What to Wear for Engagement Photos
I love asking professionals to share something about their profession. Why? Because they are the experts of course! Marissa Nicole Photography shared this great post with me about what to wear for engagement photos. Lots of great tips and ideas that are sure to help you pick out the perfect outfits!
What To Wear For Engagement Photos (by Marissa Nicole Photography)
With the invention of websites like Polyvore & Pinterest, it is becoming easier and easier for people to figure out what to wear for sessions. Still, “what we wear?” is by far the most frequently asked question next to price. Here are a few tips that I give my clients when trying to decide how to dress for your session.
1. Coordinate....don’t match!
Pick colors from your fiance’s shirt pattern or pick colors that compliment each other. One of the great things about lots of men’s dress shirts is that they are easy to coordinate with another color because in general they are simple in their color scheme. I highly recommend not wearing the same color and instead leaning towards complimentary colors. For our family pictures recently, I found a shirt in my husband’s closet that was white, blue, and green. I paired it with jeans & then picked out a similar green t-shirt and white linen pants for me.
2. Stay away from pastels, neon, & lots of white!
Most skin tones don’t handle pastels well, it washes them out. Neon is very trendy right now, but it glows in pictures & turns skin tones a neonish color which in turn makes you look a little sick. Lastly, white absorbs light & reflects it at the same time and is very hard to photograph. Go for bold colors. Not necessarily dark, but colors that are obvious; one example of that is mustard yellow, not dark but very noticeable. If you want to incorporate neon use it as an accessory away from your face and use it with lighter colors to keep it from taking over the picture. To incorporate pastel or white use it as an accessory or pair it with an accessory that is a little on the darker side to help maintain color in your skin. For example, if you want to wear a flowy pastel shirt, pair it with darker colored scarf and a darker pant or skirt.
3. Don’t go buy something new!
This is a new one for me, but something I learned from my own experience. Pick your favorite pieces & play off of those (pjs, sweats, & lounge clothes don’t count). They are your favorites for a reason and probably fall on your body the best. You will automatically feel more comfortable and feel more you, than if you where to go buy something new. Being comfortable is important. Clothes that don’t sit well or are a little binding because they haven’t formed to your body will make you uncomfortable and it will show in your face. Wear your favorite shirt and jeans or your favorite dress, you already have a wardrobe, use it. The results will astound you. If you must buy something new, buy accessories...which leads me to my next point.
4. Add Accessories!
A t-shirt & a pair of jeans will look more like a snapshot than a photograph. But take that t-shirt and jeans, add a sky high pair of heels, blazer, and a chunky necklace, and you’ve got an picture worthy outfit. Accessories make an outfit special and make it very easy to dress because you can wear something simple but pump up the volume with accessories and minimize the stress of getting dressed. You may be asking, what about the guys? Same thing. Take a regular t-shirt and jeans, throw a button-up or jacket over top, add a dressy pair of shoes, and a watch...instant outfit.
5. Do your version of dressing up to go to dinner!
Everybody’s version of “dressed up” is different. I am a photographer and work from home, so I’m in work out clothes most of the time or jeans and a t-shirt. My version of dressing up is jeans, heals, & a blazer. You might wear slacks or a suit to work every day so your version may be a fancy dress or for the guys a pair of nice jeans with a blazer & button up without a tie. Dress a little different than you do 5 days out of the week.
6. Change it up!
If you where more casual in your last pictures, pump it up for these or vise versa. Do you have an evening dress or suit you love, but don’t get to wear very often? Wear it! Most photographers would love to get their hands on someone wearing an evening dress & a tux. How fun would those pictures be? Or how about literally changing it up? Bring a few outfits to your engagement session and have some fun!
One last point & I think it goes without saying, but I have to say it......... please do not dress alike. You & your finance are individuals, dress like you are.