One of the biggest questions I get asked as a wedding photographer [actually, probably THEE biggest] is “What do we wear for engagement pictures?!” This seems to be the most stressful thing ever for most couples, and with engagement season gearing up for me next week I thought a post on helpful tips and what to wear might be just the thing to help ease your mind!

So here’s 10 tips!

1. Think about your feet! You’re going to be walking around for an hour and a half, so if you’re one to last 5 minutes with heels on, please don’t torture your poor feet for an hour and a half! You’ll really just end up being miserable, so just like the outfit choice, make sure your shoes are something you’re comfortable in! There’s definitely a whole lot of cute non heel shoes out there! 
   
2. Consider the location. Be aware of what your surroundings are going to be and try not to clash (or match!) If your engagement session is in a forest, you probably don’t want to wear green! 
3. Complement each other….Don’t match! Gone are the days (Thank goodness!) where the whole family goes to the beach wearing white for their awkward family portraits. That also means matching each other for engagement pictures is a big no. Complimenting each other is the best way to go! Better yet if someone wears an accent color on a small part of their body and the other is wearing that color. Win! Wearing the same shade is also a great place to start!
4. Show your true colors and don’t be afraid to be bold! Colors render great on camera and white should be reserved for your wedding day! I’m all for off white though! If one of you is wearing a lot of color, consider a neutral for your significant other.
5. Dress the same scale. If your fiancé is wearing a suit and you’re wearing jeans and a tank, then you’re not going to look like you go together! Dress at the same level.
6. Switch it up! If you want to go casual, why not bring a formal option too? I’m not a super formal type of person but I think it’s fun to dress up once in a while! You can even bring a few options and show me at the shoot!
7. Dress for the weather and have a backup plan! If it’s a spring engagement session but it’s going to be 40 degrees then have a backup for your spring dress! 
   
8. Don’t be afraid of patterns! I wouldn’t both wear a pattern but I really love shoots where one person wears a pattern and the other wears a solid! Better yet if the solid color coordinates with a color in the pattern! However, if you’re wearing plaid, consider bigger plaid as it photographs a little easier than small plaid. That goes for any pattern, large patterns render better on camera than small patterns.
9. Don’t be afraid to dress it up with layers and jewelry! Scarves, multiple clothing layers, jewelry, hats, FLORAL CROWNS! They all can really liven up pictures and if you’re afraid of going too bold with colors maybe just add it in as an accent with a scarf- something you can take on and off! This also helps with the weather situation and if you have any insecurities they can cover them up!
10. Be yourself. When I was shopping for clothes for my headshot I went to J. Crew and Macy’s first because my first thought was “professional”. Then I realized I don’t own ANYTHING from J.Crew so why start for my headshot that is supposed to be representing me? So I went to Forever 21. And Free People. And Anthro. I found something I felt comfortable in and something that I’d wear on a regular basis and I’m so happy with that decision because it feels like me! The worst thing would be looking at your pictures and looking unrecognizable because you dressed up too much! (If you’re not one to dress up often! Also, be sure to wear things that flatter your body type! At this point in your life you probably know what those are! =)
    
    And at the end of the day just remember that the whole point of this is to have fun and get comfortable in front of the camera! It’s our time to get to know each other and you shouldn’t stress about it! I hope these tips will help prepare you for your engagement session!