PART 1: General Recommendations

Getting engaged is a whirlwind. The first few weeks are filled with congratulatory phone calls, showing off your ring, excitement that your Pinterest board can finally come to life, and A LOT of planning. If you’re not familiar with the wedding industry, you may find yourself asking, “Now what?” You are excited to be engaged to the love of your life, but you have no idea how to start your wedding planning. My suggestion? Schedule engagement photos!

Once you decide on a wedding photographer and schedule your engagement session, there is one question that always seems to plague the minds of future brides. WHAT DO I WEAR? Previously, I would suggest that my couples bring two outfits- one casual and one dressy. I offered a few tips here and there, but I realized I could provide them with much more valuable advice. That’s where this blog post comes into play!

How to Choose the Perfect Outfits

• Step 1- Don’t Panic!! The focus of an engagement session is the love between you and your fiance. Sure, you want to look great, but genuine smiles and laughter with your fiance are more valuable than any new outfit you could buy. That’s my incredibly cheesy advice for the day.

• Step 2- Go into Your Fiance’s Closet: One of the most stressful parts of planning outfits is figuring out where to start. I recommend starting in your guy’s closet; this is what I did to prepare for my own engagement session. Girls usually have more clothes than guys do, so it is easier to base the girl’s outfit off of the guy’s outfit. Pick out your fiance’s favorite three button-down flannels, and then compare them with the clothes you already have in your closet.

• Step 3- Create Complementary Outfits: This step is important! Try to aim for COMPLEMENTARY outfits rather than MATCHING outfits. Add accessories, like a necklace or scarf, that can subtly tie your outfits together. For example, if your guy has a navy and green flannel, wear a gray sweater with a navy necklace. You don’t want to both show up in matching navy and green flannels! Or, if your guy has a solid red shirt, wear a white shirt with a red plaid scarf. Another way to create complementary outfits is to choose a general color palette. Neutral or muted colors, such as grays or blues, pair well together. 

• Step 4- Choose 1 Dressy and 1 Casual Outfit: I recommend bringing two outfits that you love. The first outfit (the one you arrive to your session in) is usually your dressier outfit. Here are some ideas for both casual and dressy outfits:

  • Girls:

    • Casual: jeans, flowy top, comfy sweater/scarf, sundress

    • Dressy: nice jeans, wedges or heels, short or long dress, blouse

  • Guys:

    • Casual: jeans, button-up with rolled sleeves, v-neck, henley, flannel

    • Dressy: jeans, boots, sweater, button-up shirt, khaki pants

 

PART 2: What Photographs Well

Going through the four steps mentioned in Part 1 will get you started on choosing complementary outfits for you and your fiancé  However, your next question will probably be, “WHAT PHOTOGRAPHS WELL?” The following tips will help you be prepared for your engagement session.

What Photographs Well?

• Textures and layers

  

• Pops of bright colors: Think scarf, pair of heels, or fun necklace!

  

• Plaid or patterns: Don’t be afraid of patterns! If one person is wearing a flannel or a plaid scarf, it adds interest to the photos without being overly distracting. (I don’t suggest both wearing patterns, though!)

  

• Accessories: Your engagement ring, class rings, jewelry, a quilt to sit on or blanket to wrap up in, a tulle skirt, or a floppy hat!

  

• Colors that are best suited for your skin tone: I have never been able to get a tan in my life; I know better than to wear a pale yellow shirt for photos. I would be better suited in something navy or green!

• Clothes that aren’t wrinkled: This one seems obvious, but sometimes we are in such a  hurry that we forget to think about the details. While I can edit minor wrinkles to make a photo picture perfect for your Save the Date, you don’t want to rely on post-processing to take out wrinkles. I’m not embarrassed to admit that an iron can do a better job at that than me(;  (Confession: I was speed ironing my fiance’s shirt before we walked out the door for our engagement session. Oops!)

• Clothes that you USUALLY wear: I’m not saying you should wear the sweatpants you lounge around in to watch Netflix, but make sure you choose outfits that you are not too out of the ordinary for you. I can speak from personal experience when I say I LOVE my engagement photos, but I wish I would have worn my usual boots instead of my brand new ones. This is a small styling detail I wish I would have thought about before my photos.

What Else Should I Bring?

• Hairbrush

• Makeup for touch-ups

• Oil wipes for your face

• Bug spray if you are nervous about pesky mosquitos

• A quilt or blanket to sit down on

• YOUR ENGAGEMENT RING

• Class rings

• A bag with your change of clothes in it

• A change of shoes (if needed) for outfit #2

• The proper undergarments for each outfit

• Any props you are using for your Save the Date photographs (sign, banner, etc.)

What Should We Expect?

Engagement sessions are my FAVORITE because I get to know each couple on a more personal level before their wedding day. Each couple has a unique relationship, so that is what we strive to capture on the day of your session. It is normal to be a little bit nervous for an engagement session- it’s not everyday you stare lovingly into the eyes of your future spouse, haha! Rest assured that the day of your engagement session will be carefree and fun! I walk couples through different poses and help them interact naturally in front of the camera. Besides taking photos, we laugh a LOT, adventure around looking for the best photo spots, and talk about your exciting wedding plans! (Oh, and I get to tell couples my “one joke” that never fails to at least get a pity laugh.)

After your session, I highly recommend planning a dinner or date night for afterwards. The two of you will already be dressed up, and there is nothing worse than being dressed up and having nowhere to go! Grab dinner together or hang out at your favorite coffee shop so you can create even more fun memories on the day of your engagement session.