The #1 question I get asked as a wedding photographer is “What to Wear for Engagement Photos?!”. Well, I’m happy to tell you that if you are one of my couples and you book your wedding with me, not only is your engagement session complimentary but you also receive a custom bridal guide that I created for all of my clients to reference for engagement session outfit inspiration, ideas, and tips!
Plain and simple, your engagement photos should be special. You will be married for the rest of your life but you’re only engaged for a short period of time! So why not make it amazing?!
As a bride and groom planning their engagement session, one of the most daunting parts is picking the perfect engagement outfit. I get it! Choosing exactly what to wear for engagement photos is important! I’m going to share my best tips + tricks for choosing your outfits for your engagement photos! Don’t worry, by the end of this, you’ll know exactly what to go shopping for!
Choosing What to Wear for Engagement Photos
Tip #1: Start with a “dressy” option
An easy way to elevate your engagement photos from just an ordinary photo to an elegant, should be in a magazine, engagement photo is to dress up! You can choose just how elegant you would like to look. You can go with an elegant but simple coordinating outfit like the couple above and your photos will be spectacular!
… Or you can turn heads by going ALL OUT with a gorgeous gown and a tailored suit!
Tip #2: Don’t be “too matchy”
This isn’t the 90’s folks! We don’t all have to wear jeans with white tops… instead coordinate your outfits and it’s colors/textures to blend together. If you’d like some ideas of colors and patterns that coordinate well, I have a whole Pinterest board full of inspiration for you!
Tip #3: Go with Neutral Colors
Neutral colors will always photograph best! Not only do they photograph better but they also give your photos a more romantic touch. Colors like white, greys, blush tones, soft blues, etc., don’t reflect weird colors unto your skin tone the same way dark or bright colors do which means that they are also more flattering on you!
Does that mean you should avoid all dark colors? ABSOLUTELY NOT!
At the end of the day, my #1 suggestion to ALL of my clients is to wear what makes you feel the most confident!
Tip #4: Have fun with your engagement photos, and also choose a casual outfit!
I always suggest to my clients that they choose two outfit choices when thinking about what to wear for engagement photos. A dressy one and a casual outfit.
You can choose which level of casual is going to work best for your engagement photos. For most couples, this means a casual but nice outfit that you can still have fun photos in that truly show your personality.
Even when picking a casual outfit… yes, even as casual as the couple above chose to have for their in-home lifestyle engagement session you should still go with neutral color. Look how pretty the tones in their photos are!
Tip #5: Avoid small patterns
Why avoid small patterns, you ask? Well, small patterns create something called chromatic aberration in photographs. It can be very distracting and unflattering. My best tip to help with this is to go with solids or larger patterns like the beautiful bride to be in the photo above chose to do with her dress. The larger blush pattern paired beautifully with her future husband’s blue coat and jeans! Their outfit is also a great example of what a dressy but casual outfit can be!
[…] always give my clients suggestions as to what to wear for their engagement session. In fact, I give them a full bridal guide full of fun information. When I saw Carolyn’s […]
[…] In fact, that is why your engagement session is so important! I make it a point to learn what poses are the most flattering for you two as a couple. It’s not a “one size fits all” kind of thing. Talking about engagement sessions, check out this recent post I wrote on what to wear for your engagement photos! […]