What to Wear for your Engagement or Portrait Session

Picking out an outfit for anything can be tough.  Back in the day, my mom used to lay out my outfits for the first day of school and picture day.  They weren’t always my favorite, but hey, it took the pressure off me, and I actually matched for an entire day.  People ask me all the time, “What should I wear to our upcoming session?”  Here are a few suggestions to help guide you into the right direction for looking incredible in photos.

1. Wear something you feel comfortable and confident in!  Your session should reflect who you are, so wear something that makes you feel comfortable and confident.  If you are wearing a brand new outfit for the first time and are unsure of how you look in it, it will show in the photos.
2. Dress for your environment.   If you are going to be doing photos in the woods in July, it would be wise to wear shoes you can walk around in, as well as sunscreen and insect repellent.  If you really want to bring heels into the woods, you can, but bring a pair of walking shoes, then change into your fancier shoes once your photographer has you into position.  I love this picture below from Alicia and Jordan’s engagement session below because they followed the first two tips.  They are avid hunters and dressed accordingly.  We literally were walking through water, and they even provided me some awesome waders.
3. Wear layers.  If your shoot offers an outfit change, it’s nice to bring a dressier outfit for one location, then a more casual one.  If not, you can always dress in layers and remove one for a totally different look.
4. Don’t be afraid to wear bold colors.  Black and white are beautiful, but if you are getting engagement photos done- it is nice to mix it up from what you will be wearing on your wedding day.  Black and white also produce a big contrast, so throwing some color into the mix is great.  Consider what will pop out of your back drop.  Solids also photograph better.  Crazy patterns and graphic T’s are often the worst choices for your photo session.  I love how the Nguyen family below added a pop of sea foam green to bring them out of the background.  It really tied the whole family together.

These four tips should help you narrow down your outfit changes.  But again, be yourself!   Your photos should reflect who you are, what you like to do, and tell your story, no one else’s!