It’s March, which means Spring is right around the corner! I have a lot of engagement sessions this month, and the coming months, so I wanted to share some tips for you all! The engagement session is such an excitement part of my wedding experience! This is typically the first time I get to meet my couples, spend time getting to know them, and get them in front of my camera!! I get to be creative, shoot in locations that feel like “you”, and you end up with beautiful photos to frame in your home.
That being said, I also know that it could be overwhelming. There’s SO many options, so many places to look at, and deciding on a specific look might be stressful for you. But, don’t worry, I got your back! If you’re a bride of mine, you also receive my one of a kind Bridal Guide that has a whole section dedicated to your engagement session, but I also wanted to share some tips and some ideas on where to shop here.
I love fashion and helping my couples choose outfits that will not only look flattering, but will also photograph well. There are a few tips that are universal when planning engagement session outfits, and always result in images that are romantic and beautiful. These tips go a long way in achieving those romantic, fresh, and timeless images that I know you’ll love!!
1. Choosing Your Colors…Softer and Muted Shades Work Best
If you’re hoping for more of a romantic style of engagement session, your outfit choices will make the biggest impact. Softer and muted shades for your outfits will always result in a romantic and “light and airy” look to your images. These colors photograph softer and more romantically. These colors also draw the attention to your faces and allows the eye to focus on the love the two of you share.
Color ideas: Blush, tans, light pinks, light blues, minty teals, creams, grey, and white all photograph AMAZING!
2. Coordinate Your Looks…
Do you ever wonder how couples get their wardrobes to look so amazing together? I always recommend coordinating rather than matching! So how do you do that?
Each of you should wear a different dominant color! For example, if you, the bride, wears a blush dress (your dominant color) and nude heels, your man can wear a navy suit (navy being his dominant color), grey pants and white shirt, navy pants and white shirt, etc.
3. Dress It Up…
There’s no such thing as too dressed up for your engagement photos! You do this once, so why not make it AMAZING?! If there’s a dress you’ve been eyeing, but haven’t had a place to wear it, this is it!!
Long flowy skirts and dresses ALWAYS photograph so beautiful, romantic, and feminine! You would be amazed at how your images turned out when you dressed up!
Guys: the same way that dresses have a flattering effect on women, blazers or a sport coat do the same for men. You honestly can’t go wrong with a dress shirt, slacks and a sport coat, or a well-tailored suit. I know it can seem like a lot, but trust me, you’ll be glad you chose this option once you see just how great it looks on-camera (and bonus points? A very happy bride!!)
4. Don’t Forget the Accessories…
Things like cute hats for the women, shoes, and jewelry all add a WOW factor to your images! Once of my favorites is the hats! You might have seen me wear them in a lot of my images, and I just love how they photograph! And the best part about them? You can wear it in some and take it off for the others! Another big one is the shoes! Whether it be nude heels, wedges, or boots, they all show off your style and make an impact!
5. Ideas on Where To Shop…
Now, you might be wondering, that all sounds great, but where in the world do I look? Some of my favorite places for the brides to be are Morning Lavender , Lulus, and believe it or not Amazon! The last two photos (above,) both of my outfits are from Amazon. I’ll link them for anyone interested. White Lace Top, Pink Flowy Skirt, Black Lace Top, White Tulle Skirt
Other items that would photograph very well:
Long Sleeve Lace Maxi Dress (very first photo on this blog post is the white one)
Maxi Dress (many beautiful colors)
I hope you found this post helpful in planning your wardrobe for your engagement session!