Are you already stressing about what to wear for your engagement photos? Have you peeked in your closet and thought, I literally have nothing to wear for our engagement session?
I have a sneaky suspicion that you may be scrolling through Pinterest looking for inspiration.
I totally get it.
Figuring out what to wear for your photos can be tricky, but after years of shooting engagement sessions and analyzing what worked best for my clients, I want to share my insider secrets with you on the best engagement photo outfits.
If you are looking for styled outfits with shopping links, you can check out this new blog post: Engagement Photo Outfits | What to Wear For Engagement Photos.
Here are my best tips on what to wear for engagement photos.
Start with dressing YOU first
It will be so much easier to dress your other half after you know what the heck you are going to wear.
Start with what you want to wear, and then pick out what your fiancé will wear. Opt for a long, flowy maxi dresses or skirts in soft fabrics like chiffon or tulle (which allow for beautiful movement in the images) or a midi or cocktail dress. Dresses look amazing on camera and a photo shoot is a perfect time to get dressed up. If you love white dresses, be sure to check out my favorite white dresses for engagement photos. Short white dresses also look great on camera, and I rounded up my favorite short white engagement dresses here.
Coordinate your color palette, but don’t match
If you only do one thing when it comes to selecting what everyone should wear, this is THE best tip, I can give you. Select an overall color palette that you want you to wear, and then build on this. The goal for coordinating a couple is to visually break up the colors and shades so that you’re not wearing the same color on top and bottom. The more we can mix that up, the better.
The easiest way to do this is to dress with a different dominant color and similar accent colors. A dominant color is the one you see in most of the outfit and the accent color is the smaller color.
For example, if you are wearing a blush dress with nude shoes (blush is your dominant color), you can dress your husband in a navy sport coat and tan pants (navy as his dominant color). If you are looking for dresses that are perfect for engagement photos, I curated some of my favorite engagement photo dresses here.
Do we need to wear white for engagement photos?
No, you do not need to wear white for engagement photos? While a lot of couples opt to wear white for their engagement pictures, you do not need to. If you are searching for white engagement dresses, check out this blog post with 25 white engagement dresses and short white dresses for engagement pictures.
Not team white?! No problem, here are 25 non-white dresses that are perfect for engagement photos.
Pick outfits with a neutral color palette
I recommend selecting softer, lighter tones and more muted shades.
By avoiding ultra-bright, bold colors, it will help bring all the attention to your faces, and let the eye focus on the way you and your emotions.
The camera loves shades of soft pink and muted blues, mixed with sophisticated light neutrals like heather gray, creams, leather brown and white. And this softer color palette works in just about every location.
Pro tip : If we are going to be in a location with a lot of green like trees or grass, avoid wearing green or anything in the green color palette like turquoise.
Dress your guy in a fitted look
Leave the shorts, sandals and any pants that are loose or baggy at home. Dress your guy in fitted dress pants or colored pants, closed-toed shoes, and a solid shirt. Add in a suit coat, blazer or sport coat, and he will look photo-ready.
Think about adding layers
Layers look great on men (just look at catalogs or displays at department stores). Think about adding a vest or a sport coat to add another layer to their outfit or even pair a button-down shirt underneath a sweater.
Layers add dimension and make your engagement photos feel like you just stepped out of a catalog.
Say NO to these things
When figuring out what to wear for your engagement session avoid logos, patterns and bold, bright colors. Sticking with solid neutrals and a soft color palette will result in gorgeous, clean timeless photos that you will LOVE for years.
Where to shop for women’s engagement photo outfits + dresses
- my curated looks on Like to Know It – Start here! Styled outfits and my favorite finds across all the stores that are photographer approved engagement photo outfits
- Revolve
- Lulus – the range of so many dresses from romantic dresses to beach dresses
- Petal + Pup, Baltic Born
- Nordstrom or Nordstrom Rack
- Rent the Runway (click here to get $30 off your order)
- Nuuly – great clothing rental company that has a great collection of dresses for engagement photos. Get $20 off your first box with my link.
Where to shop for men’s engagement photo outfits
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- my curated looks on Like to Know It – Start here! Styled outfits and my favorite finds across all the stores that are photographer approved engagement photo outfits
- Nordstrom or Nordstrom Rack
- Bonobos
- Trunk Club (snag a $50 credit when you sign up)
- J.Crew
- Gap
- Banana Republic
Still deciding what to wear, or ready to book?
Shop my styled engagement photo outfits on LTK, browse 25 dresses I love for engagement pictures, or stalk my Pinterest board for more inspiration. You can also see how past couples styled their sessions in past engagement shoots.
Already inquired and ready to lock in your date?
I’d love to be part of this. Send me a note and let’s get your session on the calendar, or take a peek at engagement and proposal photography in Naples and Marco Island.
Looking for more engagement planning advice?
Check out my tips on how to include your dog in your engagement photos, the best Chicago photo locations for engagement photos, and our favorite locations in the Chicago suburbs. And if you’re still on the fence about an engagement session, here are six reasons why we think you need one.
First time to the blog? Hi, I’m Brittany, a fine art film photographer specializing in lifestyle wedding and family photography. I travel worldwide photographing weddings, engagements, and families, and most of the time you can find me in Chicago and Naples (Southwest Florida). Interested in working together? Contact the studio for more information.
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