“What should I wear to my engagement session?” Well, you’re in luck! I have an answer for you!
This is by far one of the most popular questions I get asked by my clients. It is in fact a very complex question that has several key components. Knowing what to wear to your engagement session and if your outfit matches your shooting location; to me, is probably the most important thing to consider. Of course, you should wear something that makes you feel like a million bucks. Every girl deserves to look like she walked out of a magazine, but finding the right outfit can feel like a huge undertaking. So, I am here to help! Before I give you some helpful tips on what to wear, let’s cover what you shouldn’t wear.
WHAT YOU SHOULDN’T WEAR:
Bright colors. What some brides don’t know, is that bright colors can be reflecting. Which means, if you have on a bright pink dress, or a neon top, the sun will hit the bright color and reflect onto your skin, turning your skin the color of your clothes. Horrifying, right? No one wants to get their photos back and have their skin be completely thrown off by the color of their outfit. So, a good rule of thumb is to avoid, bright and neon colors.
WHAT COLORS SHOULD I WEAR?
Colors that are more muted, dull or complimentary are super important. I always tell my clients to consider the shooting location, what makes them feel the most beautiful and confident, and what looks best with my photography style. You can never go wrong with blues, creams, greens and neutral tones. However, I do love it when my brides have an eye for fashion and adventure, and incorporate that into their look. I am not afraid when my brides choose something more on the colorful side for their engagement session, but please keep in mind that color and bight colors are very different when photographed.
OK, GREAT! BUT WHAT DO I WEAR?
Girl, I got you! If you are anything like me, you are busy! You don’t have time to go galavanting around to all kinds of stores or even have the energy to browse online for THE PERFECT outfit after a long day of work. So I have spent quite a while looking for the perfect dresses for you to look through! I SO WISH when I was getting married that someone would have just sent me a link to all the perfect outfits. As a little disclaimer: My thought process for this post is to share dresses for brides desiring a more formal or dressy look for their engagement session. Soon, I plan on having a shopping guide for a casual engagement session look as well!
YOUR OUTFIT CHOICE SHOULD REFLECT YOUR SHOOTING LOCATION
Once upon a time, early on in my career, I did a destination shoot with one of my clients. It was stunning! However, the outfit choice was not a fit for the shooting location. Don’t get me wrong, it was beautiful! However, It was then that I realized how important it is to educate my clients on what style fits best depending on location. So I have come up with some examples for you to visually see.
Disclaimer: Some of the examples listed could be used for different locations! It’s important to be creative and think outside of the box. Doing so will give you a one of a kind experience and make your engagement session unique.
GARDEN LOCATION
Being a Dallas wedding photographer, a lot of my brides LOVE having their engagement session taken when all the beautiful flowers are in bloom. Here are some really great examples of dresses that would work perfectly in a garden setting for Spring 2021.
Below are outfits that feel whimsical, classic, romantic and even a little fashion forward. Gardens are a beautiful choice for a shooting location, but it’s important that you don’t get lost behind all the beautiful scenery. So, these are some fun dresses that I found that if a client of mine showed up in, my heart would literally explode from joy.
LIKE ONE OF THESE OUTFITS? CLICK THE IMAGE TO SHOP THE DRESS!
DOWN TOWN OR CITY LOCATION
Art museum’s, historical land marks, and city scape views are always some of my clients favorite locations to have their engagement photographs taken. I am 100% a lover of travel and history, so I love it when my clients want to go to the city they met in or maybe one of their favorite spots in downtown. I also ways love it when my brides wear outfits that have elements of structure, high fashion or something classic. I personally draw a lot of inspiration from architecture and fashion, so I am always down for a city shoot! These styling elements just makes for some stunning photos!
LIKE ONE OF THESE OUTFITS? CLICK THE IMAGE TO SHOP THE DRESS!
EPIC VIEWS & OPEN FIELD
Being a native Texan that grew up in the Scottish countryside I have a deep love for locations filled with nature. Im talking, open fields with talk grass, Joshua trees, the rolling hills in Malibu or the gorgeous tree groves of the south… Regardless of the nature location that you choose, there are a lot of ways you can go with it! From casual fun to long flowing dresses, I just love the different outfit options that can fit this type of scenery.
LIKE ONE OF THESE OUTFITS? CLICK THE IMAGE TO SHOP THE DRESS!
ESTATE & EUROPE
Estate photoshoots make my heart SING! On occasion, brides want their engagement session captured somewhere like Paris; which is rich in architecture and gorgeous photo opportunities, and some want their engagement photo shot at the estate venue they booked for their wedding. Y’all, I LOVE an over the top engagement session. While I usually shoot both a dressy and casual look for my clients at the engagement sessions, I live for the drama of the over the top look.
LIKE ONE OF THESE OUTFITS? CLICK THE IMAGE TO SHOP THE DRESS!
Who knew there were so many things to consider when deciding what to wear to your engagement session?! I hope this post is helpful to you! If you have already booked for your photographer for your wedding day, and have your engagements already scheduled, it’s not a bad idea to reach out to them and get their feed back based off their photography style and expertise.
In my opinion, the best thing you can do when selecting what to wear for your engagement session is selecting clothing that makes you feel beautiful and confident! Get your hair and make up professionally done and really enjoy this special, once in a lifetime moment. When you feel good about yourself, it really shows in the images. You are worth that!
Stay tuned for more engagement session outfit inspiration <3
Much love,
-E
CLICK THE INSPIRATION IMAGES TO SHOP THE DRESS
