As we’ve said, we love the idea of engagement shoots. Most photographers offer engagement photos as part of a wedding photography package anyway, so why not avail of them? You are probably then left wondering, ‘what will we wear to the shoot?’ Don’t worry, we have some ideas for you.
Comfort and style
The most important thing you can do when choosing your engagement shoot outfit is choose something that is both stylish and comfortable. You want to look and feel like yourself and if you’re uncomfortable it will show in the photos. That’s not to say you can’t opt for a glam cocktail dress and high heels, as long as you feel comfortable in yourself, that’s all that matters.
Clothes that move
Certain materials work better than others, and if you’re walking through a breezy meadow, you might consider something like silk or chiffon, weather permitting. These materials look particularly impressive when they move and will look great in photos. Think of a light, chiffon maxi dress flowing in a beach breeze. It just screams romance, perfect for your engagement photos.
Pop of colour
Don’t shy away from bright colours. Obviously if they’re totally not you, you don’t have to wear a canary yellow dress just to be colourful, but maybe consider a pop of colour in your accessories. Bright colours pop really well in photographs, and don’t forget, your engagement photos are most likely your only other professional photos apart from your wedding, where you’ll be in your stunning wedding dress and tux, but for something a little more casual, now’s your opportunity to throw in a splash of colour.
Show off your shoes
Speaking of colour, we did say you don’t have to wear that canary yellow dress, but another idea is to throw in some bright high heels and have them feature nicely in the shoot. Alternatively, you could wear a statement piece of jewellery (other than your brand new sparkler) that sets off your outfit. These are particularly good ideas if you’re sticking with a fairly casual outfit to make that little bit extra special.
Pack a second outfit
Particularly if you’re thinking of doing some fun or creative engagement shots, it’s a good idea to pack a second, simple outfit as well as whatever you plan on wearing for your themed photos. Photographers have no problem with you having a quick outfit change, and even if it’s something as simple as one casual outfit and one dressed up outfit, or even just swapping a pair of heels for a pair of flats, better to have it with you than wish you brought it.
STAY AWAY FROM:
Neon
We know, we said bright colours are great, but neon colours are that bit too bright, particularly for photos. Bear in mind they’re quite ‘trendy’ at the moment, and therefore might not be something you love in years to come. Aside from that, bright colours look great in photos, but neon colours can be that bit too bright and can even mess with the colour cast of your skin tone, which is not an easy thing to correct post-production.
Ill-fitting clothes
Don’t pick anything too loose or too tight. Aside from the fact that you will most likely be very uncomfortable on the day, the camera can sometimes be unforgiving when it comes to ill-fitting clothes. Take particular care of this when choosing clingy material, because even on the slimmest of figures, material like jersey can show up unwanted curves.
Anything that’s not you
If you want to dress up, dress up, and if you want to stick to casual Saturday outfits, by all means do, as long as it’s you. Even when you’re thinking of themed engagement shoots, or fun ideas that are a bit out of your comfort zone, think about whether or not you’ll feel happy in the outfit. You don’t have to be physically uncomfortable to actually be uncomfortable. Like we said, we’re not saying don’t have a themed shoot, as long as you’re happy for your engagement photos.
Loud patterns
Some patterns are fine but patterns that are too big or too much will look extremely distracting in the photos. They will also age your photos, similarly to the neon colours. Patterns go in and out of fashion just as easily and you don’t want to look back on your engagement photos and just think, ‘what was I wearing?’ The same goes for wearing logos. You don’t want to be a walking advertisement in your special photos.
Matching too much
There’s a double-edged sword to this because you don’t want to be in identical outfits (you’re not twins after all), but you also don’t want to be in completely different styles. If you’re groom-to-be is in a tux, it will look slightly odd if you’re in your casual jeans and flats. Make sure you match your style and by all means, co-ordinate your outfits to make sure they look well together but don’t buy matching outfits.
Image credits: Red dress: Jo Photo | Flowers: Howell Photography | Lying down: Effervescent Media Works | Sparkly dress: Josephine Ettinger Photography | Train tracks: Rob & Lindsay Wedding Photographers | Black dress: Melvin Gilbert Photography