What to wear for Engagement Shoots

My approach to engagement or couples’ shoots is capturing it like it’s a-day-in-the-life of your relationship. I want our shoot to truly reflect who you two are at this point in your life, whether you’re newly engaged, or you’re just wanting photos of you both as a couple.

One of the first and most commonly asked questions I get before a couples’ shoot is “what should I wear?” So I thought I’d put together this guide that I hope will help! I am by no means a fashion guru - I rarely ever wear make-up, and sure, I like a cute dress every once in a while, but pajamas will always be my go-to. My point being - I’m not here to dress you up, but rather give you my opinion on what looks good on camera.

Having a photoshoot doesn’t mean you need to dress up or wear something fancy. In fact, for shoots like these, wearing something a little more casual may make for more natural and fun photos!

Bottomline though, these are just guidelines and 100% my opinion, so you do you!

COMFORT OVER EVERYTHING ELSE

My number one tip when it comes to choosing what to wear is wear something comfortable! Wear something that feels like you. If you’re more of a t-shirt and jeans kinda person and not so much a maxi-dress or suit-and-tie kinda person, 100% wear a t-shirt and jeans! The reverse is also true. If you typically wear dresses and/or collared shirts and pants, wear those. It is so important to wear something you already feel comfortable in - oftentimes that means grabbing something already in your closet - your favorite t-shirt and ripped jeans will be a lot better than a new fancy dress or suit that you just bought (especially if you bought it online!!).

As it is, most people often tell me that they feel nervous or awkward in front of the camera, which is completely normal! While I will do my best to make things as fun and comfortable as possible during our shoot, I always encourage people to make wardrobe choices that will help them feel comfortable too. Not having to worry whether a bra strap is showing, if your shirt is wrinkled, or if your light-colored pants got dirt on them will go a LONG way in helping you feel more confident, and this will translate to what shows on camera!

I’m a big fan of minimizing factors that will add to any sort of discomfort, wardrobe choices included.

CHOOSE SOMETHING VERSATILE

I like to incorporate movement in our shoots (e.g. running, dancing, piggybacks etc), so that may mean that tight mini skirts aren’t necessarily the best choice, as cute as they may be. Clothes that allow you to move more freely will help you FEEL more at ease as well. I typically don’t recommend heels either, especially if we’re going to somewhere with unpaved/rough terrain. That said, if you love heels, 100% wear them! You can always bring heels if you’d like, and change into them at the spot.

With movement in mind, wearing something flowy or that catches the wind more easily (especially in places like the beach) is always great! When clothing catches the wind, it adds a sort of energy to your photos, which is always fun. This could mean a maxi-dress, or even a long sweater! OR even your hair (which brings me to my next point…)!

***I LOVE how her hair picks up the wind in this photo!***

HAIR/MAKEUP

Again, I want to stress that it’s whatever makes you feel most comfortable, confident, and authentically you. This might come as a surprise, but I personally don’t recommend getting a hair/make-up artist for your engagement shoot because people who do tend to feel a little more constrained and stiffer during shoots for fear of messing up their hair or make-up. A little light foundation is good, but I wouldn’t recommend anything too heavy. I want our shoots to be fun and comfortable and a space for you to be all over each other and connecting, so that I can fully capture your relationship (because isn’t that the point?)! BUT if make-up is your thing and you feel more confident with it on, then yes, go for it! :)

I’ve had couples not want to kiss or be kissed because they’re afraid of messing up their foundation or lipstick. I understand wanting to look good for your shoot, but trust me - what looks best is when you are fully comfortable and ready to show off your love to one another. That said, if you aren’t a fan of PDA and don’t actually want to kiss for the camera anyway, just tell me ahead of time and I’ll adjust! :)

DRESS FOR THE WEATHER/ENVIRONMENT

Just as you probably wouldn’t go to the beach wearing a suit and tie on a regular day or hike in a mini-skirt and stilettos, consider the location we’re going to for our shoot, and dress accordingly. Unless you want the juxtaposition of your outfit against the surroundings (such as the above photo of the couple in a formal suit and dress at the cliffs), then by all means, go for it! (Like I said, these are just guidelines, not rules…!)

If we’re going to the beach, barefoot is always best. If we’re shooting by a hiking trail, or at a location that requires a bit of a hike to get to, wear hiking boots or at the very least, shoes with good grip. The last thing we want is for you to get hurt during our shoot!

**If we’re shooting on a beach, be prepared to get sandy/wet! If you’re not a fan of sand or getting dirty, let’s not choose the beach. There are plenty of other stunning locations that we can go to as well!

COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER

Pick out outfits together. If you do decide to wear something fancy, make sure that it’s not just one of you that’s dressed up, while the other person is in a t-shirt and shorts.

That doesn’t mean wearing the same colors though! If you need help with pairing colors, just do a quick “Color Wheel” google search - complementary colors (i.e. colors that look good together) are the colors opposite each other in a color wheel. Which brings me to my next point…

COLORS & PATTERNS

Solid, darker colors and neutrals are often great to work with. In general, try to avoid bright colors or loud patterns that may be distracting and draw attention from your faces. Bright colors tend to reflect back on your faces too, especially if you/your partner has a lighter skin tone - so wearing colors like reds, oranges or pinks may cast a pinkish hue on your/their face.

Patterns sometimes give people pause, but no need to shy away from patterns if you like them! Subtle patterns can be fun too, as long as they help you guys pop against your surroundings, but don’t distract from your faces! And if we’re thinking about clothing with lines, the general rule is that horizontal lines make one look wider, while vertical lines make one look taller - so take what you will with that :)

***I love how her skirt with the small floral prints help her pop against the background!***

The one thing I’d say absolutely ‘No’ to is logos - so if you’re considering wearing a shirt with a huge Nike logo across the chest, please consider something else!

Also, consider the environment we’re shooting in. If we’re going to a desert where the general color palette of the environment is beige, tan and orange, wear something that pops against this. If we’re going to a foresty or grassy area, try to avoid shades of green or brown. We want you to stand out against your backdrop, rather than blend into your surroundings.

ACCESSORIES & PROPS

I’m a huge fan of accessories! Denim jackets, hats, rings, scarves… these can add so much personality to your look and are always super fun! Do look out for things that may snag though. For example, long necklaces may get caught in shirt buttons when you’re hugging, or belt buckles might get caught in lace. So just look out for those! Fashion rings are also fun, however if it’s an engagement shoot and we want to show off that new ring of yours, perhaps consider wearing fashion rings on the other hand instead so we don’t distract from the real deal!

Props don’t need to be cheesy like a chalkboard saying “we’re engaged!” either. Bringing items that are meaningful to you are a great way to set the scene and add a little something extra to your shoot:

***These guys brought Sidecar Doughnuts because they love them and we made a little picnic out of it!***

PETS!!

Ooooh yesss I’m all for sessions with your furry friends so by all means bring them!! That said, I do want to bring up the following to consider if you’re thinking of bringing your pet:

Consider the environment. If we’re going to a place where there may be coyotes, maybe bringing your little puppy may not be the best idea. If we’re going to a dog-friendly beach, but your dog hates the water or is afraid of it, perhaps bringing him/her wouldn’t be the best idea either.
Is your dog prone to running away or will he/she stick by your side while off-leash?
Can they be leashed to the side or can you bring a friend to handle your pet for a little bit while we grab photos of just you two?

I wouldn’t want you guys to have to worry about your pet at all during our shoot - bringing us back to my point about minimizing factors that might add to discomfort. So definitely consider what you’d be most comfortable with! If, after reading this, you feel like bringing your dog may not be the best idea but still want to involve him/her in some way, perhaps consider doing an in-home shoot instead!

***These guys started off with an in-home shoot at their AirBnB, and we later went somewhere else to continue the shoot without the dogs so that we didn’t have to worry about handling their pups!***

BRING MULTIPLE OUTFITS

Finally, bring options! You are more than welcome to bring & wear more than one outfit for our shoot! Bringing options will allow us to play with different looks - many people like to do a casual and a formal outfit, which is always fun! If you do choose to do this, I typically recommend starting with the casual outfit since that will help you loosen up as well, then moving into the more formal outfit once you already feel more comfortable with the camera. I’d recommend picking these out prior to our session to save time, but if you’re really having a hard time deciding, bring options, and I’d be happy to help give my advice on the day of as well!

Keep in mind that depending on where we go, you might have to change in your car/on the side of a hiking trail. So if you don’t feel comfortable with this, you can also just stick to one outfit too! (Most people do!)

And that’s the long gist of it!

I hope this helped to provide a guide in picking out your outfit, but please feel free to reach out to me personally if you need any specific advice! Above all, and I can’t stress this enough — wear whatever you’re comfortable in and I promise the shoot will not only be more fun, but you’ll have amazing photos too!