Friday Tips and Tricks | How to Dress for Engagement Portraits

One of the most consistent questions I get from clients is what they should wear for their portrait/engagement session. I get it so often that I have a drafted few paragraphs to send to them so that it’s easy to send out. So, on this Friday, I thought I would do another installment of ‘Friday Tips and Tricks’ concerning how to dress for portrait/engagement sessions. Here are a few tips as you prepare:

1. RELAX- Don’t stress too much about what to wear. I promise it will be fine so don’t over think it. After all, what really matters is WHO is captured in the photo and not what you’re wearing.

2. COORDINATE- Now, once you have allowed yourself to relax, it is good to coordinate what the two of you (or group of you) will wear. I will often times encourage my clients to lay it out and see how each outfit goes together.

3. COMPLIMENT DON’T MATCH- I am oh so passionate about this! When in life would you intentionally dress alike with your spouse/fiance/family? If the goal is to capture people authentically, then matching is NOT authentic! In my opinion,  it’s best for you to be in complimentary outfits/colors and not matching. The all white shirt gig is just not the best to photograph and honestly has very little dimension. That is why, I recommend for one of you to be in a print if the other is in a solid. It will be more complimentary and spice things up!

4. USE THE COLOR WHEEL- That’s right, I’m telling you to go back to 3rd grade art class and pull out the color wheel. Or really, just Google one. This is SO helpful when planning out outfits for portraits as it allows you to accomplish Tip #3. For example, blue looks really great with orange. Orange also looks good with purple. Colors that are on the opposite sides of the color wheel are great places to start. *As a side note, it is best to stay away from neutral colors (white, blacks, browns, grays) and horizontal stripes. They don’t usually photograph well!

5. DON’T BE SHY- I always tell my clients to feel like themselves but also not to be afraid to be a little bold. Some of the best pictures have the most personality so put some of your personality in to the session! A bright color, bold jewelry, colored shoes, or a fun hat can always add great dimension to a photograph and tell a better story! So don’t be afraid to be a little daring.

6. GO WITH THE SEASON- This is important to remember because different seasons will help you know how to dress. If it is winter, most likely you are going to need the help of some colorful outfits to counterbalance the general dullness of cold months. If it is spring, however, the trees and grass will carry a lot of color and you can afford to tone it down a little if that is more your style. Color is a beautiful thing in photography but it can be found in other places besides clothing.

7. BE TRUE TO YOU-  My number one goal in an engagement/portrait session is to capture people as THEM. So, as you/we plan your session, be thinking of how you could be more comfortable. The point is to have FUN, make a memory and to get great images! You want to look and feel like yourself. Make sure that your outfits match the two of you and your personalities. After all, the beauty lies in documenting who you are!

Your portrait session should be FUN! So enjoy it!

Happy Friday!