What Should You Wear for Engagement Photos?

Bride-to-be’s often ask us “what should we wear for our engagement session”? Read on for a few quick tips (and some comic relief in case you need a little pick-me-up)!

First, let us say that it’s normal for you to feel nervous about having a stranger take photos of you, especially if you are not used to posing for photos. Engaged couples may feel even more nervous about having someone taking photos of them as a couple. We tell our happy couples to think of our engagement shoots less as a photo shoot and more as a date with a friend tagging along. We like to use this as an opportunity to get to know you better as individuals and as a couple.

Regardless of how sexy you think your future husband or wife is, the first things you want to notice are your faces. They are the windows to your hearts and can really show how much love you have for each other. We want to not only capture photos of you in beautiful settings, but also want show how much you care for one another. Many of our suggestions will help get photos that are both emotional & artistic.

Our first suggestion is that you should both dress as if you are going to the same party, meaning one person shouldn’t dress for a rock concert while the other is dressed for a job interview. Most couples dress as if they are going out with friends. You should wear clothing that fits your personalities. Keep in mind that you’ll be sharing these photos for years, so clothes that reflect your style will be more timeless than wearing this month’s latest trend. You also want to wear clothes that reflect the season.

Your clothing should not clash with your partner’s. In general, you should try to avoid wearing patterns and vibrant colors since these usually go out of style pretty quickly. We want to capture photos of you with backgrounds that complement you, and this is harder to do if you are wearing clothes that are too busy or if the colors clash with the background. You should also wear colors and patterns that complement each other without blending together, but we don’t recommend wearing the exact same colors. Neutral colors are best because you don’t want bright colors clashing with each other or one person getting all the attention in the photo.

Keep in mind that clothing can affect your body’s appearance. Bright colors and patterns can make your body look larger. Darker colors will make your larger sections look smaller. Horizontal stripes will make you look wider. Vertical stripes will make you look thinner. Skirts and jeans can also be used to hide or accentuate your curves. The right combination of colors and clothing can be used to create your desired look.

For engagement shoots, you can also bring some layers (for example, a wrap or jacket) that can help add variety to the photos. But keep in mind that the more you bring, the more you need to worry about. Some couples like to bring a friend along to help carry things or to make them feel more comfortable.

Things to avoid:

– Uncomfortable clothing. It is hard to look your best when you are breaking in new shoes or clothing.

– Clothing that is too tight. It will be uncomfortable, restrict how we can pose you, and may not compliment your body.

– Sleeveless clothing, unless you are very comfortable with how your underarm area looks.

– Shorts on men. It’s not that you don’t have nice legs, it’s the hair on the legs that can be a bit of a distraction.

– Clothing with sports or brand logos, unless it is a big part of your personality.

– Pure white clothing, especially white sneakers. They can be an unwanted distraction.

Keep in mind that these are just general guidelines and rules are meant to be broken. If you both show up wearing sleeveless, bright orange & yellow horizontal striped clothing and white sneakers, we will understand that you are both meant for each other. If only one shows up with such a combination, we respect the deep non-superficial love you have for each other. Regardless of your preference for fashion, we will try to capture the feeling you have for each other.