Bridal show Boudoir Scam or legit?

Hi! I also got a call from this company too. The one thing that sketched me out was them specifically saying come alone and there might not be room for someone to wait outside. Did anyone have that conversation as well? How did you feel about those conditions if so?

It probably is better to see if the wedding photographer has recommendations. It seems these boudoir businesses are preying on eager brides.

View Quoted Comment If you don’t mind me asking are you located near those island, I have my shoot tonight and am a little nervous about it and my photographer is also named ritz. I thought that name was unique so wasn’t sure if mine would be the same as yours? I’m trying to convince myself it’s not a sketchy abduction situation going to a hotel with a stranger named ritz to take my boudoir photos 🫣😅

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***DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY*** Definitely agree. This company is such a scam. They didn't disclose that you had to purchase images and couldn't just op to purchase photos. I specifically asked the girl who booked my appointment about this. The image prices started at $145 and not $65 as stated on the website. In order to get the $65 price per image I was told you had to purchase 30+ images which is absolutely ridiculous. I supposedly won a free photo shoot at the bridal expo which is a lie in itself. A handful of women I know all got the same email saying they were chosen as the winner. I found this out after the fact. This company will try to get as many women as they can and hope that a few are foolish enough to pay thousands of dollars for the images. But not me. I was so upset that I definitely let the lady know what a con this is. She tried to apologize and said that I must have misunderstood which is not true. So, I only choose to receive 3 images out of the 100 images that were taken. Two images which were free and included in the package I won. I used my $75 image credit plus my $50 deposit and paid just a little more to purchase the third image. I made it very clear to her that I was not going to spend thousands of dollars of images that are clearly a rip off. My photos came out amazing and I wanted to keep so many more images but it's ok. I was not going to allow a company like this to take advantage of me as they have many other women.

View Quoted Comment Did you end up doing it? If so how was it?

So glad I came here! I got an offer from CherieAmour as well. Which was wild since I didn't recall stopping by their booth OR providing my info to them. I already had a boudoir shoot with a local photographer who is MUCH cheaper. I would love to know how they got my information (they even mailed me something! I know I did NOT provide them with my mailing address).

I looked into this "prize" from Cherie Amore. They offer no makeup hair or outfits and charge extravagant prices for images and albums. They rent a hotel room for shoots so you must provide any creative setting. Then they have hidden charges to edit your photos.


You can do better especially if you are doing a simple sexy shoot that can be done in a bedroom setting using your own lingerie. Of course a professional or semi pro adds value by lightning and posing you well.
Luckly I have a friend that has exsperience with both erotic and boudoir type shoots. She deletes bad shots and includes the unedited shots in her sitting fee. She does charge by photo to work with clients on special edits or retouching. The client owns thier images and has the option to edit their own photos. Many people welcome her services as an editor if they have more money than time.
Check out local studios/photographers for better deals. There is a local studio near me that has multiple sets w/props, lighting, makeup/ hair and availabile wardrobe for rent. It really is a very sexy pampering exsperience.
Many of the local photographers cooperate with this studio by paying to use it. The studio has their own photograpers that offer packages for the "Glamor Shots" hair, makeup and outfit for the luxury exsperience. I'm not sure how much photos cost but I suspect it is more honest and open.

For anyone who comes to this thread wondering if Celebrate Your Sexy is the same as Cherie Amour, YES THEY ARE. I got the same email from them about the "prize" I won at the show I went to earlier this month. I like to do my research on these kinds of things and quickly found the original Celebrate Your Sexy on Better Business Bureau and the address is the exact same for the Cherie Amour. They just rebranded with the same scams. They've also been reported to BBB under their previous name (leading to their 1 star rating). Given all of the information provided by other brides and their own website, their goal is to lure you in to spend exorbitant amounts of money on something you thought would be free. It also doesn't seem like they have the bride's safety in mind. These shoots are done in random hotels and you aren't allowed to have a support person with you or nearby. As a social worker, I worry about the potential additional risky situations this could cause for women. I wouldn't trust it at all and would highly recommend getting referrals from local photographers for trusted boudoir photographers who are local and have their own locations for shoots while being upfront about pricing.

View Quoted Comment This was the review I was looking for! Thank you 🙏

Just had to chime in with some professional input. We're an established Atlanta fine art and boudoir photography studio and come from a wedding photography background.

There are so many people out there with cameras charging for pictures, it's mind-boggling.

How do you know what you should pay? It's much easier to know than you might realize.

First, to level-set, here are some key distinguishing characteristics of people with cameras:

Whether they have creative talent: this is innate, not learnable, but nurtured through love and curiosity. If you aren't born with it, you won't ever have it.

Level of technical skill: Does their knowledge amount to whatever they can figure out on their own? Or have they invested in classes and training? Are they new to cameras? Or have they honed their skills through experience? Technical skill gives wings to one's creative talent, and it shows in the photos.

Degree of professionalism: this is a character trait that's less universal than you might hope. It's a sense of responsibility, a commitment to do what they say they'll do. It's also transparency. Being up front about your services and fee, about what's included, and what's not. Fortunately, today's review culture will support their strength of character or expose their lack of it.

A sense of self-worth: how much the photographer values his or her investment of time, intellect, and money to become the photographer they want to be.

Now, all that said, let's talk about fees.

First, a reputable, self-confident photographer will be up front about their fees, what's included, and what's extra.

Given that, if you see a prospective photographer's photos and think to yourself that they're exactly what you'd like from your wedding, then what the photographer charges should be a factor only if that fee is beyond your means. Likewise, if you love a boudoir photographer's work and the client reviews about them gush about all the little things that made the whole experience memorable, then what that photographer charges should be a factor only if that fee is beyond your means.

What you think you should pay for their work has no bearing on the matter.

You choose a photographer because you like their eye for aesthetics, their creative abilities, their ability to create or capture intimate, candid, or epic images, and their professionalism and reputation. But most of all, you choose them because their style of photography resonates with you.

So you can honor that photographer by paying them what THEY decide their time, training, talent, devotion, and quality of life are worth to them. You'll of course forever enjoy the images that they created for you, and you'll never have a single regret.

Because you value their work.

If a prospective photographer's work doesn't give you shivers or make you smile, then as far as I'm concerned, they're just a commoditized vendor, and you can focus on finding the lowest price. But honestly, hire them only if you don't really care that much about the pictures.

One more thing.
I saw several comments about, hey, using the wedding photographer to grab some boudoir pics. Super-important: most wedding photographers aren't accomplished boudoir photographers. Posing and lighting a woman lounging in lingerie is an entirely different challenge than capturing photos of her in a wedding dress standing by a window or in a field of grass.

Boudoir photography asks for flattering photos of a woman in her most vulnerable state. It requires not only an understanding of body type and the correct use of perspective, light and shadow, it also requires a bit of psychology and interpersonal skills to ensure she is at ease and feels safe and in good hands.

A bad boudoir experience can be far more devastating than disappointing photos from a wedding photographer.

But a great boudoir experience can elicit an incredibly empowering change in the way you see yourself as a woman.