Tips on What to Wear for Engagement Photos

The post-holiday engagement season has arrived and many beautiful couples are beginning their photographer search for engagement photos. It’s such an exciting time and you’re probably starting to think about the photos you want to what to wear for engagement photos. Let’s be honest, your engagement photos are a big deal and you want to look your best! These photos are going to be used for save the dates, wedding websites, and even just hung in your home. So, the decisions you make with your engagement session outfit are important.  

Between choosing the right location, photographer, and outfit, your engagement session requires a bit of planning, luckily for you, we have a few engagement session outfit ideas and tips to share. Keep reading to find our top tips on what to wear for engagement photos so you feel and look your best. 

Steps to Take Before Choosing Engagement Session Outfits

After couples book an engagement session with me, I ask them where they envision their engagement session happening. Even if the session is months away, I ask because the location of your session will greatly impact the outfit you choose. Many of my couples have asked me for engagement session outfit ideas and often my suggestions depend on the location of their engagement session. Things I would recommend a couple to wear for a playful beach engagement shoot are likely to be much different than a nighttime flash engagement session in a bar playing pool. You want to feel comfortable during your shoot so that you can fully engage in your experience and allow your personality and love for your partner to show. 

One of my top goals for any of my photoshoots is to make my couples feel comfortable and like their best selves. For many, that starts with feeling good in their clothes. I have some couples who are excited to dress up and step outside of the box, and that’s awesome! But, it is always a good idea to choose an outfit that doesn’t differ too much from your normal style and personality. Before finalizing your engagement session outfit you’ll want to establish the overall vibe you’re going for. Chat with your photographer about your ideas and really think through everything about your outfit from the color of your clothes to the textures and materials. All elements of your engagement session outfit are going to play a pivotal role in the feel of your engagement session.

What Colors to Wear for Your Engagement Session

After determining where your shoot is going to take place it’s time to decide what to wear for your engagement photos. When planning an engagement session with my couples I often advise them to select their outfits based on the overall vibe they’re hoping to achieve. If my couple is aiming for a more laid-back engagement shoot, say at their favorite coffee shop, I’d recommend they dress in neutral or light colors. If they’re wanting to add a pop of color, I recommend pastel shades, burnt colors, or black and white. These will always photograph and edit well compared to bold colors and patterns. 

If my couple wants to dress up the look and have a more serious and intense engagement shoot, maybe a downtown rooftop drink vibe, I’d recommend incorporating a bold color wisely. Bold colors will steal the show, which we don’t always want! The deepness of bold color will draw the viewer’s eye directly to that object, and not you and your partner. But, there are ways to make the bold colors work with your style, and if that’s your goal talk with your photographer! 

Regardless of your vibe and color palette, I will always recommend steering clear of bold patterns. Keep your favorite flannel in the closet and stay away from any trendy patterns you see on the shelves. Busy prints will distract viewers, just like bold colors, and can also make your engagement photos feel outdated very quickly. Especially with how fast fashion trends are going! The more classic and timeless the better.

As a final tip for choosing the colors of your engagement session outfits, try not to mix and match dark and light colors, other than black and white. It’s harder to match pairs like a deep maroon sweater and dark wash jeans than it is a light beige sweater and light wash jeans. Keep these tips in mind when searching Pinterest for engagement session outfit ideas, and remember to ask yourself if the outfit idea you love would look right in the environment you’re creating for the shoot.

Our Top Tips for Choosing Your Engagement Session Outfit

If you’re wondering about specific examples of what to wear for engagement photos, I’ve got you covered. My clients often ask for suggestions on outfits and I always share the same five tips. To assist you in your decision making I wanted to share them here with you. Here are my five top tips on what to wear for engagement photos. 

Choose outfits that complement each other. 

You don’t want your outfits to match but you also don’t want them to be extremely different. When deciding on your engagement session outfit talk with your partner. Choose outfits that complement one another and don’t distract from each other. 

Don’t run toward “trending” outfits.

Fashion trends come in and out of style, and these days it happens fast! Something that is in style in the spring may be completely out by the time fall rolls around. To save yourself from regretting your choices, steer clear of “trending” outfits.

Don’t wear anything that takes away from you, wear things that work for your shoot and your skin tone.

Your engagement session should be fun, exciting, and about YOU. You’re capturing your love story and unless you brought something because you WANT it to steal the show (maybe a fur baby? Always love an iconic show stopper like that every once in a while) I recommend keeping everything relatively low-key. Choose colors and clothing pieces that feel natural, work with your skin tone, and don’t distract from you 

Select your clothing intentionally: match your vibe, aesthetic, and season.

Select your outfits with intention. These are images you’ll have and look back on for life, so make sure you’re comfortable and love what you’re wearing. Intentionally choosing your engagement session outfit can look like matching your aesthetic. Are you taking your photos at an arcade? On the sand at a beach? Lean into the vibes you would normally see in your location. You also want to plan your outfit around the weather. There’s no need to pretend you’re super warm on the beach if it’s February. Be willing to snuggle up with some cozy sweaters and embrace the time of year you got engaged!

Bring multiple outfits

Most of my couples book my adventure sessions, meaning they have extra shooting time, farther locations, and multiple outfits. So, I always tell them to bring 3-4 different outfits to choose from! Realistically, we’ll probably only shoot two outfits but having options will save you from any stress or last-minute “I don’t like this outfit” thoughts. When my couples have an adventure session I also recommend they bring outfits to reflect two vibes. One casual, one dressy. That way you can have both options for save the dates, prints, and screensavers. You never know which outfit you’ll vibe with more, so bring a few and choose what feels right! 

Now that you know what to wear for engagement photos it’s time to get it scheduled! I’d love to join you on your engagement session journey and capture this special time.