what to wear for your engagement session

Aren't engagement sessions fabulous? Not only do you get to meet your photographer, practice posing, get comfortable with them as a vendor, and create epic images, but you ALSO get to create a little love story preview for the big day! Tons of my brides ask for advice on what to wear for their engagement sessions, so here are my tips and tricks for creating stunning, authentic engagement photos!

1. Color Palette

When you and your fiance plan your outfits for the engagement shoot, stay in the same color palette. When it comes to the color palette, don't just think about what colors look good together. Think about saturation level as well. So if you wear a bright red dress, you want him in "saturated" colors too (a dark blue, black, etc). The same goes if you want to do pastels or muted tones. If you wear a peachy or light pink dress, you want him in complementary colors (browns, tans, greys, etc.) 

2. Outfit Change

I always take my couples somewhere that we can get two different looks. So it's a great idea to go for the outfit change. I usually suggest one that's more casual and one that's a little more formal. But, girl, if you find two killer gowns on Rent the Runway, do them both! What better time to show off your fashion-forward flare than on a professional photo shoot!

3. Jeans

Jeans are pretty much a go to for everyone when it comes to a casual look (guys and gals!) But for my ladies, if you do decide to go with jeans, be sure you wear a shoe with a little bit (or a lot!) of a heel. If you wear legging-style or tapered jeans with sandals, they tend to cut off the line of the leg and make us look shorter and squatter. And nobody wants that!

4. YOUnique and Comfortable

At the end of the day, beautiful portraits are made when the subject connects with the lens, and their personality really shines through the image. To get this, you need to be comfortable. So if your man feels the most strong and handsome in a suit, do that! If he'd rather get a root canal than wear a tie, leave it in the closet! You want to feel like YOU and you want to be comfortable in these images, so don't push yourself into something that doesn't fit, just because you think it will photograph well. It's about you, not the duds!