Complete Engagement Session Outfit Guide

OH MY GOSH YOU’RE FREAKING ENGAGED! This season of your life is filled with so much joy, excitement, and anticipation for the future. It’s a time you’ll want to remember forever, and there’s no better way to capture this special season of your life and your relationship than with a beautiful engagement photo session. But as you prepare for your session, one thing might be stressing you out: What the heck should we even wear?

Choosing the perfect outfits for your engagement session can feel overwhelming. You want to look your best, but you also want to feel comfortable and be true to your unique personalities. The photos should reflect your individual vibes and your love story, but with so many options, where do you even begin? From coordinating colors to picking the right accessories, there are so many factors to consider. Believe me, I feel your pain.

So, how do you choose the perfect outfits for your engagement session that will not only look amazing in photos but also capture the essence of your relationship?

Here are some of my best tips to help you select the perfect outfits for your engagement session, ensuring you feel confident, comfortable, and true to yourselves.

Coordinate, Don’t Match

The key to looking cohesive without being overly matchy-matchy is to coordinate your outfits. Choose a color palette of 2-3 complementary colors and pick outfits that fit within that color scheme. This approach allows your individual styles to shine while ensuring you look great together. When in doubt, I always always always recommend my couples stick to neutrals. It’s easy and they always look stunning in contrast with the beauty of the location we hand-picked together for their adventurous session.

Plan Around the Location and the Season

Speaking of dreamy locations, think about where your engagement session will take place and the time of year. If you’re taking photos in the mountains, light, airy colors and flowy fabrics work best. For a fall session in the woods, rich, warm tones and cozy layers are so freaking dreamy. Your outfits should complement (not blend into) the location and the season, so that it adds to the overall aesthetic of your photos.

Dress Comfortably

While you want to look your best, it’s also so important to me that you feel comfortable in what you’re wearing. When my clients feel uncomfortable in their own bodies, I can tell, and it shows in your images as well. Choose outfits that you can move in easily and that make you feel good about yourself. This comfort will translate into more natural, relaxed photos. One thing I like to tell my clients is to think of your favorite pieces of clothing and consider wearing that!! When you feel like you during your session, guess what? You’re going to feel so YOU in your photos!!

Take the Opportunity to Show off Your Personal Style

Your engagement photos should reflect who you are as a couple. If you love vintage fashion, incorporate that into your outfits. If you’re more casual and laid-back, go for a more relaxed look. The most important thing is that you feel like yourselves.

Bring Multiple Outfits

Bringing multiple outfits can help create some variety in your gallery. I always suggest bringing one formal outfit and one casual outfit. This way, you can capture the unspeakable beauty of your love as well as what it feels like in those in-between moments of your relationship. We’ll try to plan to have a nearby place for you to change at the location we choose for your session, but worst case scenario, I don’t mind being a shield for you while you change in your car. (lol)

Pay Attention to Details

Accessories can add a lot to your outfits. Think about incorporating hats if that’s your vibe, scarves (especially for some extra warmth during the winter months), or any kind of sentimental jewelry that you may want included in your images. However, avoid anything too trendy that might date the photos when you look back at these in 10 years. (I’m looking at you, old selfie of me with a shirt that says “hold on, let me take a selfie.”… Cringe.) My best advice is to stick to timeless pieces that feel true to you, without being too overpowering or bold that it takes away from you and your beautiful faces.

Plan Ahead

Try not to wait until the last minute to pick out all of your outfits. Try to plan your outfits a few weeks before your session to make sure everything fits well and looks good together. This way, you’ll have time to make any necessary adjustments. If you need any additional help and we’re already scheduled to work together, feel free to shoot me an email or text and I’d be happy to help you with your outfit selection!!

A Few Last Words

Your engagement is a special time that deserves to be beautifully captured. By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to choosing the perfect outfits for your engagement session. And when you’re ready to book a photographer who will ensure these moments are captured perfectly, look no further, I’m already dreaming of how we can make your engagement session an adventure that you’ll remember fondly for decades to come!!

Click here to book your engagement session with me!! Together, we’ll embark on an adventure that you’ll cherish forever, and curate a gallery that tells the authentic story of your love for generations to come.