Engagement sessions are my FAVORITE ... I love them SO VERY much! I love that they give me a chance to get to know my clients, and they allow my clients to get to know me. I love the way they allow a bride and groom to get comfortable in front of my camera before their wedding day. I love the freedom they offer so that my clients can really have fun on a photo shoot, away from the pressures of their wedding day.
Over the years, countless couples have told me they simply don't know what to wear!! And since many couples have plans to use their engagement portraits on their save-the-date cards, guest book, wedding website and more, not knowing what to wear can lead to serious stressing out! Well don't you worry!!! I may not be able to dig through your closet with you to find the perfect outfits, but I can offer some guidelines that will help you find your engagement style! One: Coordinate! Coordinating doesn't mean you have to wear matching outfits. In fact, looking extremely matchy-matchy is artificial and an outdated trend. But your looks should fit together. There are two main components to coordinating:
A - Level of formality. If he's in a tux, she shouldn't be in a everyday around the house blouse. And if she's dressed to the nines, he shouldn't be in a sports jersey. B - Color Palette. Drawing from the same color palette is a great way to coordinate! You can see by the images below from Mallory and David's shoot, the central color theme was blue (his navy sports coat, light blue button up shirt, her light blue heals and blue toned necklace).
Two: Embrace Color & Pattern! I know, I know -- you've been told for years that black is slimming and white is classic. But free your mind and your wardrobe from these constraints! I already mentioned the way color can be used to help coordinate. Well, pattern is a perfect way to FIND these colors. Choose an item of clothing with a pattern and then draw colors from within it to create the palette for your outfits. I love the way Kayleen's top in the photos below brings all of the colors in BOTH outfits together.
However, a little warning! Small, tight patterns, like very narrow stripes, aren't the best for photos. Three: Layer and accessorize! Layers and accessories can add so much depth and interest to your photos. They can also turn a decent outfit into a stunning one. In Mallory & David's shoot below, both outfits are great on their own.
Besides adding interest, accessories are also a great way to bring your personal sense of style into your engagement photos. Mallory's chunky necklace in this photo is a showstopper, and it adds her special flair to her otherwise casual outfit.
Four: Get fancy! Engagement photos are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to pull out all the stops for your portraits. Why waste it on an outfit you wore to the grocery store last weekend? I love the idea of choosing a dream dress from Rent the Runway for your session. All of my engagement shoots offer time to change your outfit, so you can have one fancy outfit and one more casual.
The most important suggestion I can offer is this: Be yourself, but be the BEST VERSION of yourself. Elevate your outfits beyond the everyday so that you'll have engagement photos that you'll want to show off for years to come!