After meeting photographer Carla Tappen of Blooming Studios in Bedminster (908-326-3766; bloomingstudios.com), she found the perfect present to give the groom: an album of boudoir photos of his bride.

In fact, a growing number of brides are now booking boudoir shoots and presenting the photos to their future husbands as engagement or wedding gifts. “I was recently at a bridal show, and every bride that stopped at my table asked if I did boudoir,” says Tappen, who charges around $200 for the shoot, which includes hair and makeup.

Millie Batista of the Studio Boudoir in Bloomfield (973-680-9600; thestudioboudoir.com) not only offers her brides boudoir photos, but also gives each one a special “Video Vixen” CD of various shots set to music. And while most of the women Batista photographs come in a little nervous, they all leave totally satisfied with the end result. “I show them some of the shots on the camera as we’re working and once they see how good they look, the confidence level starts to soar,” says Batista, who charges $675 for the session, CD, and a five-by-seven album with 20 to 30 images.

Tappen also does her best to make her clients feel comfortable during boudoir sessions. Aside from offering wine or champagne to loosen up the nerves, she also plays some of the woman’s favorite music in the background. “I start dancing around while I’m shooting them, and then they’ll start moving their bodies along with the music,” she explains. “Within 15 to 20 minutes, they really don’t need me to tell them what to do anymore.”

And while most women opt to be photographed in lingerie, many also bring in their fiancé’s favorite tie, shirt, or even sports jersey. “I also have women that start to feel so comfortable that they decide during the shoot to go topless or undress completely,” says Brandi Grooms Johnson of Brandi Grooms Photography in Red Bank (732-889-4790; brandigroomsphotography.com). And Tappen offers her brides an array of fabric to drape around their bodies if they decide to go au naturel, but don’t want to be photographed entirely in the buff.

Many photographers choose to do the shoots in their studios, and some will even go off-site to the women’s home, a nearby hotel, or an outdoor location like the beach. Boudoir has even become a popular new activity for bachelorette parties, with each woman taking turns getting their photos done in a short shoot. Tappen even works with the Vibrance MedSpa in Denville, which offers spa packages and boudoir photos for bridal parties.

But the most interesting trend hitting boudoir photos? Grooms calling in to set up their own shoots and presenting the photos to their future wives. Some in the industry have even dubbed the trend “Dudeoir” photos. “I just had my first call from a guy the other day,” says Tappen. “At the very least, it should be interesting.”