You’ve booked your photographer, scheduled the day for your engagement session and now you have to the daunting task of choosing outfits! If you’re anything like me and not a “fashionista” who just knows what to wear, than this post is for you! I’m going to list out my top ten tips for choosing outfits that not only make you look great, feel confident and comfortable, but also photograph well and achieve just the look you’re going for! (Maybe even be Pinterest worthy if you’re into that!)

1. Two Outfits. I recommend that you bring two outfits to your engagement session. One more on the dressier side and one more casual and relaxed. This adds so much variety to your session and gives us an opportunity for a different look!

2. Neutrals are always a good idea. Neutral and lighter colors (such as blush, dusty blue, tan, off white, gray, pastels) achieve a more romantic look and they pair so lovely with the light and bright style of photography you see from me!

3. Think complimentary and coordinating rather than matching. When we think of putting together outfits, most times we try to find the exact color of blue to match the pattern in a certain shirt. But I want to challenge you to think of colors that compliment and coordinate rather than match exactly. I’ve always been a huge nerd when it comes to color! The color wheel section was my one of my favorite parts of art! So experimenting with complimentary colors and balancing color palettes out makes me so excited!

4. Things to avoid. I recommend you avoid white t-shirts because they photograph flat due to lack of contrast. Patterns smaller than a dime. A camera has a hard time capturing the pattern and it can result in your clothes having a weird color cast or a funky design that’s not true to life. Open toed shoes for guys and graphic tees for guys. Neon and really bold colors – these sometimes work if done right, but on a sunny day, the color of your clothing may reflect onto your skin. So a neon green or orange shirt may result in your face being that color in your final images.

5. Think about the season and the look you’re going for. Romantic? Try soft, neutral or pastel colors and flowy fabrics. There’s nothing more romantic than a long dress that twirls and moves beautifully with the slightest touch. How about a summer session? Have your guy wear some khakis and a button up while you rock an adorable sun dress and maybe a hat?

6. Accessorize. Add character and layers to your outfits through some fun accessories! Think some fun, dangly earrings or a statement necklace. Hats are always adorable! Scarves, jackets, bracelets. Accessories can take a simple outfit and make it look more dynamic and more like you!

7. Wear something you’re comfortable and confident in. if you have to stand a certain way in the mirror, it’s probably not the best option. I’ll be teaching you how to pose and look your absolute best in pictures, but if you really aren’t comfortable with the way you look in your outfit, you still won’t like the final images. Choose colors that look good with your skin tone, styles that you know flatter you and patterns that don’t make you self conscious. If you’ve never liked the way you look in yellow, don’t choose a yellow sundress for your pictures. If you’re self conscious about your legs or your arms, then avoid short dresses, mini skirts, strapless and sleeveless. For example, I really don’t like the way I look in spaghetti strap or strapless dresses. When I wear them, my hair has to be fixed in a certain way to cover my shoulders. Am I self conscious of my arms? Not really, I just have never liked the way that they look. So it wouldn’t be a good idea for me to choose something strapless to wear in my engagement pictures. Also, I’m a really fair skinned blonde. So, wearing a light yellow or super light anything tends to make me look washed out. I’m also 5’2”. If I wear dresses that cut me at the calves, I tend to look really short and I don’t like that. I stick to dresses that are either floor length or right at the knee.

8. Matching “dressiness”. Make sure your outfits match in how formal they appear. If the she is wearing a little black dress, he probably shouldn’t be wearing shorts and a polo. And vice versa.

9. Shoes. Girls, you can definitely rock those high heels you absolutely love! But I encourage you to think of the locations we’ve chosen. If we’re photographing in a long grass field, maybe wear some wedges or block heels rather than spikes. If we plan on walking through the city and your heels aren’t the most comfortable, maybe grab a change of shoes to swap into while we make the trek from location to location. Guys. Let’s avoid open-toed shoes and choose shoes to match the formalness of your outfit. If you’re wearing khakis and a button-up, sneakers may not be the best choice.

10. Remember, be you & unique. As much as I love neutrals and flowy dresses, you may not! If you have more of a bold or unique style, rock it! I love it when my couples incorporate things they love or are apart of who they are. It makes you stand out from the crowd and I get to create a new set of images that don’t look like anything I’ve done before!