So… you just got engaged!! That’s SO amazing, and I couldn’t be more excited for you!! But now, OOOh! I am so SO excited about your engagement session! For couples I shoot, their biggest question before the shoot is — what are your engagement session tips so these photos will turn out perfectly?! Then the next question right aft that is… “WHAT THE HECK DO I WEAR?”

So, I wanted to send along a few tips on picking the perfect engagement session outfit. So, here are ten engagement session tips for creating the moment you’ll always remember!

Think about your feet!

We want to make sure you get the best locations and backgrounds to fit both your outfits and personality, so we’ll be walking for a hot second! You’re might even be walking around for an hour and a half, so if you’re one to last 5 minutes with heels on, please don’t torture your poor feet for that whole time! You’ll end up being miserable and remembering the pain of uncomfortable shoes instead of the beauty of the moment. Just like the outfit choice, make sure your shoes are something you’re comfortable in! There’s a whole lot of cute non-heel shoes out there that will still give you the look you want with the comfort you NEED!

Consider the location!

Be aware of what your surroundings will be and try not to clash (or match!) If your engagement session is in a forest, you probably don’t want to wear green! You’d blend right in! Maybe choose something complementary to both the background and your skin. Know you look good in the color yellow, but you’re being photographed in a dry grass field in the fall? Maybe opt for a mustard color or something a bit richer so that you still stand out but don’t totally blend in! If you’re unsure about a color, though, bring it along anyway! We can always decide when we get there what looks and feels the best in the moment.

Complement each other

I want you to feel comfortable in anything you wear, and I want you to look like you two belong together as well. So when you’re thinking about outfits, think about things you own or are shopping for that are maybe in the same color range or complementary colors. Do what makes you and your fiancé comfortable! So, if you want to rock head to toe denim jumpsuits like Britney and Justin at the VMAs back in the 90s then I say go for it! Whatever outfit you chose try it on and see how the two of you look together. I want you two to complement each other and always look back on these photos as timeless memories of your excitement before your marriage.

Show your true colors and don’t be afraid to be bold!

Colors are always a great move for an engagement session! But don’t be afraid to embrace a neutral look as well. I always encourage being bold. I mean, my hair is ombre pink, for goodness sake! However, if you are someone who sticks more to the neutral palette, that’s okay too! Maybe accent your neutrals with scarves, shoes, or other small accents that still allow you to embrace your bold side. Perhaps your fiancee is a neutral lover, and you’re the bold one? That’s okay too! If one of you wants to wear more color, then a neutral for your better half can help balance the scale on camera. Either way, feel comfortable in what you choose so that confidence can shine on camera.

Dress the same scale!

You don’t want to show up to the shoot dressed completely differently from each other. By that, I mean if you’re wearing a formal look, and your fiancee has jeans and a t-shirt on… maybe we need a bit more communication on expectations! Dress at the same level, but that’s not to say you can’t mix it up and experiment a little bit. Just talk to each other and if your fiancee wants to keep it casual, then bring a couple of casual looks and maybe one that can dress up the casualness just a bit and vice versa for a more formal look!

Switch it up!

Casual is always a great look for engagement session photos, but why not have a formal option as well? I’m not super formal in my everyday life, but everyone loves to dress up once in a while. Bring a couple of options on both sides of the formal and casual scale so that you can embrace both options. You never know what’s going to look the best in whatever location you choose, or how fancy you’ll be feeling in the moment! But you wouldn’t want to leave one option at home and then regret not getting photos looking and feeling exactly the way you want!

Dress for the weather and have a backup plan!

In general, we all know Seattle and the PNW are known for its rain, and Hawaii is known for the sunshine. But that doesn’t mean that the weather can’t surprise us every once in a while! If you’re scheduling a winter engagement shoot and it’s going to snow, you don’t want to show up in jeans and a t-shirt. You want to be prepared for the elements! While snow can make for gorgeous landscapes and amazing photos, it can also be cold! Make sure to bring a backup parka or jacket that you can feel comfortable in. You don’t want to look back on those photos and be able to see the goose pimples. You want to show the warmth of your love (even if it’s 20 degrees out!)

Don’t be afraid of patterns!

Patterns aren’t my jam, but if you love a funky or floral design, I say go for it! Express yourself! Shoots where it’s balanced, say where someone is wearing a solid color, and another person is wearing a plaid, create a great look that comes across well on camera. So don’t be afraid to color coordinate with a pattern! But, just a note, if you’re planning to wear a tiny print, maybe see if you have something a bit bigger. It’ll come across more clearly on camera.

Don’t be afraid to dress it up with layers and jewelry!

Engagement session photos allow us to create a look and a memory, so you want to go ALL OUT! Layer your clothes and make them interesting. Add a hat or jewelry, or better yet… flower crowns! They make your photos more lively and create a beautiful look for your engagement session. It can also help with unexpected weather! Refer to tip #7 for the full skinny, but if you’re taking winter photos, you want to bring anything you need to stay warm and whatever you need to look cute at the same time! Dress up in the snow with a beautiful coat, or if it’s Fall, throw on a jean jacket with your felt hat! Don’t be afraid of the accessories, and make sure to bring options!

Be yourself!

FINALLY – BE YOURSELF! These engagement photos are ALL ABOUT YOU and your love! This and your wedding are the days where you get to express and capture all of those little details and dreams you’ve had for your engagement. You don’t want to dress out of your comfort zone and feel completely uncomfortable. You want to make sure you feel just as good with what you’re wearing as you do with your new fiancee! I encourage you to wear things you do every day. It’ll help you feel more comfortable on camera, and you’ll be able to come across a lot more natural rather than feeling like someone you’re not!

And at the end of the day, just remember that the whole point of this is to have fun and get comfortable in front of the camera! It’s our time to get to know each other, and you shouldn’t stress about it! No matter what happens or what you’re wearing, I want to make sure you get back photos you absolutely LOVE. I hope these tips will help prepare you for your engagement session!

No matter what you wear, I’ll be there to help you and your fiancé feel comfortable on camera and clicking away to make sure you get the perfect engagement photos and memories to look back on for years to come! If you’re ever worried, refer back to these ten engagement session tips, or feel free to reach out to me on my contact page here on my website, or you can head to my Instagram to check out some inspiration for your engagement session. I can’t wait to begin creating memories with you!