Engagement sessions are one of my favorite parts of the wedding photography process! They are a chance for couples to get dressed to the nines and spend the evening taking photos in a stellar location- what more could you want? 😉

Leading up to an engagement session, I like to reach out to my couples and offer guidance on styling outfits for their engagement session. Having photographed many portrait and engagement sessions, I have come to understand that there are certain styles that photograph beautifully and others that should be avoided. I find that following these tips helps my couples to look and feel their absolute best so that they can enter their session feeling confident and excited!

First, choose an overall style

How do you want your photos to feel- bright and fun, romantic and timeless, bold and trendy? Before you dive into choosing and purchasing outfits for your session, you should take time to decide what style you will be happiest with when you look back on the photos from your session. This will also make other decisions throughout the planning process- like locations and props- much easier to make!

Dress up rather than down

While I know that every couple has their own style and some may be more casual than others, I always recommend that my couples dress up for their sessions for two main reasons. First, formal outfits photography beautifully! Things like long flowing dresses and dapper suits tend to flatter every body type and give a really special feel to the photos. Second, this is your one and only time taking engagement photos! There will always be opportunities to take more lifestyle-type photos down the road, but this time leading up to your wedding will only happen once. Make the most of it and dress as though it is a special event- because it is!

Coordinate your colors

This may come as a surprise, but matching for your photos is not recommended. You want your outfits to be cohesive, but not exactly the same colors. The best way to achieve this is to choose a color palette based on the style you decided in step 1 and then incorporate several colors from the palette. For example, if you are going for a romantic and timeless look, you may choose off-whites, soft pinks, and subtle blues/grays. Choosing a color palette will give you more flexibility in the items that you wear without sacrificing the cohesiveness that is so important in photos!

Things to avoid

Now that we know what to do, let’s go over what not to do when choosing outfits. These are a few things that you will want to stay away from simply because they may not photograph well or will take the attention off of the two of you in your photos:

• Overly bright colors like neons or bright reds/oranges- these can cast unwanted color onto your skin!
• Very small patterns (think smaller than a quarter)- cameras have a difficult time making out small patterns which will cause discoloration or Chromatic Aberration on your clothing
• Unbalanced heaviness- if one of you chooses to wear a heavier color like black or dark blue, the other should avoid wearing a heavy color and instead choose something lighter that will balance the photo
• Tennis shoes, graphic tees, bold logos, sunglasses, baseball hats

Following this advice is one of the best ways to ensure that you look and feel your best during your photo session.

Happy outfit planning!!