The Journal

What to wear for your engagement session

April 6, 2020

If I had a nickel for every time I was asked “What should I wear for my engagement/portrait session?!” I’d be rich! It’s no secret when you are prepping for your engagement session or really any portrait session, figuring out how to coordinate outfits is one of the most stressful parts! So hopefully these tips help for your next session.

First let me dispel three common MYTHS:

  1. You two need to match!Please, for the love of all things beautiful, don’t try to match each other! Instead, try to coordinate! Coordinating is a completely different concept from “matching”.  Coordination means you are usually choosing different colors that look good together but are not close to being the same.
  2. Neutrals wash you out– I actually find that neutrals are probably the loveliest to photograph, are easiest to coordinate, and you can find at least one neutral tone that will flatter your skin type. You just want to make sure you coordinate your neutrals to be all warm-toned (beiges, browns, mauves, etc.) or cool-toned (greys, navy, black).
  3. Always wear black so you look slim!Sure, black is slimming, but it’s always very heavy in portraits. There is nothing wrong with black but if you’re hoping for light and airy portraits, it may not be the best choice.

Now that we’ve gotten those things out of the way, here are 3 basic pieces of advice I give my couples for their engagement session.

  1. Choose TWO outfits: one formal and one more casual. Having two options will give you more variety and two different looks in your images.
  2. Ladies, if you wear makeup, go a little bolder than you would normally- especially on your lip color- so that it will show up better in your photos. If you have the option to do a trial run with your bridal hair and makeup artist, schedule it for the day of your engagement shoot so you can see what it will look like in photos!
  3. Be comfortable!! Make sure you’re able to move around without wardrobe malfunctions! You want to be free to laugh, move, and enjoy your session without pulling at your clothing the whole time. PRO TIP: If you’ve chosen heels for your outfits, bring a pair of comfy shoes to walk in and then just slip into the heels when it’s photo time! Your feet will thank you.

I hope this helps you narrow down those outfit options so you can figure out what to wear for your engagement session. If you’d like a more in-depth guide then make sure you download my FREE Style Guide which you can get by clicking the link or going to my home page and scrolling to the freebie section! I go over things like how to define your style, choosing the right colors to highlight that style, and how to balance your photos so you get those beautiful images you’ve been hoping for!

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