The lovely Emily Ganey, fine art photographer extraordinaire, is back today for the third in a series of Wedding Wisdom posts focusing on wedding photography. I hope you caught her past posts, which have looked at some of the differences between film and digital photography and why you should use your wedding photographer for your engagement session. Well this time Emily is here to help with the all important choice of outfits for your engagement shoot……

“One of the questions my couples ask me most often is, “what should I wear for my engagement session?” This is an important question to ask! Seriously, your attire has a big impact on the way your photos turn out! Here are some of my suggestions regarding what to wear for your engagement shoot!

1. Be confident and comfortable.
We have all purchased that dress or top that we think is stunning – but deep down we know it is a little too short or a little too low cut. You want to be beaming during your session – not worried about your dress and whether or not you need to pull it down a little farther. My #1 tip is to select an outfit that you feel comfortable and confident wearing.

2. Be yourself.
I want you to feel like yourself. There is nothing like getting photos back and feeling like a photographer truly captured you and your fiance in your true element. If you don’t usually wear maxi dresses – don’t go out and buy one for the shoot. If you saw a precious photo on Pinterest of a girl with bohemian, floral pants, don’t start a hunt for a pair if you think you’ll never wear them again. You want your photos to represent you – not replicate another couple.

3. Coordinate and compliment – but avoid matching.
Your engagement session is a time to be yourself and play off of one another – not walk into a department store and have family photos taken. On your wedding day, you’ll probably wear a white dress or a suit – so the engagement session is an opportunity to show off your every day style. You don’t always need to find elements of matching pop colors – but complimenting one another in the same tone range is critical.

4. Think of the seasons.
This may be a little less relevant depending on where you live, but if there are leaves changing colors or if the temperature is dropping, warmer, more earthy tones are a great way to go.

5. Pick your outfits together.
Most of the time, the bride-to-be is a bit more excited about the photos and dressing up than the groom. Even if that is the case, talk to your fiance and see what his favorite outfits of yours are. Does he always compliment you when you wear a particular dress? Start with that!

6. When in doubt, choose neutrals.
I’ve gotta say, my favorite outfits are always neutrals. They allow the images to truly focus on the couple. And the tones are always captured beautifully on film (our preferred medium).

7. Accessorize!
This tip may conflict with tip #2 (be yourself). If accessories aren’t your thing, don’t force it. However, if you do love a little sparkle, make sure to include it! Fun jewelry and scarves make great additions to your photos. Every accessory has the potential to tell more of your story.

Also, dogs = accessories (at least in my book).

8. Bring at least two outfits: one dressy; one casual.
This offers some variety to your session and allows you to feel like you’re going on a mini-date. Be sure to grab dinner together after the session!

9. Don’t feel obligated to avoid patterns.
Usually, larger patterns and prints photograph better than smaller ones, but don’t feel obligated to avoid them all together. If you are considering a print, I’d recommend only one of you stand out with a print! Remember that prints usually draw more attention than solids – but that isn’t always a bad thing!

10. When all else fails, dress it up!
You can never go wrong with dressing up! Take a look on Rent the Runway and rent a fabulous dress to make your engagement session unforgettable! Flow-y dresses always look incredible in images! ”

Thanks once again to the wonderful, and super talented, Emily of The Ganeys for sharing these words of wisdom with us. If you loved these glimpses of her beautiful photography, you should take a look at Alex & Amanda’s romantic wedding, she captured it so perfectly! Oh and this romantic Spring wedding inspiration is an absolute must see. You will find lots more over on their website at theganeys.com – and don’t forget to follow Emily & Thomas on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.

Be sure to check back here too, as I will be sharing more advice from Emily on finding your perfect wedding photographer over the coming months.

Amy

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