What the HECK do I wear for my Engagement Photos? | NYC Wedding Photographer
If you feel like choosing clothing for your engagement photos is a big decision, you are not wrong and you are definitely not alone!! The truth is if you don’t like how you look, you’re not going to like your photos, and that’s obviously the LAST thing we want!
There’s no perfect formula for choosing what to wear for your engagement photos, because everyone has different opinions and tastes, different things that work best for their bodies, etc.
I’m going to break this down into seasons and share some recommendations and tips! Here we goooo
1. BE COMFORTABLE
Of course we know that nice clothes aren’t normally the most physically comfortable. But what I really mean is that you feel like you can move and be free in them, and they are as comfortable is possible.
2. LOOK AND FEEL LIKE YOU
Make sure what you choose looks and feels like you on your best day. You want to look at your photos and see you, and not someone else! So if you normally wear all neutrals, you don’t need to wear hot pink. Or if you NEVER wear formal attire, maybe don’t for your photos! Though this does lead me to my next point…
3. DRESS UP AT LEAST *A LITTLE*
I personally think there’s no such things as too dressy and that you should feel free to dress it up. However, not everyone wants to dress up a lot and that’s okay! But I do recommend dressing up just a touch more than you think you should. Like I said before, you want to look like you on your best day! So, this could mean anything from if you normally wear your comfiest jeans, perhaps go for a newer or darker pair. If you normally would wear a more casual cotton dress, maybe upgrade to a maxi! If you’d normally wear a t-shirt, maybe upgrade to a button down. If you’d normally wear dress pants and a button down, go for a suit! You get the idea.
4. LET’S TALK ABOUT COLOR/PATTERNS
So I personally love bold colors and always encourage it, but let me say this: you can choose ANY color (or lack there of) you want! I don’t personally think any colors should be off limits unless they don’t work with your skin tone, and that’s a completely personal choice. You’ll see below A LOT of examples of neutrals and how well they can work! But also, don’t be afraid of color if that’s your jam. The only rule for me is that you choose colors that do not clash, and I’d also recommend not matching! The best option is to choose colors that complement each other. So opposites on the color wheel, or one partner in neutral and one partner in a color. As far as patterns go, I’d recommend avoiding anything too too loud, but think patters can be great! And as with the color, if one of you is wearing a pattern, the other should be wearing a solid.
Okay, now onto some fun examples
Like I said, I’m going to separate these ideas into seasons so that you can see some things that I feel like have worked for some of my past couples and hope you get some inspiration from them!
Fall
Fall can be hard to dress for because you’re never quite sure exactly what weather you’re going to get (at least here on the East Coast). You could get 75 degrees or you could get 45 degrees! So staying flexible is always good, as is planning for some light layers. Fall is a time that I think that neutrals can work in your favor if there’s a lot of color in the trees. I’m including extra examples in this one because it’s my most popular engagement session time ;)
Rachel & Nick chose two great outfits- a more formal and a casual. Both were still elegant and polished! In their dressier outfit, Rachel kept her outfit very simple with a gray skirt and black turtle neck, and spiced it up with some knee high boots! And by putting Nick in dark pants, his outfit was still comfortable and fitting for him. In their casual outfit, they both wore nice, dark colored jeans and neutrals, keeping the look really simple!
I LOVED Emerald & Jin’s outfit choices!! omg. So Emerald chose a slightly more casual but still dressy floral skirt with brown boots and a green t-shirt that looked great with Jin’s suit. This outfit worked SO well with the fall NYC colors! She then switched to a cuteeeee short red dress and I LOVE this pop of color. For whatever reason, I think red is literally always a good idea in photos. It’s just such a stand out color! You can see more of their engagement photos HERE
If you know you’re going somewhere with a lot of color for your engagement photos, like a more urban landscape with street art, neutrals are a great idea so that you can let the colors around you shine! I love that Alyson and Dan then switched to wearing color, and you’ll notice that they’re essentially wearing different shades of a very similar color which complement but don’t match, and that’s perfect!
Elle & James opted for a casual and a more formal option. For their casual look, Elle chose a neutral sweater which I thought worked really well with all the color around them. They both chose nice dark wash jeans to upgrade the look a bit. For their more formal look, James put on a sweater but kept the rest of his look which is a great option for gents! And Elle wore a midi black dress with an accent leather jacket that she mostly wore draped over her shoulders. And I think her slight heel really added a nice touch!
WINTER
Winter is obviously a TOUGH time to get your photos outside for obvious reasons. If you’re brave enough to get your photos done in the winter, you’ll have to make one big decision, which is how cold are you okay with being? If you’re okay with being cold, I recommend a sweater and jeans or sweater and skirt and tights, or dress with tights and sweater or jacket. If you’re NOT okay with being cold, I recommend wearing a formal coat like a peacoat with jeans or dress pants! Either way you can put your coat on at any time and take a break from the cold.
Though I’m always a fan of color, I think a light or white sweater in the winter is a GREAT choice! Tara chose this cute off the shoulder sweater which looked cozy but elegant. I know she was chilly (it was cold on this day!!) but it’s worth it for just an hour and some great photos, and you can always take breaks and put your coat on whenever you want! I really like how she paired her neutral look with a pop of color in Omar’s pants. You can see more of their engagement photos HERE
Michelle & Lenny are a great example of winter looks with and without coats, which I highly recommend for your winter engagement photos! The chose more formal, dressy coats that look polished and a little fancier and give them the opportunity to be warmer for half their shoot. For their other look, they were able to just take their coats off and have nice neutral shirts on underneath. This made for a great and easy transition between looks, and they didn’t feel they had to have their coats off for every single photo. You can see more of their engagement photos HERE
These two are a perfect example of how to wear coats for the majority of their shoot! She opted to have two lovely peacoats, one emerald green and one plaid. I loved that these both looked beautiful and enhanced her look, but didn’t feel like a downgrade or something she had to settle for just because it was chilly. And he was able to take his coat off for some photos when he felt comfortable, but it was also perfectly fine for him to leave it on!
SPRING
Spring, like fall, can be tricky because you don’t know what weather you’re going to get! But planning for mild temperatures I think is a good move. I think that florals and patterns can be really fun and some brighter colors look lovely with spring colors!
Let’s talk about Mollie & Brandon. I LOVE that Mollie made a bold choice for her first outfit with this dress. They fully committed to a more formal look and I love it. The open back and the flowers make a statement that I am here for!! And it’s perfect paired with Brandon’s dress pants and button down. Their second look was more casual but still so lovely and polished. I love the choice of white paints and her dark shirt, while putting Brandon in a bold but fun print!
Tamara & Drake chose more than one formal look which I’m so here for. For a location like Downtown Annapolis which has a lot of color in it’s buildings. going for black or neutrals works really well! So while they had their black outfits on, we focused on the colorful buildings. When Tamara switched to this SHOWSTOPPING green number, I thought it worked so well with the water and natural landscape in the area! You can see more of their engagement photos HERE
Liz & Taylor did an amazing job planning their outfits for late spring! Liz chose a dress that worked perfectly for her and brought in a little pop of color with Taylor’s jacket in his overall very Annapolis-appropriate look. Their first look was also perfectly fitting with their surroundings with its nautical vibes!
SUMMER
Summer, though pretty reliable in it’s hot weather, is also hard to dress for because you want to choose something that will be least likely to show sweat. We ALLLLL sweat, and it’s pretty inevitable in your photos, so it’s good to choose something that one, won’t make you sweat extra, and two won’t put your sweat on display. I think it’s best to avoid super tight fitting garments and go with comfortable, thin fabrics!
I think Ann & Eric are a great example of outfits that are VERY them, simple and comfortable, but still nice and photo worthy! They’re wearing comfortable fabrics and clothes that are flattering on them, but moveable and breathable.
So Jenn & Andy did their engagement photos and got married at their home, and so I love that they started with an ultra casual, ultra them outfit that showed them truly in their element. For their second outfit, Jenn committed to a bold floral print and no shoes which I am obsessed with. She upgraded her look but still kept it very true to who she is! And I really don’t think guys can go wrong with a classic white button down, dark jeans, and brown dress shoes. You can see more of their engagement photos HERE
Erika & Connor are the poster children of late summer outfits! I love their first outfit choice with so much color. A jumpsuit is a great option because they’re comfortable but automatically a little bit dressed up! I think they paired these two colors so well together. For their second outfit, I think the neutrals worked so well with the greenery all around them, and while it was a little more dressy, it was still a relaxed look which fit their personalities so well.
I hope this was helpful! And never be afraid to reach out to me with specific questions or ideas! I’m also always happy to have my clients send me photos of the outfits they’re thinking of, and we can make sure they’ll be absolutely perfect for your shoot.
xoxo
Alyssa