Engagement Photo Shoot Style

Your engagement shoot is next week and you are freaking out because you don’t know what to wear. Let’s talk this through.

are we supposed to wear white??

I don’t know about you but I was always told when I was younger not to wear white in photos, and I couldn’t even begin to tell you why! I am assuming maybe because the theory was that it would wash you out. Not totally sure. But anyways, you do you, boo! If you want to wear white in those photos, you do it! I will however recommend that only one of you wears white. (may I suggest rock paper scissors if a debate is brewing) Too much of a good thing CAN, in fact, wash you out and make your photos a little too blended. Remember how when you were younger and your parents would dress you and your older sibling in the same outfit and now looking at all your baby photos you can’t seem to actually see you, you are so overwhelmed by the identical outfits? Yeah, like that. I suggest, coordinating your attire with a subtle contrast.

If you are starting to panic thinking “wait, but my wedding dress is white, why all this commotion about wearing white in photos!?” Let me let you in on a little secret that the one and only Miss Hayley Paige told me… most “white” dresses aren’t technically white! If you have already ordered your dress or you are anything like me and have researched wedding dresses obsessively, you know that a vast majority of them are in fact ivory, and not actually white. But… they look white to us. The reason is that ivory shows up in photographs as white! Remember, photographers are masters when it comes to lighting, retouching, and editing, so an ivory dress on a sunny day will most likely look lighter and brighter in the finished product.

Bringing me back to, if you want to wear white in your engagement photos, that’s totally fine, maybe just put your other half in something a few shades darker, to create contrast.

Enough about white, let's talk mood.

If you are a couple who is constantly going to galas and charity balls (great!), that likely sets the tone for your vibe as a couple. When someone says your name they think of you that way, all dressed up and luxurious. If you and your partner are season ticket holders to the Angels and are serving wings at your cocktail hour (also, great!), that is an entirely different vibe. It is so important to capture the essence of your personality and your love in your engagement photos. When your guests receive your Save the Date in the mail and see that photo, or scroll over it on Instagram it should take them no less than half a second to recognize you.

Engagement shoot fashion should represent the type of couple you are.

I can’t tell you how many times I have received a Save the Date in the mail and I don’t immediately know who it is. When that happens, it is usually someone who I know as a laid-back, casual couple, dressed up in clothes they probably borrowed trying to be someone they aren’t.

Think back to high school homecoming. You’re 16 and the boy who has been crushing on you since the 6th grade finally asks you to the dance, and your parents take 14,000 photos before they hesitantly hand you the keys to the suburban. Remember how uncomfortable the boy looked in those photos!? It’s because that 16-year-old boy wanted nothing more than to burn that tie and take off those uncomfortable shoes!

Bottom line, if you are uncomfortable in the clothes you are wearing, it will shine through in the photos. Wear what you are comfortable wearing and feel good in. You’ve heard the saying “look good, feel good”? That saying could not be more applicable here.

bonus tips:

Bring options!

Different settings will complement different attire, whether it be with coloring or location type. If you are a casual couple but also dabble in a little formal gala often, bring that fancy dress or tie! Or, if you are a buffalo-wing-eating, Saturday-night-in kinda couple, but you have a spicy outfit you’ve been dying to wear, do it. If you are shooting at the beach and then at a fancy restaurant, feel free to switch it up. As long as you feel comfortable and beautiful.

appearance is key!

Always check ahead to make sure your clothes are clean (no stains!), manicured (look for loose strings or missing buttons!), and steamed or pressed. Wrinkles are sneaky little suckers who love to steal the spotlight and loose strings or holes are extremely photogenic. (Meaning, that’s all you will see in your final product!)

hire a pro to glam you up.

Professional beauty always looks better in photos! Added bonus, someone else is doing all that work so you can sit back and relax (ahem, sip champagne) for a bit before heading out. If you do make a glam appointment, be sure to allow extra time for driving and getting dressed so you aren’t rushing to meet your photographer.

props?

IF it makes sense, we love to add props to engagement sessions! Think… picnic on a beach, flowers in a forest, champs on a boat… nothing over the top, but a little extra can create an added and interesting story.

RELAX!

Make sure that on the day of your engagement session, you and your significant other are happy, calm, cool, and collected. This shoot is a practice run for your big day and just like being uncomfortable in your clothes, if you are upset, nervous, or bickering, it will show! Plan a massage, or mani-pedi in the morning to set your mood. Treat yourselves to dinner reservations after, and make it a full date day!

Relax, have fun, look good, feel good… You’re getting Married!!!

Photographer: Jenny Quicksall

GLAM: Design Visage