Let’s be honest, choosing what to wear for your engagement photos can be stressful (especially when it comes to trying to coordinate with your fiancé’s wardrobe!). But don’t you stress, this blog post will walk you through a process for choosing your outfits (complete with visuals!). Let’s dive in!
START WITH 2-3 OUTFITS
Typically during a session you’ll have 2-3 different outfits, which will give your photos a bit more variety (see examples below!). My general recommendation is to bring one casual, snappy-casual and classy outfit, that way you’ll have a bit of everything! But that’s generally speaking– if dressing up just isn’t your vibe, don’t do it. Here’s some examples of what my husband and I wore for our 1st anniversary session this summer (photos courtesy of the talented Camryn Lee Creative!):
CHOOSE CLOTHES YOU FEEL GREAT IN
I can’t stress this point enough– don’t bother wearing clothes that you’re uncomfortable in just because you feel like you “should” since you’re getting professional photos taken. Clothing is a pretty big part of our identity as humans, and if you’re wearing clothes that don’t feel like you, you’re not going to A) feel as relaxed in front of the camera and B) likely won’t enjoy looking the photos taken in those outfits as much.
My advice? Don’t hesitate to wear those jeans that make you feel like a thousand bucks! If you hate how heels feel on your feet, ditch them! This is a time for you to choose outfits that are comfortable and make you feel as confident as Beyoncé. And be sure to choose clothing you can move easily in.
COORDINATE > MATCH
This one is pretty straightforward, but I think it makes more sense if you can see some examples. Here’s the gist: when you match, you’re essentially wearing the same 2-3 colors (think back to those family photos you did in the early 2000’s). When coordinating you’re not wearing the same colors, but rather different colors/patterns that work well together. Below is an visual of outfits that coordinate, as are all the photo examples you’ll see throughout this blog post!
AVOID BUSY PATTERNS + EDGY TRENDS
Okay, hear me out for a second. I’m not opposed to dressing for the times (I’ve gone through my fair share of millennial wardrobe overhauls over the past few years!). My advice here is to not wear styles of clothing or patterns that are going to distract from you (I’m looking at you, neon colors!). Since these are photos that you’ll have for the next 60+ years, you’ll want them to feel as timeless as possible. This doesn’t mean that your outfits can’t be trendy, just not ones you’ll cringe to look at in the next two years. As a general rule, if it’s trending at Forever21, you should probably pass. #sorrynotsorry
PHOTO INSPIRATION
Still struggling to visualize what to wear for your engagement photos? Here’s a little bonus outfit inspiration from my past clients to get the wheels turning!
Need a bit more general direction around how to begin planning your engagement photos? Check out this blog post: 5 Tips for Planning Your Engagement Session.
