldn’t believe were me because they were so darn gorgeous. Even the few that weren’t my favorite because they focused on a body part I don’t love, it felt good to see them. I was able to approach them from a place of joy and understanding that this is my body and it serves me. I celebrated those parts of me, too. I don’t have to look like a model from every angle. It just isn’t the whole picture of who I am.”

“We all deserve to be treated, dressed, and photographed like goddesses. We all deserve to be given the chance to see how beautiful we are through another’s eyes. Sometimes we need that outside lens and perspective to know our worth. It sparks an inner knowing.

It’s ok to receive help in this area and learn to love your body more as a result.”

“I’d recommend this experience specifically to religious women who don’t celebrate their bodies and feel they’ve been taught to hide them like it’s a bomb that might go off.

Women who don’t know how to let go because they were taught to hold it all in.

Women who want to laugh and breathe deeper. Honestly, I think that’s all of us.”

Hair and Makeup by Rhonda Lev

Kodak Film // Processed and Scanned by Panda Labs, Tel Aviv

10 Reasons Why It's Probably Not the Right Time To Do a Boudoir Session

1. You just started a new project, a new educational track, or perhaps, you got a new job. 

I feel ya. There are a lot of changes happening right now, and going outside of your comfort zone to do a boudoir session sounds scary AF. You might even feel like you don’t have the actual time to do this. Firstly, the journey you’re about to embark on through my boudoir experience can be integrated into your everyday life. The actual investment of time is relatively minimal. Plus, the fact that you don’t have much time for yourself right now is exactly why carving out time for yourself can elevate your quality of life and a deeper connection to your body. 

2. You are pregnant or just had a baby.

I’ve been through 3 seasons of this myself. One day you wake up and love your body and the miraculous things it has done, and another day you wake up and hardly recognize it. Or yourself. The beauty of the boudoir experience I offer is that it will help you re-establish that connection with yourself. Not in 1 or 3 or 5 years from now, but now. A meaningful relationship with your body is available to you at this very moment. How cool would it be to honor this chapter of your life as sacred and really f-ing beautiful? This time will pass much quicker than you think, and a documentation of pregnancy or postpartum stages will be something very special to look back on. 

3. You don’t feel good about your body right now, and you’re not really taking care of it.

I’ve been there, girl. What if you saw this boudoir experience as a tool to feel better in your body and inspiration to start to take care of yourself with love? Because that’s exactly what I help my clients do. Many of my clients tell me that as they prepare for their session, they already start to feel better about their bodies because they begin to tap into their innate worthiness and are being intentional about their self-care. The coaching call, which is included in every package, helps my clients gain clarity about where they currently are, and how they envision themselves as they cultivate more confidence and self-love. We then work together to create a practical plan on how to get where you want to be. 

4. You have fitness goals. 

Your body is worthy and beautiful right now. Just because you are working towards fitness goals, doesn’t mean that your body doesn’t deserve love in the process. Actually, studies have shown that self-love and compassion help you reach your goals. Shame is not an effective motivator. So let’s celebrate the journey. Because, truthfully, there is no final destination. 

5. You don’t really have a reason or a milestone to celebrate.

You do have a reason. You want to do this. It’s fun and luxurious. It’s meaningful and transformational. It can help you grow and connect with yourself on a deeper level. It will give you more confidence in your everyday life. What’s that I hear about needing to get married or have a baby before you do something for yourself? Sounds like societal BS to me. ;)  

6. You’re super focused on your career or growing your business.

One thing I’ve learned about building a successful business over the last 10 years is that there is nothing more important than truly taking care of yourself. Whether that means physically, emotionally, or spiritually. It could show up as making sure you’re getting enough sleep or drinking enough water daily. It could also show up as creating boundaries and protecting your energy. And many times it shows up as carving time out for yourself outside of work. So that you can show up fully at work and in every other area of your life. This boudoir experience allows you the opportunity to carve out that space and time, while working on yourself, for yourself and nobody else. Except, yeah, it does kind of help people around you when you are your best, authentic, and fulfilled self. 

7. You’re going through a hard time emotionally.

I’m always compassionate when I hear this, as everyone experiences that ebb and flow. And sometimes, there are circumstances that throw us totally for a loop. No matter what you are going through, you are worthy. You deserve to feel good in your body. Focusing on yourself, in this really special way, can help you connect with who you are and gain clarity about what you want to be doing next. The space I give women is a safe one where all feelings are welcome. 

8. You’re “too young” or “too old.”

No such thing. Next!

In all seriousness, I’ve photographed women in their early twenties to women in their 70’s. Sexuality and feeling good in our bodies is not something that should be reserved for a certain age group. Claim what you deserve, and don’t let societal messaging hold you back from connecting deeply with yourself. 

P.S. This is assuming you’re an actual adult. :) 

9. You have a lot of other things you want to invest in.

This one is up to you, babe. But if you’ve been thinking about this for months or years, and I know a lot of you have, it’s probably because it’s a little scary. And that’s ok, but just be aware it might be your brain playing tricks on you. You can always come up with a million things that are more “important” than boudoir, but do you really want to? It might just be time. 

 10. It’s just not in the budget right now. 

This is similar to #9. Boudoir is a luxury. A meaningful, deep, luxurious experience that I hope every single woman gets to experience one day. This is why I am super flexible and creative with payment plans. If this is something that you desire, we can make it happen for you.

If you’ve been thinking about boudoir and telling yourself it’s not the right time, consider this your sign. Our minds can always find reasons why not, but that thinking just holds us back from our personal growth.

I offer free 30-minute discovery calls for women who are ready to explore the possibility of boudoir. I absolutely love connecting and helping my clients realize what they truly want out of this experience. Click here to book a discovery call.