Ultimate Guide To Engagement Photo Outfits 2023
Why Take Engagement Photos?
You’ve just declared your love for each other, and you are committing to spending the rest of your lives together! It’s a glorious moment and you should absolutely, positively, commemorate it.
You’ll want to remember the time in-between being a couple and being a married couple. You also may want professional photos of you two being casual and awesome together that’s not so fancy. These photos can be used for save-the-dates, holiday cards, or big massive posters in your best friend’s bedroom. Whatever you do with them, you’ll be happy you took them!
So let’s dive in!
How Much Do Engagement Photos Cost?
Your outfit is just a part of the overall budget for your engagement shoot. Engagement photos cost vary depending on who your photographer is, how many hours you’ve hired them for, and what you plan on doing. Engagement photos can cost roughly between $300 – $900 per hour.
If you add activities, the cost can go up. Jeeps can cost $300 per hour, boat rentals a few hundred dollars, airbnbs even more.
What to Wear for Engagement Photos
You just got engaged and now you are looking to celebrate with engagement photos. Congratulations! If you’re not sure what to wear for an engagement shoot, the first thing to do is ask yourself a few questions to determine your perfect outfit (or outfits)!
Once you answer these questions, you are ready to start planning your look! But don’t worry, you aren’t alone. Below I’ve given you all that you need to know when planning out your engagement photos.
Top 10 Rules for Engagement Photo Outfits
No matter how you answered the questions above, there are a few rules that I always recommend that couples keep in mind to make sure that they are comfortable, authentic to themselves, and looking fabulous:
1. Wear clothes that are comfortable!
2. Wear clothes that represent who you both are.
3. Wear clothes that don’t blend in with the background (example: white outfits in the snow).
4. Wear clothes that don’t steal the show (it’s not a high-end fashion shoot ?).
5. Complimentary outfits are usually better than matching colors.
6. Feel free to incorporate accessories and props.
7. Consider how much hair and makeup you want to include.
8. Bring more than one outfit.
9. Dress for the activity.
10. Mot of all, have fun with it!!!
Comfortable and Casual Engagement Photo Outfits
Casual engagement photo outfits are the perfect way to capture the love you and your partner share as you begin your greatest journey together. Casual means that you aren’t dressed to the nines - no tuxedos, ball gowns, or $1,000,000 necklaces. This type of photoshoot is meant to be fun and relaxed - an opportunity for you and your partner to just be yourselves and enjoy the moment together. It’s a chance to bring out the real you.
Now, that doesn’t mean you can’t dress nice. On the contrary, you can still look fantastic! It’s just that when you look at these photos, you aren’t looking at a couple dressed for a Nobel Peace Prize ceremony.
Casual outfit ideas can include dresses, tights, suits, button downs, slacks, loafers, sandals, and more. Just don’t go too fancy with old broken clothes that will be out of fashion in two years, or extremely expensive clothes that aren't representative of who you two are.
Seasonal Engagement Photo Outfits
The seasons will be a big determinant of how you dress for your photoshoot. If you are planning to take photos during a specific season, then you should make sure that you dress according to the right time.
Fall engagement photo outfits can vary between warm and cool weather, with lots of color in nature.
Winter engagement photo outfits should incorporate bold colors to offset the strong white backgrounds, as well as warm clothes to keep the cold at bay.
Spring engagement photo outfits can lean into neutrals and compliment the blooming foliage.
Summer engagement photo outfits can be flowwy and loose to keep you comfortable and stylish in the warm weather.
Fall Engagement Photo Outfits
Fall is my favorite season, not just because of the stunningly delicious foods and glorious weather, but because it’s one of the best times for engagement photos! The environmental colors in the fall are just glorious, full of color and balance. Here are some things to consider when planning a fall engagement shoot.
First, fall weather is gorgeous, with highs and lows. Therefore, you should plan for both warm and cooler weather. Long and comfortable clothes are the way to go. Plan to match the time of season - whether it’s still lush out from summer or it’s popping with color as the leaves change.
When thinking about the colors, try to anticipate what the foliage will look like. If we’re at the tail end of summer, you probably can still dress for the warmth with flowwy outfits that have bold colors. Are the trees changing colors? If so, you may want strong neutrals to not clash with rich reds, greens, yellows, and oranges. If it’s close to Halloween, think about incorporating Halloween vibes into your photoshoot.
Check out this comprehensive Fall Engagement Photos Guide.
Winter Engagement Photo Outfits
Winter offers an opportunity to really mix things up for yourself, and provide significant contrast to what may be a spring, summer, fall elopement or wedding. Wintry environments, especially in nature, are typically filled with extraordinary white scenery. Mountains, forests, lakes, trees and more are covered with glistening snow.
First and foremost, you'll want to stay warm and cozy using gloves, hats, hand warmers, toe warmers, body warmers and base layers. Being cold will ruin your fun. Trust me, I do this for a living ? . The next consideration is to make sure your winter engagement photo outfits that will pop against the gorgeous backgrounds! Bold, solid colors can look amazing against the white background. This is a great time to wear forest green, maroon, even sea blue. Just try to avoid solid yellows and oranges, which tend to not be the best choices against a white background.
Check out this comprehensive guide to Winter Engagement Photos.
Spring Engagement Photo Outfits
As the winter white snow thaws and the flowers and trees begin to bloom, you may be looking to figure out your spring engagement photo outfits! Spring is a glorious time that can bring beautiful spring rain or gorgeous blue skies with the flora blossoming.
For spring engagement photos, with so much happening in the background, try not to go too wild with your outfits. Stick with neutrals - white, blacks, and browns. Or wear solid colors - reds, greens, lavender (my favorite color). Green can work well if not surrounded by green trees or grass. Remember, you always want to pop against the background!
You may also need to take into account late winter storms or rain. Always prepare for inclement weather no matter the season with the appropriate protection - jackets, umbrellas, rainclothes etc….
Summer Engagement Photo Outfits
Summer is one of the most fun times to take photos because the weather is always warm and depending on where you live, the colors can be really lush. We’re talking flurrying green leaves and roaring blue rivers.
When taking summer engagement photos remember to dress for the warmth. You don’t want to layer up too much and you don’t want your outfit to be so tight you are uncomfortable and sweaty. Summer is a time to be loose and carefree. You can even take advantage of the weather by finding a place to go for a swim, whether it be the beach or an alpine lake. One of your outfits can be a bathing suit! Or, for the truly adventurous, your birthday suit ? .
Colors
After the season one of the most important decisions you’ll make when picking out your engagement photos is color. Color is more than just a pigment, it’s a representation of who you are. It’s a balance between yourselves and the world around you. As you pick your outfits, consider do you want to pop against the scenery or do you want to compliment it?
Neutral colors are almost always a safe bet. Neutral engagement photo colors are more than just browns, blacks, whites, and greys. They can be forest green instead of deep green, maroon instead of deep red, and mustard yellow instead of regular yellow. You’ll want neutral colors like these instead of BOLD colors because neutral colors will look fantastic without overwhelming the photo. Sometimes, a very bold color can steal the show and distract from you. And remember, you two are the main event. You are the reason for these photos, not the outfits. So find that perfect balance by picking the right color without it taking over.
Patterns
When it comes to patterns for your engagement photo outfits, make sure that they are subtle and not large. As with most clothes considerations, you don’t want the patterns to steal the show. Patterns are also not always timeless. In the years to come patterns can go in and out of fashion, and what looks good now may not look good later.
That’s not to say you can’t wear patterns, just to be careful. If you aren’t sure then you may want to lean on the safer side and not get anything too powerful or crazy.
Texture
The best textures are ones that make YOU stand out. Rich bold textures can really make you pop.
- Velvet is a terrific texture that looks luxurious.
- Layering different textures can add a wonderful pop.
- Linens are great in the summer.
- Who doesn’t love fall sweater weather?
Men's Engagement Photo Outfit Options
Here’s the truth, engagement photo outfits for men and women can be entirely unique and varied and are fully interchangeable. There is no one way to dress, because clothes have no gender.
If you prefer to dress wearing suits, chinos, button downs, remember first and foremost to pick your attire based on the weather. If it’s going to be cold, don’t wear just a t-shirt. If it’s going to be very hot, you may want to wear a light suit, such as linen. The key with suits is to keep the patterns and design subtle, unless you are purposefully trying to pop with your partner.
If you prefer to wear dresses, or more flowy outfits, you will find your options multiplying. Make sure to coordinate with your partner. As with suits, you’ll want to ensure that you are dressing for the weather. After that, you may want to be the one who’s attire pops. Whether it’s the straps, design, lengths, colors, size or more you’ll have so many options to really stand out.
Accessories
Your engagement photos don’t have to be just about the clothes, they can also be about the accessories. They can include hats, necklaces, shoes, watches, jewelry, even pumpkins! That’s right, consider accessories that match the season or time. Have fun with it.
Movement
Movement is always encouraged with your engagement photo outfits. Regardless of what you are wearing, movement with your outfits suggests greater emotion and more activity between you and your partner. If you wear a dress, consider a flowwy dress that can flap in the wind. Or a tie that can gently blow.
Hair and Makeup
These photos are meant to represent a significant moment in your lives. You’re going to look back at these for a very long time. So if it’s within your budget and opportunity, you should consider making sure all aspects are to your liking. If you typically get your hair and makeup done, you may want to consider doing it for this moment.
Can you Change Your Outfit During Your Engagement Photoshoot?
For your engagement photo outfits you don’t have to just go with one outfit, you can go with two! Bring a second outfit that’s different than what you are wearing. You can have different levels of style, for instance one very casual almost street-wear. A second outfit can be far more fancy. Or you can just have two different colors and textures to take account for the scenery.
If you want to represent multiple aspects of yo Get two looks, two locations, for a lovely two people 🙂
Where to Get Your Engagement Photo Outfits
For casual shoots, the best place to start is your own closet and your favorite stores. If you're looking for some new looks, here are some of our favorites. Rent the Runway is a particularly good option if you want something special and more formal than your usual attire:
- Rent the Runway
- ASOS
- Free People
Colorado Engagement Photos
Are you looking to take epic engagement photos? One of the best places in the country (sure, I'm biased, but I mean come on, take a look at the photos!) is Colorado! If you are interested in taking engagement photos in Colorado check out this Ultimate Colorado Engagement Photos Guide.
Meet the Best Engagement Photographer for You
Hi there! I’m Adam. I’m an adventure elopement photographer because I love crafting a truly unique day for the couple, not bound by expectations. If that sounds like something that stirs your soul, gets ya moving, and you want to chat with the best Colorado Micro Weddings photographer for you, send me a note, and let’s have a free consultation. I can’t wait to hear from you.
