What to Wear to Your Engagement Shoot
What Should I Wear For My Engagement Pics? A Pro Guide For Engagement Outfits | Apollo Fields Wedding Photography
It’s a question we’ve been asked hundreds of times, “what do we wear to our engagement shoot?” The short answer is—anything that makes you feel confident and stylish—but the problem with that is that it gives you the license to justify any outfit you own, depending on how creative you are. So please use the following tips as guidelines for you and your partner to looking great and feeling even better.
What Not To Wear
Let’s start with the basics. Don’t wear any colors that will cast a light onto your significant other’s skin tone, i.e. bright red, neons, etc. Also, skip the Ed Hardy (do people still wear these?) shirts and any clothes with really loud prints or logos. Complicated designs pull attention from your beautiful faces! Lastly, contrary to popular belief, all black can fall flat sometimes. It may be “slimming” but you’re getting married because you love each other as you are, so ditch the Johnny Cash look and lose the baggy pants. Hiding in clothes in plain sight masks the person beneath them. REMINDER: You should wear something that expresses your personality for your engagement photos!
Trendy sport jacket + little white dress: Here’s one of my personal favorites— this outfit combo is upscale without feeling out of place. Little details like loafers and a pop of lipstick pull together the overall look perfectly.
Bring Two Looks (1 Formal + 1 Casual)
We say hell yes to outfit changes if the time and location allow for it! Some photographers try to use outfit changes as an excuse to charge more money, but we think that’s silly. We recommend one look that’s a bit more casual (one or two degrees fancier than your normal getup) and then one that is more formal and makes you feel like a boss.
Here’s a personal fave: A formal, cultural outfit + a casual, stylish one!
When In Doubt, Go For The Tuck:
Heather constantly makes me tuck my button-down shirt into my pants and it drives me nuts. I feel like a middle-school science teacher. But the truth is it presents a much cleaner, put together appearance, and unless you’re full-on grunge or goth you can afford to tuck your nice shirt in for a few engagement photos. Plus, if casual really is your thing, bring a more casual shirt or outfit that you like and we can get some of you two in those as well (but please, gentlemen, leave the baseball or brewery cap behind) #hathair.
Pro-Tip: Buy a New Outfit at an Upscale Consignment Store
Say you’re maniacally cycling back through your wardrobe in your closet and everything feels old or worn. We’ve all been there—but because it’s your engagement photos the pressure is cranked up a few notches. Fear not, friends, we’ve got you! Head down to an upscale consignment or thrift store in your town to save a few bucks and “fight the man,” or even spoil yourselves and buy a new shirt or pair of pants if your budget allows. The point here is that the piece of clothing makes you feel confident because we all know we feel good when we look good and vice versa!
Accessorize
Ladies, this one’s more for you because us gentlemen typically don’t go further than a watch, cufflinks, or a tie (maybe some funky socks, but save those for the groomsmen at the wedding). It’s time to bring out that cute hat you’ve been meaning to wear or that scarf or shawl. Adding accessories to your outfit creates layers and makes it easy to make a simple look appear more stylish and dynamic. Hold up, am I really giving fashion tips right now? Who am I?
Here’s a great example of using ACCESSORIES to get a few looks in a short amount of time:
Believe it or not, this afternoon was damp, rainy, and cold so we all wanted to hustle through this engagement session. By swapping out a hat and jacket, Eve was able to get three quick looks without having to do a full outfit change.
Bring a bouquet!
We see them all the time for weddings but not engagement sessions. Why though!? Bouquets are awesome and elevate all your pictures.
Schedule Your Hair-and-Makeup Trial
This is the perfect time to have your wedding hair and makeup trial done! First of all, you’ll look amazing for your pics— trust us, we’ve photographed hundreds of couples and we can tell when hair and makeup is done professionally. The other big bonus is that you can see how your hair and makeup holds up after a few hours and looks in the pics. It is a great chance to iron any kinks out before the big day.
Here are two outfits that we loved! Frances and Bryce (on the left) killed an upscale neutral palate and this shoot was actually scheduled intentionally around Frances’ hair and makeup trial which gave her a great chance to proof her HMUA before the wedding.
Emily and Augie (on the right) had casual, preppy outfits that worked well against the color scheme of the city skyline. My personal favorite part of the outfit is the summer cashmere sweater with a small pearl necklace!
Last But Not Least, FLOWY DRESSES Are My Jam
You guys, I’m a sucker for a good flowy (is that even a word?) dress. Anything with movement is a winner for me because it creates amazing leading lines and is ALWAYS flattering. My artistic side goes nuts for a breezy afternoon and a summer dress that moves with the wind. This also goes for wedding dresses or pretty much any outfit, and as a bonus, nothing brings out your inner child quite like twirling around on the top of a mountain with a flowing dress.
Easy Breezy Flowy Dress Goals: I’m in love with the outfits here… the material is form-fitting, flattering, simple, and MOVES! Movement is so fun in pictures and keeps the images from feeling too stagnant.
Think about your setting, too: matching your outfit to an urban vibe / coastal vibe / etc is always a good idea!
Last But Not Least: Bri and Tyler nailed two looks that show off their personalities and of course, the flowy dresses are icing on the cake.
>> SOME OF OUR FAVORITE BRANDS FOR ENGAGEMENT OUTFITS
Anyways, I hope these few pointers helped calm your nerves a bit. Your engagement shoot is going to be fun! Believe me! We keep the whole thing light, it’ll be over before you know it, and we’ll be drinking a beer or glass of wine in no time. At the very least we will get to know each other better and we will know who has the crazier family—SPOILER ALERT— We all do.
