“What should we wear for engagement photos?”

Deciding what to wear is such a tough decision. Even when couples ask me, I get a little nervous — I don’t want to tell you advice that doesn’t feel like you. What do you two usually wear when you go on a date?

You can wear two outfits during a 1-hour session, so hopefully that takes some pressure off of picking the perfect outfit.

Couples who want to do two outfits usually start in a casual outfit and then change into something a little fancier halfway through.
If making more than one outfit decision is too overwhelming, that’s okay! This means we can take our time & spend the full hour taking photos.

How to pick the perfect outfit

Dress for Comfort
Inspiration from the Location
Wear Items/Colors you Love
Bring Options

Here’s a worksheet I made to help you brainstorm your outfits while reading through this blog :)

Outfit Planning Document

Wear something you feel comfortable & confident in

When you wear something you feel good in, you won’t be constantly readjusting & worried about how you look, which means you’ll feel more confident while we are taking photos. There’s already a lot of nerves & pressure — so wearing something you feel good in is crucial. Plus, we’ll be moving around a lot, so something you can play around in is important too.

How do you two normally dress up when you plan a cute little date?
What piece of clothing would you wear every day if you could?

Make a list of your favorite items. These are the clothes/outfits you feel comfortable, confident, and most yourself in.

Now that you have some of your favorite items narrowed down, let’s think about what colors would complement our location.

Locations in Washington have a lot of blues and greens because of the water and the trees. Lucky for us, these colors go well with pretty much anything.

Many of my couples tend to incorporate blue, green, white, beige, & black into their outfit colors.
Pops of color like yellow, orange, or pink are also really fun!

Where are we taking photos?

Pull up a photo of our location! As you are looking at the photo, what colors do you see in the landscape?
- Forest - Green, Brown, Blues in the sky
- Beach - Blue, Tan, Green, Grey
- Field - Tan, Beige, Green
- Flower Garden - Yellow, Pink, Orange, Red, Purple, Green, Blue
- City - Grey, Brick/Red, Black, White, Pretty lights
What colors usually match or look good with colors found at the location?
- If you are having a hard time thinking of colors that match the location, I found this fun resource that will help! You can select a specific color and it’ll give you a color that goes well with it.

Canva Color Wheel

Which of your favorite items can you imagine wearing at our location? Are any of your favorite items colors that go well with the landscape?

Even after working through the location colors, are you still feeling stuck? Or do none of those options feel right? Let’s go back to your list of favorites then.

It’s important to consider the landscape where we are taking photos, but I also think there’s something special about wearing colors to your shoot that represent you.

For example, I love yellow, orange, beige, & brown. I think sage green is really pretty and I love photographing it, but don’t own many green items and probably wouldn’t choose to wear something green for a personal photoshoot. I would choose something yellow, tan, or orange because I feel most myself in those colors. Or something with a fun floral print.

Once one of you selects an item that feels right, base the other person’s outfit around that piece. Josh & I’s process usually starts with me selecting something I love, then going into his closet and holding up all his shirt options to see which looks the best.

Bring Options & thinking about the weather

Bring Layers

The weather in Washington changes constantly, so it’s good to be prepared for anything. If we are taking photos in the early spring, it might still be chilly & could rain at any moment. Plan to bring a sweater or jacket that will go well with your outfit just in case you get cold.

Having layers is helpful because it’s a quick way to change the vibes of your outfit too!

What’s the forecast / lighting looking like?

Overcast/Partly Cloudy: Washington weather also means taking photos when it’s overcast. I love this lighting because everything is soft & even. The colors of the location are a little more muted and soft.
- On days like these, you might choose to wear something more colorful because you’ll stand out.
Golden Hour: If we are shooting in a dry, grassy field at sunset, everything will be pretty warm & golden.
- So you might want to wear a color that will pop — either something light or dark :)