What to Wear for Engagement Photos

I’d like to say that there’s no right or wrong answer to the engagement photo wardrobe question. There probably isn’t, but over the years I’ve seen some outfits that work better than others, at least from a photographic standpoint. It’s a question that gets asked all the time, so here are my two cents on the topic of engagement photo wardrobe.

Be you.

Seriously, just be yourself! When I’m photographing couples, I put everything I have into creating photos that are authentic and tell a little story about your personality, so a good start is by dressing how you normally would. If you’re into vintage tees, don’t show up in a sport coat and khakis! With Pinterest and Instagram and Facebook and Blogs there are so many sources out there telling you what your engagement photo wardrobe should look like, but in a sea of sameness let’s work on making your photos about you. Yay you!

Where are we going?

An urban stroll calls for a different engagement photo wardrobe than a hike through the forest. Dress appropriately for the location or activity. Seems simple right? This question feeds back to the previous one about being yourself. If you’re an outdoorsy person, you’ll probably pick an outdoorsy location and likely what’s hanging in your closet will suit what you usually spend your time doing. Problem solved, you don’t need to go shopping!

Colour and Pattern.

Here’s a topic that is going to require a little teamwork. I’m not saying that you have to coordinate and be all matchy matchy, but a little collaboration here can go a long way at helping your photos have a little extra snap, crackle and pop. Whatever you do, DO NOT wear the same thing! Two plaid shirts? Bad. Two black jackets? No thank you! The best thing you can do is contrast each other. You can both wear jeans, but your shirt choice should be different. I find that solid colours or simple patterns photograph best. If one of you wears a patterned/plaid shirt, the other should keep it simple with a solid. Or, you can both keep it simple and go solid. Lastly, I usually find that brighter colours work best at standing out from the surrounding environment but going back to being you, if you’re Hank Moody, I know you’re showing up in a black t-shirt and I’m cool with that!

The simple answer.

Be yourself. Be comfortable. Dress according to the environment. Wear colours that contrast and complement your partner.

If you enjoyed this post, I’d love to hear about it in the comments! Share the love with a click. And one more thing, with your wedding fast approaching, check out this article about how to best plan for lighting on your Wedding Day.