Annoyed of Ripley – does boudoir belong on wedding blogs?

Many things have been irking me lately.  I am going to start with an ongoing grievance. Soft porn – or as it is known in wedding world the ‘boudoir shoot’.

Before you think ‘what is Bush on about?’ there are two aims of bridal & wedding world that we all live by.

Firstly, the most important level,  our services are about making someone feel amazing on the day they choose to marry. From the bridal wear perspective there is no need to argue about the bolstering & restorative power of clothes. From a trainer, a band T, a high street staple or couture spend to the magic of a corsetted,  hand-made wedding dress; clothes maketh the woman or man.

Secondly, on a more superficial level there is a lot of entertaining ephemera in wedding world. A lots of twiddly, fiddly bits that are harmless – styling trends, colour blends & fastidious attention to detail.

Often this second aspect has gives rise to what the ‘industry’ has called styled shoots. Lots of macros of macarons, pictures of poms and plenty of badly ironed table cloths.

Lunching with a seasoned fashion editor recently I asked for an opinion on styled shoots…

The one creative project that photographers seem to think is ok to slide in under the banner of ‘bridal’ is the boudoir shoot.

If the photographer had been commissioned by an underwear company to sell wedding pants fine. Debatable on this instance, but people need pants.

Again, if the shoot is a private matter between the bride & partner also fine.

What is irritating beyond words is that some wedding blogs have no moral compass let alone a properly defined opinion on sexual politics. Jose Villa, a wedding photographer that makes other wedding photographers slightly damp or stiff depending on orientation and does shoot remarkable weddings, has done a boudoir shoot in Italy.

He is a wedding photographer who is good with light apaz. Don’t think about booking him unless you have a squillion pounds. Or if you don’t look like a porn star in pants.

Style Me Pretty have gone all breathless over his shoot.

 “I’ll be the first to admit that the idea of boudoir can be a bit intimidating but in the right hands, it’s nothing short of perfection. This session is stripped down to the natural beauty of the Bride.”

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 And then there’s the photographs by Jose Villa that could stand alone as pure works of art.

Or to put it another way this is objectification of a woman by a blokey photographer out of the Bailey-sex-60s old school.

To remind ourselves a neat definition of ‘objectification’ is provided courtesy of Psychology Today

Objectification

“involves viewing and treating another person’s body as an object valued based on its sexual appeal, usually to the neglect of other aspects of the person, such as their thoughts, feelings, and desires. Objectifying images and messages are widespread in … society, and they communicate not only that women’s value lies in their appearance, but they also present an ideal of attractiveness that is unattainable for most women. These unrealistic standards can lead to feelings of body shame and disgust, and to unhealthy eating and exercise behaviors.”

The positioning, then, of this shoot in a blog that focuses largely on colour schemes & flower arranging is all kinds of wrong. Information & inspiration on wedding style can be shallow & overbearing – I don’t care, I like it. If couples are spending on professional vendors then they should be knowledgeable. If couples are on a budget Style Me Pretty can be used as an ever changing Pinterest board.

I simply can’t imagine the justification for adding the images of a pretend bride in her under crackers that will serve to  heap more pressure on brides to feel perfect & help none with their self esteem and body confidence. [tweet this].

The shoot’s aesthetic is pure voyeurism.  It’s a girl in pants with a veil – I’m sure on my Marxist Feminist film degree there would have been all sorts of discussions of the ritual presentation of  the female to be deflowered.  I am sure that the shutter speed, lighting & film development was first rate. ( Yep – I’m quite short on the technicalities of photography.) I would be interested to know what reason this should be published outside the world of glamour & soft porn or kept as a private boudoir shoot.

When I see the inevitable homage reader’s wives versions of this shoot in the UK I will be, & have been, similarly harsh.

Photography by Jose Villa via Style Me Pretty

Emma xxx

Emma Meek, MD of Miss Bush Bridalwear
Miss Bush Bridalwear is Surrey’s leading designer bridal shop