What to wear for your Engagement or Couples Session
Possibly the most asked question to any photographer— “what should I wear to my session?” So here I am today with some tips and tricks for choosing your outfit for your engagement or couples session. In my opinion, picking outfits for a whole family is way easier to balance than just outfits for two people!! Without the wiggle room to add textures, patterns, or colors, sometimes selecting what you wear for your session can feel a little daunting.
I want to start by completely taking to pressure off—the MOST important thing about your session is that you wear something you feel comfortable, and most like YOU in!! These photos should represent who you are, and the stage of life you and your partner are currently in. Now, this doesn’t mean I’m giving you permission to wear your oldest most comfy sweats to your session (I’m looking at you, dearest husband), but it DOES mean that you shouldn’t walk into a store you’ve never shopped in your entire life, just to pick out an outfit for your session!! Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s jump into my ten suggestions for selecting your outfit for engagement photos!!
Consider your color palette in regard to your shoot location! Enter Color Theory…
This may sound a little funny at first glance, but think about it—if we’re shooting against a brick wall and you’re wearing shades of maroon, you’re going to blend right into that background! Think about wearing complementary, or analogous colors to your surroundings, depending on what you want the vibe to be! For example, wearing red in a very green environment (complementary colors) is going to yield images that feel very bold, whereas wearing blue in a green environment (analogous) will yield images that feel calm, cool, and light.
Speaking on color theory—consider warm colors versus cool colors. Warm colors (red, orange, and yellow) feel bright, warm, and a little in your face. Cool colors (green, blue, and purple) are often considered to feel calmer, lower energy, and soft. It all depends on what vibe you want your images to be!
Okay, art teacher, out.
2. Pick clothing that moves
Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean you haaaave to wear your most flowy skirt in your closet. However, wearing your starchiest jeans with your most skintight baby tee may not be the best option for photos that feel like real life. For some reason, clothes that have some room to breathe and flow look so stinking amazing in photos. I think it has to do with the visible motion in the image. It really makes things feel more lifelike!!
3. Consider your feet!
You’re going to be on your feet for quite some time! I’m all about cute footwear, but nobody is happy when their feet hurt. Also consider our shoot location—if we are going to be in the grass for most of your session, it may not be the greatest opportunity to pull out those stilettos you’ve been hanging onto. However, I’m a self proclaimed photoshop god, and I WILL edit all of the dirt off of your heel if that look is something you’re committed to ;)
4. Add Layers
Adding layers to your look adds a lovely depth to your images. This tip looks different depending on what season we’re shooting in! In the fall and winter time, this may look like a turtleneck under a vest, a collared shirt under a sweater, or a jacket over your dress. In the warmer months, this could just mean adding additional accessories like jewelry, a hair bow, or a cute purse!
I’m also all for bringing little props to your session. Did you just get a film camera handed down from your grandpa? Lets incorporate it into your photos!!!
5. Think about balance—make sure you and your partner are cohesive!
Don’t be the husband that shows up to family photos in your work shirt and basketball shorts—unless your partner is also in basketball shorts. Make sure that you and your partner are within the realm of the same clothing genre.
6. Try adding texture or pattern—but don’t go overboard!!
This is my favorite tip, but sometimes it can be a slippery slope. My biggest suggestion here is to have one person add a little texture, and one person add a little bit of pattern. Sometimes you can nail both with one clothing item. It can be tough, but this is definitely the tip that sets some outfits over the top. Make sure that whatever item you are adding is just a small part of your overall outfit. Perhaps it’s a cardigan with a fur collar, or a dress with ruching and an eyelet pattern. Sometimes it is subtle, but it makes a big difference!!
7. Decide what the vibe is.
This is possibly the most obvious tip in my list. Decide what you want your pictures to feel like! Do you want them to feel dark and moody? Do you want them to feel light and airy? You probably selected your photographer because of their editing style. What pictures in their portfolio stand out to you in particular? What color scheme are those couples wearing? Recreating a similar theme may yield images that you are more happy with!
8. Dress for the weather—and bring a backup.
We photographers can plan and prep for a lot of things, but sometimes the weather still gets the best of us. You may schedule a session for mid April, expecting a lovely day, but getting a rough midwestern spring chill. Plan your outfits in advance, but bring a backup or a variation of your outfits. Maybe that just means bringing a jacket, or a change of shoes. Maybe it means finding a clear umbrella to bring along—just incase!
9. Complement—don’t match!
Gone are the days of matchy-matchy couples photos!! Live within the same color scheme, consider how your textures and patterns play together, but don’t wear exactly the same clothing as one another.
10. Most importantly—be yourself.
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again—the MOST important thing about what you wear to your session is that you feel comfortable in it. Point blank, period. Being in front of a camera isn’t something that you do everyday (probably, unless you’re just epic). It feels a little uncomfortable sometimes! My job is to make you feel as comfortable as possible, and that is ultimately easier if you already feel comfortable in the environment you made for yourself before you even showed up to our session!
Hopefully these 10 tips were helpful in your planning and preparation for your session. Never be afraid to just send your photographer pictures of outfits you’re considering!! I for one love to be a personal shopper, and am happy to help you plan or adjust your outfit accordingly :)