What should you wear for your engagement photos? Here are some of my suggestions!
While I love all the excitement and details of a wedding day, engagement sessions are unique in their own way. Not only is it intimate, it also gives couples a chance to showcase their personalities and stories through the location and outfits they choose. In this blog, I’m sharing a few tips on what to wear!
I believe that photos that make us happy are mostly because of how we feel at the time the photos were taken. I want everyone to feel their best before they even see me, so I give everyone a portrait guide before each session. Much of that gives some insight to help you decide what to wear. I recommend having two outfits, but some couples choose to wear one, either because they really like it or because they don’t want to take time out of the session to find a place to change. Here are a few tips to help you narrow down your options.
1. Dress comfortably.
You don’t want to remember your engagement session as the day you wore a top that was too tight or an itchy sweater. If it’s 100 degrees, try to wear something that’s won’t make you sweat more. If it’s 25 degrees (like in Katherine and Anthony's session, pictured above), make sure you have layers under your outfit and gloves to put on between photos. A scarf and a peacoat can be just as pretty as a sundress. Check out my Pinterest board for some of my favorite outfits for cold weather sessions!
Also remember to wear comfortable shoes! Take it from me: after I finished my graduation session, it was about a half mile walk back to my car. I really didn’t want to make the choice between wearing the shoes that hurt me for the whole session and walking barefoot. If you’re dying to wear a certain pair of shoes for your session, make sure you have a more comfortable pair to change into if you have a lot of walking to do. Here’s a tip that I picked up from my high school color guard days: carefully placed electrical tape on the insides of your shoes can save your feet a lot of pain.
2. Coordinate with each other.
You can coordinate colors without matching, like the “red top, black pants” my cousins and I would wear for our family pictures at Christmas when we were little. You could choose a color scheme, such as wearing different shades of blue or both of you wearing something red and black. You could also complement each other’s outfits. If your favorite dress is purple and your fiancé(e) doesn’t have anything purple, you can choose an accessory in a similar color to something they do have.
While Matt and Amethyst don’t “match,” they “coordinate.” Matt’s blue shirt and red tie both complement the flowers in Amethyst’s dress. Her dress also was perfect for this April session and looked beautiful with the colors of Disney’s Polynesian resort! Which brings me to #3…
3. Consider the location.
You can coordinate your outfits with the color scheme of the location. If there are lots of fall leaves at this location, you could wear warmer hues to complement them. If your session is in the snow (which would be amazing), you could wear bolder colors to stand out. Tori and Michael’s first outfits complemented the colors of the desert garden so well, and their second outfits showed off their matching shoes while coordinating with the sunflowers.
Ready for the best day ever?
My name is Christine (Scott) Gow and I’m an elopement photographer based out of Greenville, South Carolina. I’m a wife and a beagle mom. The three of us have visited beautiful places in every corner of South Carolina, to include all 48 of our state parks. We love finding new outdoor places to visit, but we also love hanging out on the couch and watching Pixar.
One thing I love about South Carolina is that it’s not just the beaches and colorful houses that you imagine when you picture it. Whether you’re looking for mountains, beaches, or anything in between; I can help you find the perfect place for the two of you and make it as smooth of a day as possible. No matter how you two choose to spend your day, I’m happy you’re doing it the way that you want.
I can’t wait to meet you!
