Your engagement session is an important part of being engaged, and the wedding preparation process (you can read why on my blog here).  One question I get frequently is “what should we wear?!”  Though every couple’s style will be different, I have a few tips I like to tell my couples when picking out outfits to help guide them to make the best choices.  Your outfits set the tone for your engagement session, so following these guidelines will help you feel comfortable and confident in your choices!

How many outfits? What should they be?

Two outfits is perfect!  That way you can give yourself a bit of variety, in both the style and feeling of the photos, without having too much unnecessary variety.  Also, that way you are not spending too much time changing clothes and getting situated in between.

One outfit should be “nice casual”.  When I say casual, I don’t mean sweats or t-shirts!!  Wear a casual shirt and nice jeans.  The outfit that you’d wear to meet girlfriends for a movie…cute but not super fancy.  This is a great place to show off your personality and style!  But this is the time to buy a new shirt; don’t let your man wear the one with holes.

Your second outfit should totally fancy!!  You’re only engaged once, use this as an excuse to get a pretty dress, get all dolled up and love on each other.  Men look great in a tailored suit, or a button-up and slacks (don’t forget his shoes!).  Women should absolutely wear a dress.  Personally I love long dresses, especially something flowy or glamorous!  Don’t be afraid to go all out…when else in your life will you have the opportunity to have this kind of pretty in your life 🙂

Coordinate, don’t match!

There is a big difference between coordinating and matching.  Coordinating means picking two colors that complement each other by keeping in the same hue (i.e. pastels).  The colors in the photo can make a huge impact on the overall look of the images.  Keeping this in mind will help you have a more dynamic images, and give you a little bit more freedom when picking outfits.

Don’t go with trends, look for staples.

You want your images to look timeless, so you want to go more for timeless looks when picking out outfits.  This can be a hard sometimes, but you’ll appriciate it in the long run.  These types of clothing will last longer in your closet, and you won’t look back at your images years later and ask why?!

Be Bold.

Don’t be afraid of bold colors or prints; you just have to know how to use them well.  I love bold colors like hues of red and blue.  An easy way to choose colors is to pick one bold hue, and then combine it with neutrals.  I personally love the pairing of neutrals with a pop of color.  Bold doesn’t mean bright; neon does not photograph well because of the way it reflects light.  Color palettes full of pastels also always look beautiful. Bold prints are awesome, but keep in mind that stripes and small prints don’t always look great in camera.   And black always looks good on everyone!

Pick styles that look good on your body type!

I swear that this is one of those life skills I wish I was taught much earlier in life.  I finally figured out what looks good on me, but here are some basics to keep in mind: Wear clothes that show off your curves, not things that make you look boxy.  If you’re concerned about your arms, wear something with 3/4 length sleeves.  Tube-tops, short shorts, tank tops, and baggy clothes aren’t very flattering in photos.  Black is always slimming, but remember to then spice it up.  Make sure suits are well tailored.

Don’t forget the accessories!

Play up your style with accessories.  Shoes, jewelry, the works.  Choosing a big statement necklace can really spruce up a plain dress.  A great pair of heels can do amazing things for an outfit, not to mention your legs 🙂  And don’t forget your nails; there will be lots of photos of your ring(s), so don’t have chipped polish.

Yes it’s worth it to get professional hair & make-up!!!

It may seem like it’s unnecessary, but the benefits definitely outweigh the cost.  On the day of MY engagement session, it was so wonderful to feel a bit pampered.  I felt more confident in myself, and the whole photoshoot was easier.  If you don’t have someone in mind, I have some great people that I’d love to reccommend!

These tips are a great place to start, but I’m here every step of the way!  Don’t be afraid to reach out to me with your ideas and we’ll make sure your final selections are perfect!  

These are some of my tips, but if you have others you’d like to add please comment below!!  Can’t wait to hear all of the ideas.