What should I wear for my engagement photo session?
Your engagement session is a special opportunity to capture a unique moment in your relationship. You’re in love and your future together is blossoming. When you think about an upcoming engagement session, one of the things you may be apprehensive about is what to wear. Choosing the right outfit can feel overwhelming! In this blog I’ll share some tips for picking the perfect thing for you and your partner to wear. Let’s dive in!
Why get engagement photos in the first place?
You may already be convinced that you want to engagement photos. But if you’re not fully convinced, or if you need to get your significant other on board, here are some of the best reasons to get engagement photos.
Engagement photos are perfect for:
Announcing your engagement on social media
“Save the Date” mailer announcements
Formal wedding invitations
Your wedding website main page and photo gallery
Printing and placing in your home
Printing and gifting to parents, grandparents, and other loved ones
Printing and displaying at your wedding
A fun date! (Seriously, engagement sessions are a great time!)
So… what should I wear?
Choosing the right outfit is one of the elements that will help you feel confident and comfortable. It will ultimately help you to look and feel your best so that your happiness really comes across on camera.
With that in mind, here are a handful of considerations for you…
1 – Be authentic to your style
You may be tempted to go on a shopping spree and buy brand new outfits that you may only wear on this occasion. Of course, you have the freedom to do that, but in order to capture an authentic representation of you and your personalities I don’t recommend this.
Instead, pick an outfit that you already own that is on the nicer side and makes you look and feel your best. Choose something that is on the dressier side and not too casual. It’s not necessary to buy new clothes (unless you really want to). Part of being authentic is wearing clothes that represent your style, personality, and what you love to wear.
If you feel comfortable with what you’re wearing, it will come across in your photos!
Chuqing and Shiyu wore clothes that they loved and they were able to have tons of fun – even when it started to rain:
2 – Coordinate with each other
I recommend that you pick colors, fabrics, and styles that complement each other. Also, choose the same level of “dressiness.” In other words, make sure one person doesn’t seem underdressed while the other seems overdressed – be on the same level.
Also, I don’t recommend matching each other exactly. By that I mean: Don’t wear the same color pants and the same color top. Instead, try to complement each other’s outfits.
Ben and Amanda chose complementary colors and fabrics:
3 – Consider the time of year
If it’s cold outside, you’ll want to wear something that will keep you warm. Having some layers is great. If it’s summer, you’ll want to wear something lighter to keep you cool.
4 – Consider the location
Pick colors that are a good fit for the environment. If you’ll be next to lots of green pine trees, you’ll want to avoid wearing the same color green so that you don’t blend into the background.
5 – Consider accessorizing
A great way to dress up an outfit is to add some accessories. This could be earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and rings. For guys this is most likely a watch. And, of course we want to show off that new engagement ring! If you don’t like to have these accessories, don’t worry about it, but it is a great opportunity to take an outfit to a dressier level.
Rose wore necklaces and Jamie wore a classy watch:
6 – Do you want two different looks?
Lots of couples like to bring two outfit options to a photo session. Though taking time to change outfits will cut into the session a bit, it can be great to get some additional variety in the images we capture.
Couples who choose to do this will usually have one look that is a bit more casual while the other look is more dressed up.
As you’re planning your outfits, lay them out next to each other to make sure they looks nice together!
Alyssa chose a dress and hat for one look and for the next look she chose a different dress and no hat:
In Conclusion
Choosing the right outfit for your engagement session can be intimidating, but with a little bit of planning it’s easy to solve. Having great outfits is really helpful for creating engagement photos that are beautiful and authentic to your personalities and relationship. If you follow these tips, you’ll be well on your way to looking and feeling your best during your engagement session!
Find out if we’re available for your wedding!
