Tips on What to Wear for Engagement Photos
Fall and spring are two of the most popular times of
the year for engagement photos. Spring blooms and fall leaves are gorgeous, so
it’s a great time to schedule your photo session!
Engagement photo sessions are also usually the first
time you work with your photographer, and the first time you and your fiance
have professional photos taken together. That can be super-exciting….but it can
also make brides and grooms a little nervous because you don’t know what
to expect, what to do, how to act, or what to wear.
I can’t tell you how many times couples have arrived
at photo sessions, and they’ve told us how nervous they are. But, by the time
we’re in the middle of the session, they say how easy it is and how much
fun they’re having! We really try our best to make it a fun, relaxed photo
session where couples can be themselves. That’s the sweet spot where we get
great photos of you, who you are as an individual and also as a couple.
Engagement photo shoots help us build rapport with you
before the wedding day. We also often find that couples are more relaxed about
photos when the wedding day arrives because they’ve already worked with us at
their engagement photo shoot. You are more relaxed in front of our cameras, and
you know what to expect!
Many couples have two outfits for their engagement
session. They start the photo session wearing dressy clothes, and then
change into more casual clothes (or vice versa). Consider bringing an outfit to
change into mid-way through your session.
Suggestions on What to Wear
•
Choose comfortable clothes: If
you’re not comfortable, it will be noticeable in the pictures. Also, wear
comfortable shoes if your location will include a lot of walking. But don’t
wear tennis shoes! More like choose to wear cute flats or boots with a low heel
rather than 5-inch stilettos.
•
Choose clothing that compliments
your personality: Make sure your clothes look like “you” and fit your
personality.
•
Coordinate your clothing with
each other: Wear clothes that are the same level of “dressyness.”
and wear similar shades that compliment each other. Choose clothes that
look best on you.
•
Choose clothes to compliment your
location: If you are taking pictures in a field or the
mountains, consider clothes with more natural colors. And if you are taking
pictures in a downtown area, you might consider more urban clothes with bolder
colors.
•
Choose colors that compliment
your skin tone: For example, if you have light skin, white clothing
can wash out your complexion in photographs.
Suggestions on What NOT to Wear
•
Clothing accenting your least
favorite body parts: If you have certain body parts that you dislike or
are uncomfortable about, don’t wear clothing that accents them. For example, if
you do not like your arms, do not wear sleeveless tops or strapless dresses
(this also applies to wedding gowns!). If you do not like your legs, do not
wear a short skirt or a short dress. Darker colors such as navy blue or black
also look great and provide a slimming effect.
•
Fluorescent Colors: Fluorescent
colors (such as bright orange) tend to color cast on faces, necks and hair.
When the shirt is so bright, it often also changes the color of the person
standing next to them.
•
Trendy clothing: They
will date your photos as soon as the trend goes out of style.
•
Major changes with your hair and
makeup: You want your engagement photos to reflect who you
really are, and you want to be comfortable in your own skin.
•
T-shirts and tennis shoes: This
includes white t-shirts under button-up dress shirts with the top buttons
undone. You don’t want a little white t-shirt peeking out above your nice dress
shirt.
•
Large shirts that are not tucked
in. For guys, it’s usually better to wear a belt if you are wearing
a nice button-up shirt. Sometimes, if untucked shirts are too big or
too wide, they don’t look good and are “boxy.” Fitted shirts and jackets look
much better than wide boxy ones.
A Few More Tips
•
If you choose a location outside, the best time for
the photo shoot is in the late afternoon as the sun is setting. You can avoid
hard shadows in photos taken in the late afternoon.
•
Plan on having a good time. If you’re in a good mood,
it will show in the pictures and you will get more great photos!
•
Consider bringing an outfit to change into mid-way
through your photo session. You could start your photo session wearing dressy
clothes, and then change into more casual clothes (or vice versa).
Engagement pictures will be used in your photo albums,
hang on your wall, and will be placed in engagement announcements and
“save-the-date” cards. Taking a few moments to make the best of your photos will
be priceless in the many years to come.
