Originally published and adapted from Taylored Photo Memories.
Your engagement photo session is a special one. These photos might grace not just the living room wall, but your save the dates, your elopement announcement or your reception invitations.
You want to capture your love in a beautiful and representative way, so figuring out what to wear for engagement photos is a very important decision.
Your outfit can be dressy or it can be casual — it all depends on the type of engagement photos you’re planning to take.
A quirky elopement might call for something a little more on the casual side in terms of attire, while a chic micro-wedding in the desert is better suited to an elegant engagement photo shoot filled with moody shots and romantic moments. How you’re dressed should match the overall vibe of the wedding you want to have.
Showcase Your Personality First
First and foremost, your photo sessions should represent you as a couple.
Pick out an outfit that feels like you, have your fiancé choose an outfit that feels like them, and make your look representative of who you both are as a unit. Not only does this best embrace your personality, but when you feel your best, you tend to look your best, too.
Consider Creating A Little Setting Contrast
For couples that like to get dressy or go glam, a photo shoot is the perfect excuse. It’s beautiful and comfortable to have outfit ideas that match with your setting — like a prairie dress and boho-chic shirt for a photo shoot in a field — but what about going completely in the opposite direction?
Playing with contrast is a fun way to show off your glam side, and an evening gown in the forest can give you some unforgettable photo ideas to work with.
When going glam, stick with the colors of the season you’re in and let the color tie the contrast together. For instance, a deep crimson gown in a winter wonderland or sunny yellow in the heat of the summer brings glamor and nature together.
Match Your Color With Your Season
If you’re planning an outdoor engagement photo shoot, and wondering what to wear for engagement photos, mother nature is going to give you a breathtaking color palette to work with.
Working with a color palette that goes with the colors of the season will ensure your backdrop perfectly complements your overall look.
Accessories Help To Tell Your Story
If you can’t help but love a little sparkle or a little flair, show that in your engagement photos. Cozy scarves in a fall or winter engagement shoot can double as fun props for quirky photo ideas, while jewelry always adds the perfect touch of color or sparkle.
Accessories also provide excellent matching opportunities; like a pocket square on a blazer matching the colors in a statement necklace, so you can complement one another without getting too matchy.
Take Care Of Your Hands
Your engagement ring is going to be the star of at least a couple of engagement photos, so make sure your hands are ready for their big close-up.
A tidy natural-looking nail with a color that complements your outfit is best for letting your ring stand out. Going too long, too bold or too showy risks the nails taking attention away from the ring.
Colors That Complement Skin Tone
In photos, it can become obvious quickly when a color doesn’t quite complement a person’s skin tone. You don’t want you or your fiancé to appear washed out or “off” in your engagement photos, so choose your colors wisely.
Those with warm skin tones might want to look into palettes of greens, browns, yellows and warm reds, while those with cooler skin tones might look towards deeper purples, lavender, icy blues, blue reds, emerald and rose tones.
If the couple has different skin tones, where one may be cool and the other warm, you may decide to use accessories or smaller wardrobe pieces to complement one another’s outfits.
For instance, a cool-toned fiancé could opt for a rose-colored dress, while her warm-toned partner features that color in a bowtie or pocket square alongside a white shirt and brown blazer or brown suspenders.
Keep Things Timeless
While getting in on some small trends can be a fun way to dress up your look, it’s best to keep it timeless and classic as you figure out just what to wear for engagement photos.
These are photos you’ll want to show off forever, so they should withstand the tests of time. Large patterns or logos can date photos and leave them looking a bit too busy to hold up. A classic pattern here and there, paired with timeless solid colors, is a sure way to make sure your look is forever in style.
Bottom line — you are really the best judge of how you should dress for engagement photos, but keep these basic tips in mind!
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