What to wear for any session is a one the biggest questions I get from my newly signed wedding clients. It is such a popular topic that I wrote a few blog posts about it. I made a specific men’s guide for engagements sessions, as well as a women’s guide to engagement sessions. As well, I invested in a stylist to help me work with portrait clients. Her advice was so helpful that I have taken some of her advice and applied it to engagement session clients. So where do you start with clothing?
Tips for the Women
Have you pondered wearing a sequined gown, tulle skirt or a new lace top but just never had a real reason to get that outfit? Guess what! This is your chance–remember: There is no such thing as “too dressed up” when it comes to your engagement session. So don’t be afraid to have some fun! If you don’t want to add a new item to your collection, a lot of my brides love Rent the Runway for their engagement photos because you don’t have to spend a lot to feel like beautiful. Plus, you can send the outfits back when the session is over. Other brides love having a great excuse to bring a new permanent item for their closet.
The Case for a Dress…or two
Long, flowy dresses and skirts look amazing on camera because they bring extra movement to the photos. Especially when captured with nature whether it’s greenery or the beach. Shorter-length dresses photograph beautifully too! Dresses and skirts tend to look most stunning on camera because they really flatter a woman’s figure, and they make you feel super confident! I recommend avoiding pants and shorts for your session, and saying yes to a dress.
Most of my brides who choose two outfits will bring one “wowza” dress, and then another shorter sun dress or cocktail dress for a more casual “us on a date” feel. But if you want to bring two “wowza” dresses and not do the more casual dress altogether, that’s totally ok! Remember, though, you don’t have to bring two looks if it’s too stressful or you’d rather just stick to one stunning look. One outfit that you love will be so much better than one outfit you love and another you’re not very excited about.
What about Colors?
When choosing colors for your outfits, I recommend selecting lighter tones and more muted shades. Think whites, creams, soft pinks and lighter shades of blue. By avoiding ultra-bright, bold colors or dark colors and patterns, it will help bring all the attention to your faces and let the eye focus on the connection between the two of you. Plus the lighter shades match my photography style, so you will get images that you see in my portfolio.
The camera loves shades of soft pink and muted blues, mixed with sophisticated light neutrals like heather gray, creams, leather brown and white. That softer color palette fits beautifully into almost all natural outdoor environments. I also recommend items that have glitter in these shades as well because I have an unhealthy obsession with all things glitter!
How to Coordinate
As you’re planning your outfit with your fiancé’s, a good tip is to think about the color palettes coordinating, but don’t necessarily match. You should each wear a different main color, and stay within a similar color palette. So if you’re wearing a blush dress, glittery blue earrings and cream heels (blush being your main color), then he could wear a navy coat with gray pants, with brown dress shoes. He could even throw in a blush pocket square if you are feeling frisky. Now he has his own main color (navy) while still incorporating a few touches of your colors. A good rule of thumb is for the bride to pick out her outfit first, and then coordinate the groom to her outfit. I mean, let’s not lie, women’s clothes have so much variety that nailing down that look first makes the entire process so much easier.
A Few Extra Tips
- self conscious about your arms? Wear a 3/4 length sleeve on your dress, or a pretty jacket/cardigan
- high heeled shoes elongate your legs and look awesome on camera
- if you are wearing an open toed shoe, get a pedicure if your toes aren’t up-to-date
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