What to Wear for Engagement Photos

What to Wear For Engagement Photos

What to wear for engagement photos is such a commonly asked question, and we are so excited to have Knoxville wedding photographer, JoPhoto, to help us answer it! They tell us why engagement photos are so important, what to wear, and a few extra tips on how to have a successful engagement shoot. Enjoy and be inspired!

Why Have an Engagement Shoot?

Engagement photo sessions are usually the first time you work with your photographer. Often, it is also the first time you and your fiance have professional photos taken together. Not only do engagement photo shoots help us build rapport with you before the wedding day, but we also often find that couples are more relaxed about photos when the wedding day arrives because they’ve already worked with us at their engagement photo shoot. You are more relaxed in front of our cameras, and you know what to expect! Because engagement photo sessions are so important, we include them in all JoPhoto wedding photography packages!

Suggestions for What to Wear:

1. Choose comfortable clothes: If you’re not comfortable, it will be noticeable in the pictures. Also, wear comfortable shoes if your location will include a lot of walking (but not tennis shoes).

2. Choose clothing that compliments your personality: Make sure your clothes look like “you” and fit your personality.
3. Coordinate your clothing with each other: Wear clothes that are the same level of “dressyness,” and wear similar shades that complement each other. Choose clothes that look best on you.

4. Choose clothes to compliment your location: If you are taking pictures in a field or the mountains, consider clothes with more natural colors. And if you are taking pictures in a downtown area, you might consider more urban clothes with bolder colors.
5. Choose colors that compliment your skin tone: For example, if you have light skin, white clothing can wash out your complexion in photographs.

Suggestions for What NOT to Wear:

1. Fluorescent Colors: Fluorescent colors (such as bright orange) tend to color cast on faces, necks and hair. When the shirt is so bright, it often also changes the color of the person standing next to them.

2. Trendy Clothing: They will date your photos as soon as the trend goes out of style.

3. Major changes with your hair and makeup: You want your engagement photos to reflect who you really are, and you want to be comfortable in your own skin.

4. T-shirts and old tennis shoes: Guys, we know you are comfortable in t-shirts and your favorite tennis shoes, but they don’t look the best in photos.

5. Large Patterns: Wide-striped shirts, dresses, and tops with large patterns on them such as large polka dots, or animal prints.

6. Large shirts that are not tucked in: For guys, it’s usually better to wear a belt if you are wearing a polo shirt or a nice button-up shirt. Sometimes, if untucked shirts are too big or too wide, they don’t look good and are “boxy.”

Additional Tips:

1. If you choose a location outside, the best time for the photo shoot is in the late afternoon as the sun is setting. You can avoid hard shadows in photos taken in the late afternoon.

2. Plan on having a good time! If you’re in a good mood, it will show in the pictures, and you will get more great photos!

3. Consider bringing an outfit to change into mid-way through your photo session. You could start your photo session wearing dressy clothes, and then change into more casual clothes (or vice versa).

Examples of What to Wear for Engagement Photos

Engagement pictures will be used in your photo albums, hang on your wall, and will be placed in engagement announcements and “save-the-date” cards. Taking a few moments to make the best of your photos will be priceless in the many years to come. Here are a few clothing examples from engagement sessions we have recently photographed in Knoxville! Also, check out our Pinterest board for more ideas.

Bride LInk Tip: If you both decide to wear colorful outfits, consider taking a look at the color wheel. You can’t go wrong with complementary colors. The couple’s yellow and purple combination above is perfect, and the couple’s blue and orange outfits below couldn’t match better!

Tip: Prints like the ones in these photos pair great when matched with a solid. If you are wearing a print, ask your fiancé to wear a solid.

Tip: You can never go wrong with neutrals! If you want to be safe, wear all neutrals or one person can wear all neutrals and the other can wear a bright color.