Welcome to Our Nashville Boudoir Blog
Welcome to Holly Douglas & Co, where timeless elegance meets the art of empowerment. We are not just a boudoir studio; we are a sanctuary of self-expression and self-love, dedicated to helping you discover and embrace your inner beauty.
At HDCO in Nashville, Tennessee, we believe that every individual possesses a unique, captivating essence that deserves to be celebrated. Our mission is to create an empowering and transformative experience through the art of boudoir photography. We understand that the journey towards self-confidence and self-acceptance can be profound, and we are here to guide you through it.
Before, the Reveal, and Now: Beth’s Nashville Boudoir Session After Breast Cancer
Beth survived uterine and breast cancer, then booked a Nashville boudoir session without telling a soul, not even her husband. Her before, her reveal, and her now, in her own words.
Can a boudoir session help you feel like yourself again after cancer? For Beth, the answer was yes. She came to my Nashville studio as a six year uterine cancer survivor and a one year breast cancer survivor, and she did not tell a single person where she was going.
Beth leads two Nashville organizations, one of them helps low income adults get hearing aids. She has been married 38 years and raised two sons. When she booked, she told me she “did not feel like myself at all.” Breast Cancer Awareness Month starts this week, so I wanted her story up first. I split it into three parts: before, the reveal, and now. The words are hers.
Before the session: nobody knew
The medication she was prescribed after breast cancer made her gain weight and feel lousy. So she made her own call, stopped taking it, kept working out, cleaned up her eating, and went looking for something that would make her feel good again.
“I found you online, read the reviews and simply thought that maybe I should book a session even though it was totally out of my comfort zone. I was nervous, but decided to bite the bullet and book the appointment. I did not tell anyone what I was doing.”
And I mean anyone. This is still one of my favorite cover stories ever:
“I told my husband that I was going to go have my makeup and hair done to make myself feel better. He said that was fine, so we planned dinner out after my session. He had no clue as to what I had just done!”
Her biggest worry was the lingerie itself, “not sure that it would even look good on me and then the pictures themselves looking cheesy.” So we talked. A lot. Through hair and makeup, and through piece after piece from the client closet until we found what worked on her. By the time I picked up the camera, in her words, “It all worked and I felt amazing before she even started taking the photos.”
At the reveal: “I could not believe that it was me”
Beth admits some of the poses felt a little silly. They all do. I promise they look amazing on camera.
“I felt a little silly with some of the poses during the session but I felt amazing at the same time. Holly was able to see what I could not see and was able to capture it!”
Then came the reveal:
“When I saw my images for the first time, I could not believe that it was me! I have never seen myself look that way before. I felt beautiful and empowered.”
The part that got me was what she wrote about scars. I tell every woman that the marks life leaves on you are part of your story, and Beth heard it:
“I love that she says that scars, etc are part of your life story and you should not be ashamed of them.”
Now: the scale got a lot quieter
Beth is honest, which is exactly why I love her answer here. Nothing magically changed overnight.
“I believe that the biggest thing that changed for me is that I am not quite as judgmental about my body as I was prior to the session. Don’t get me wrong, I still think that I need to lose weight and there are areas that I would like to improve, however I also understand that the scale is not really that important as long as I am healthy and feel good.”
And the husband who thought she was just getting her hair done for dinner? “My husband was also floored when he saw the photos and loved them!”
Her advice to you, straight from her form: “I would tell them to absolutely book the appointment. It is the best gift that you can give yourself.”
Can I do a boudoir session after breast cancer?
Yes. Beth booked her Nashville boudoir session one year after breast cancer and six years after uterine cancer. We plan wardrobe and posing around what feels good to you, scars included, and you decide which images you keep and who ever sees them.
Thinking about your own session?
Beth, thank you for trusting me with your story, and for letting me in on the best secret dinner date in Nashville. If you are a survivor, or you just have not felt like yourself in a while, start with the booking guide. It walks you through how a session at our Nashville area studio works, what is included, and what happens at your reveal. Then book a free phone consultation and we will talk it through, no pressure.