An engagement session is a beautiful way to capture the love between you and your partner, and to celebrate this exciting time in your lives! But, deciding what to wear for engagement photos can sometimes feel like another task on the big to do list that wedding planning inevitably comes with. While the goal is to look your best, it’s just as important to feel your best, and to be comfortable! This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about what to wear for engagement photos, with tips for putting together an outfit, and advice to help you narrow down your options.

Tips for Choosing What to Wear

Here are some tips for deciding what to wear – these will help you get started! 

Choose a Color Palette

Deciding on a cohesive color palette before you start is a good idea, since you do want your outfits to complement each other. Neutrals, soft pastels, and earth tones tend to work well, because they don’t overpower the image or draw too much attention – we want your faces to be the focus! You can absolutely incorporate some bolder colors, but it’s best to do this in moderation. A pop of color, like a red dress, will stand out beautifully. Just make sure that there aren’t too many different bold colors competing for attention. 

Tips for Patterns

Patterns can be a great addition to an outfit. Just like with the bold colors, just make sure there aren’t too many different patterns happening at once. If one of you wears a floral dress, solid colors, or something with a more subtle pattern, might be best for the other. Just avoid super narrow stripes, as those can get distorted in photos! 

Coordinate Without Matching

You and your partner should coordinate, but not match! You don’t want the colors of your outfits to be too close to each other, but aim for complementary outfits that work well together. Think about how the colors, textures, and styles work as a pair, which still allowing each outfit to stand out individually.

What to Wear for Engagement Photos in Each Season

The time of year and the location of your engagement photos definitely has a big role in determining what you should wear. Here are some tips for each season!

Winter

Now, here in Phoenix, you might not need the typical “winter” style tips. But if you go somewhere cooler for your engagement photos, you can absolutely accessorize with jackets, boots, and scarves. In general, layers are always a good idea, as that helps you be prepared for changes in weather.

Spring

Spring sessions are perfect for light, airy outfits. Think flowy dresses, pastel hues, floral prints, and soft textures like lace or chiffon. If your engagement session is in Phoenix, breathable fabrics will help you stay cool. In other parts of the world, layers to keep you warm might be more appropriate.

Summer

For summer sessions, the most important thing will be staying cool. Focus on breathable fabrics like linen or cotton to help you stay comfortable! Outfits with some movement, like dresses and skirts, can help with this as well.

Fall

As the weather cools down a little, fall colors like burgundy or mustard can look great. If it’s cool enough where your engagement session is, sweaters or flannels are great for fall! 

What Not to Wear for Engagement Photos

When planning your outfits, keep these things in mind!

Logos and Graphics

Steer clear of anything with logos, graphics, or text on it, as they can be distracting and take away from the timeless feel of your photos.

Super Bright Colors

Bold hues and pops of color are great, but stay away from neon colors or anything that’s overly vibrant. These tend to not look good on camera.

Uncomfortable Clothes

If I could only give you one tip for what to wear for engagement photos, it would be this one! The most important thing is that you’re comfortable. Your engagement session should be fun, and if you’re constantly adjusting, sucking in, or being annoyed by pinching and poking, it’ll definitely take away from the experience. 

Being comfortable also means choosing an outfit that feels like you. There’s definitely nothing wrong with dressing up a little, but make sure that if you get a new outfit, it’s one that you would actually wear in “real” life. The wedding day is for photos of you all glammed up – the engagement session is about documenting this time in your lives, and capturing who you are together. If you’re someone who feels uncomfortable in dresses, don’t wear one! 

More Tips for What to Wear for Engagement Photos

Here are just a few more tips!

Shoes

Shoes are part of the outfit! Just like with the rest of the outfit, make sure your shoes are comfortable. For an outdoor session, I usually don’t recommend heels, since they can sink into the ground and be generally hard to walk in. But, you can totally bring them along with a more comfortable pair of shoes, and change into them. Make sure your shoes are broken in so that you don’t have to worry about blisters!

Accessories

Accessories can include something like a jacket, belt, and jewelry. But, it can also mean bringing something along, like a blanket to sit on, champagne to pop, or even bringing your dog to be in the photos. Anything that feels like it represents the two of you and your relationship, or anything that just feels like it will be fun to add to the photos! Having something to do, whether that’s eating the sandwiches you packed in a picnic basket or petting your fur baby, can be a great way to make you feel more relaxed in front of the camera too.

Bring Multiple Outfits

You can also bring multiple outfits! Two is usually a good amount, but make sure to ask your photographer to check what you’ll have time for. Some couples do one more casual outfit, and one more formal one. This is a great way to get some variety for your photos, and you can also bring multiple options to the session to get your photographer’s opinion about what would look best.

Hiring a Photographer for Engagement Photos

Choosing what to wear for engagement photos doesn’t have to be stressful! Focus on comfort, and create a look that feels authentic to the two of you. These photos are about celebrating your love, so relax, have fun, and let your personalities shine through! 

The photographer is a big (maybe even the biggest!) factor in how comfortable you feel on the day of your engagement session. Most people aren’t 100% confident being in front of a camera, but my job is to make sure those jitters go away. After a few minutes, you’ll forget that you were ever nervous. And, working with the same photographer for your engagement session and your wedding helps you be more confident about the wedding day, since that won’t be your first time in front of the camera. 

If you’re ready to plan your engagement session, and want advice on styling, locations, and lighting, contact me!