What Should We Wear For Our Engagement Photos?
So you need some outfit ideas for your engagement shoot.
We can help, we’ve done this a few times before after all. We’re basing this article off our experience with engagement sessions and our ~ unique ~ approach to photography as a whole. This advice * may * not be what you’ll hear from every photographer, but we stand by it with all the confidence. So here we go, our favorite tips for outfit planning for your engagement photos!
Wear What You Feel Confident In.
RULE NUMBER ONE, my friends. Here is a really sad fact: your photos are just not going to turn out the best if you don’t feel one hundred percent in the clothes you’re wearing. If you are going to constantly be adjusting what you’re wearing, feel like you’ll be sucking in the whole time (or worse, telling your photographer to remind you to suck in), or be afraid of certain angles in the outfit, I would definitely say toss it. Our style of photography incorporates a lot of candid moments and movement, and this just does not go hand in hand with any of these things. When you feel like a million bucks, it really shows on camera, so put in a little extra effort to find outfits that make you feel your best!
While we’re on this topic, I’ll say that just because everyone wears a certain style of clothing for their engagements (right now I’m thinking hats, long fancy dresses, etc.), this does not mean you have to fit that mold. There is no single “engagement photo aesthetic” you have to fit, and we certainly don’t expect all our couples to look the same in their photos. Our approach to photographing people really celebrates who they are in a holistic sense, from their personality to their personal style. Part of feeling like a million bucks includes feeling like yourself, so don’t force yourself to look like someone else just because Pinterest told you to.
Wear Clothes That Move Well.
As I mentioned, we like to make our engagement sessions very candid, as opposed to a more posed style of photography. With this candid approach comes quite a bit of movement. Add the fact that more often than not, we’re shooting outdoors, and you just will experience a whole bunch of motion when it comes to you and your clothing. Though it isn’t mandatory by any means, I highly recommend wearing outfits that are made of materials that move freely and well.
I’m not sure what it is about outfits that move freely in the wind or as you move, but it just seems to elevate the photos a teeny bit more than your standard couple photos. Photos are a single moment frozen in time, but when you see say a dress blowing in the wind in an image, it just helps you feel a little more like you’re there. It adds a deeper sense of emotion to an image, and it also just looks cool. If you can find a dress with a lighter, looser fabric or a shirt with sleeves that billow a bit, I promise they will photograph beautifully (if this is your vibe of course!).
AND since we’re on the topic of movement, I just gotta throw this out there for all my ladies. Wear comfy shoes, especially if you’re shooting with us. Between the amount of walking we end up doing (why does every shoot become a cardio session too?) and the amount of movement we incorporate into our photos, I personally would recommend you leave the six inch heels at home and opt for shoes that will allow you to really move without falling or breaking an ankle :)
What Colors Photograph Best?
A lot of photographers instruct their clients to stick to neutrals (blacks, whites, cream colors, etc.). It’s not horrible advice. Wearing neutrals will allow for the natural colors in the background to pop a bit more (and Lord knows we have some really beautiful locations for engagement shoots!) and will blend a little bit better. It is also much easier for photographers to nail the color of a neutral outfit than a colorful one in post production!
HOWEVER, I’m here to say do NOT feel confined to a short list of options if color is your thing! Our first rule (feel confident) supersedes the color choice any day in my book. I wear a lot of color myself, and I thought it was really fun to incorporate our wedding colors into our engagement photos! So if you’re really feeling yourself in a bright pink dress, rock it.
While we’re here I would love to point out some colors that photograph really well in certain scenarios. Black and white, or super dark/super light colors with high contrast photograph incredibly on the beach. That being said, so do blues! Blacks and dark colors look amazing against a snowy background. If you know your location has a ton of greenery and foliage, I’d maybe suggest staying away from greens so you don’t blend in!
What About Patterns?
A very important question. Big or distracting patterns will not photograph super well (think Charlie Brown’s shirt). This doesn’t necessarily mean all patterns are out. Small and tasteful patterns are just fine, though I would recommend keeping the patterned outfit to one person at a time. You will be snuggled up to each other in quite literally all of these photos.
Another pattern we wouldn’t recommend? Any shirt that has lines/stripes that are really close together. Cameras will capture this pattern weirdly and make everything look super distorted in your photos. If you google “moire,” you’ll see what we mean. We recommend avoiding these types of patterns just in case they do cause the moire effect to happen when we’re taking photos- we don’t want anything to distract from the two of you!
How To Style Your Outfits
The fun (or annoying) thing about figuring out what to wear for your engagement photos is that on top of choosing an outfit you like on yourself, you also have to match it to your person. My favorite tip would be to style outfits for the more picky one of the two of you first, and then build the other person’s outfits off theirs. In our case, we always decide on my outfits first, and then find outfits for Joseph in complimentary colors and patterns.
I find it incredibly helpful to search for color palettes on Pinterest to see which colors really go well together and to capture the ~ vibe ~ I’m feeling for whatever shoot we’re doing. They’re usually pretty intensive (pro tip: search for procreate color palettes!!), so you’ll likely even be able to find color palettes that include the colors of the locations we’re shooting in!
Little accent pieces or accessories are also super fun! Whether it’s a hat or a custom jacket you’ve had made for this special season, throwing things on and off throughout the shoot allows for more variety!
How Many Outfits Should We Plan For?
This may depend on the photographer, but if you’ll be shooting with us, we’re open to as many or as few outfits as you’d like. We typically see our couples bring two outfits - one more casual outfit and one more formal outfit, but it is entirely up to you! We typically change locations at least once throughout engagement sessions, and it is often really fun to change outfits when we move to a new place too! I always encourage couples to bring more than they’ll think they’ll need (especially if they’re on the indecisive side), and we can make a game time decision.
So there you have it,
Literally every tip and trick in our toolbox when it comes to outfits and engagement photos! If you’re one of our couples, please also know you can run outfits by us literally whenever you want. We are here to help! And if you’re not one of our couples but want to be, please see these fun buttons below!
Hey y’all! We’re Katie & Joseph, a husband & wife team, and wedding photographers in Arizona.
We are big fans of documenting wedding days in an unposed, raw, genuine, and honest way that allows our couples to maximize their experience on their day while also receiving a gallery full of stunning images that communicate how it felt to be there.
Though we’re based in Phoenix, we’ll travel anywhere for a good love story (and dance party). We invite you to follow the links below to learn more about us and our services, and to get in contact with us!
Wondering where to take your engagement photos in Phoenix? We’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite locations in the area!