ENGAGEMENT SESSION | OUTFIT IDEAS | WEDDING PLANNING

Congratulations Bride-to-Be! You probably have a lot of to-dos running through your mind and planning for your engagement session is at the top of the list! After photographing weddings for 9 years, I’ve learned a lot about what outfits look great together and which ones don’t. I’ll help walk you through some of the best “rules” when choosing an outfit:

#1 – Coordinate, don’t match!

It’s better to choose colors that go well together rather than exact matches. This will add some contrast and interest to the images for a cleaner look!

#2 – Only one pattern at a time

When planning your outfits together, try to only have one pattern featured at a time. Even if the patterns don’t look bad together in person, it will look too busy in the photos. Having one pattern (or just solids) is a great way to ensure a clean looking image.

#3 – Avoid bright colors

Unless you’re specifically wanting an intense color for a particular reason (such as red at Christmas time), I would recommend avoiding anything too bright or neon. Some of my favorite color palettes include only neutrals!

#4 – Don’t go too low cut

While a dress or top might feel fine, if it’s too low cut you may not like how it looks at certain angles during your session.

#5 – Find what styles feel most flattering to you

While an outfit may fall into the color palette you’re hoping for, it’s important that you also love how it looks and feels when you put it on. Try on several outfits at stores ahead of time or order a few options and plan to return the ones you don’t love!

#6 – Dress for the season

You probably won’t know for sure ahead of time what the weather will be like, but try to have your outfits go with the season. If your weather is anything like our Georgia weather, certain months are completely unpredictable, but still try not to dress too cold or too hot if your session is during the Spring or Fall to avoid the possibility of being uncomfortable.

#7 – One Formal & One More Casual

I usually recommend my #MHcouples to choose one formal and one casual outfit for two different looks during their session! We always start with the formal since that’s when you’re most nervous anyways and move into the casual. This means the formal photos will typically be classic, posed portraits while the casual outfits come in when you’re loosened up and ready for some movement!

#8 – Flowy dresses for the win!

Flowy dresses look so flattering on almost all body types and go great for engagement sessions! They allow for some great twirling photos and add interest to walking photos.

#9 – Choose a color that coordinates with your wedding colors

This isn’t a requirement, but it could be a nice touch to dress within the color palette of your wedding since these photos will likely show up somewhere on your wedding day and/or on your Save the Dates. For many couples, creating a guestbook with their engagement photos is a must and it’s a bonus when their outfits go seamlessly with the rest of their decor!

#10 – Check Pinterest to discover your favorite colors

You might be surprised to find out which colors you like in photos versus which colors you typically wear in real life. If you scroll through engagement session outfits on Pinterest, you’ll quickly find that some photos stand out to you above the rest – but pay attention to the outfits! Sometimes certain colors photograph differently than you would expect, so this is a great place to start when trying to decide on colors!

*BONUS TIP – Schedule all the beauty things for your session day!

To truly love your look and take it up a notch, schedule Hair, Make-Up and Nails on the day of your session! Don’t forget to budget for these items!! If you’re worried about overlooking these types of hidden costs in weddings, grab my FREE Wedding Budget Worksheet below so you can plan worry-free!