What to Wear for Your Engagement Photo Session

You’re engaged — congrats! It’s one of the happiest, most exciting times in your life, and if you’re planning to capture the moment with an engagement photo shoot, one of your burning questions is probably about what to wear in engagement photos.

Should you go formal? Casual? Bright colors? Neutrals? What about accessories? How do you get your outfit right for the season? What will you feel most comfortable wearing?

If any of those questions sound familiar, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide we’ll cover what to wear for engagement photos by season, plus 5 timeless tips to keep in mind so you feel your absolute best in every photo.

Quick Takeaways

• Spring and fall are transition seasons with bright skies and colorful foliage. Neutrals are best to complement these backdrops.
• Flowy outfits and breathable fabrics (like cotton or linen) are great to stay comfortable in summer, while layers and warm fabrics (like fleece or wool) are better for winter shoots.
• Match your outfit choice to the feel of your shoot location.
• Coordinate your color palette with your fiance, but don’t be too matchy-matchy.
• Avoid loud patterns as they’re distracting in photos, and keep accessory choices simple.
• Most importantly, wear an outfit you love, are comfortable in, and that’s genuinely you.

What to Wear in Engagement Photos: A Seasonal Guide

Spring

In the spring, Mother Nature provides tons of color for your photos through blooming greens and flowers of all shades. Complement natural floral backdrops by leaning into light neutrals like white or beige or pastel spring shades, like soft blues, pinks, and yellows.

Since the weather can be fickle in springtime, use layers to make your outfit choices flexible — think jeans with a cute tank and light jacket over it, or a sundress with a sweater. For the guys, a collared shirt with a jacket or spring sweater can work.

Summer

In the summer, light and loose outfit choices are best to beat the heat that’s present most days and sticks around into the evenings. Breathable fabrics like cotton and linen keep you cool while you stay focused on getting the perfect engagement shots.

Summer engagement session outfit ideas include: flowy sundresses for the gals, shorts and a tshirt or polo shirt for the guys, and sandals or flip flops that can easily be slipped on and off in grass or sand.

As for color, stick with whites, beiges, and other light shades to highlight sunkissed skin.

Winter

For winter engagement shoots, I recommend going bold with color to offset the monochromatic backdrops of bare trees and gray skies. But before you worry, know that winter backgrounds often make for the most stand-out shoots — just because the weather is grayer and the flowers aren’t in bloom doesn’t mean your photos won’t be beautiful.

Winter engagement sessions excite me, especially because they’re more rare and allow for me to challenge my creativity a bit!

When you go bold with your outfit color choices or a special accessory, you give them an extra pop. If you wanted to stick to neutral colors, you might consider a statement piece like a silky skirt, long trench coat, or blanket scarf.

Since winter sunsets are often crisp and beautiful, there can still be great variety and happiness in the background even if winter feels bleek and sad.

As for keeping warm, try to do so without bulky clothing. Opt instead for warmer fabrics like wool, cashmere, or fleece and complementary layered shapes, like fitted trousers with a sweater and long coat over it.

Fall

Natural autumn backdrops are the most colorful of all, rich with warm golden hues that make getting the perfect shot easy. As in the spring, neutral shades offset the bold colors you’ll get from sunny skies and foliage, but in the fall you can go with darker shades — blacks, browns, navys and deep greens are all popular autumn neutrals.

Autumn weather can be unpredictable but isn’t as extreme one way or the other, so plan an outfit that can keep you warm enough if it’s chilly but won’t be too heavy on a sunny fall day.

5 All-the-Time Engagement Photo Tips

Consider Your Location

Your location can be your guide when you’re choosing what to wear for engagement photos. Most couples choose a shoot location that’s either scenic or sentimental to them (or both). You want your outfit to match the look and feel of the location for the best photo results.

For example: A beach shoot is going to have a much different overall feel than one done on a downtown city street. Think about what you’d wear to your shoot location even if you weren’t taking photos, then go from there to choose something you feel amazing in.

Be Coordinated, but Don’t Match

Trust me on this one: Matchy-matchy outfits don’t work well in photos. But that doesn’t mean you cant coordinate with them — in fact, you should. 

Think about your outfits like palettes. Choose colors that go well together but don’t match exactly. Example: If you’re wearing a bold dominant color like red or emerald green, have your partner go more neutral with accents of your color (like a pocket square).

Avoid Loud Patterns

A great patterned fabric can make for a killer outfit, but it won’t translate as well to photos. It usually overwhelms an image, and takes focus away from the true subject: You and your fiancé. It’s better to keep it simple and go with solid colors for your outfit pieces.

Have Fun with Accessories, But Keep Them Simple

A great statement necklace. A cute sun hat. A bold hair barrette. These are all great accessories to wear in engagement photos — but not all at once. If you’re planning to wear accessories with your outfit, choose one or two you love and save the rest for another time.

Be Comfortable and Be You

Engagement photos are a keepsake you’ll want to look back on forever — which is exactly why you want to feel comfortable in what you wear and absolutely, totally, 100% like yourself.

If there’s one piece of advice to leave with about what to wear in engagement photos, make it this: Avoid trying out trends for the first time or going with a choice that doesn’t feel genuine to your personal style, all because you want to have a special look for your engagement photos.

You and your fiancé are what’s special about your photos! I promise. You’ll love your photos best when you can be totally relaxed, in the moment, and not worried about your outfit. Choose something you’re comfortable in and really love, and let your photographer work their magic!

Let Perennial Capture Your Love Story

At Perennial, we ditch the staged poses and fleeting trends to focus on capturing your one-of-a-kind love story — who you really are as a couple, sharing genuine moments with the one you love most.

Whether you’re planning a proposal or ready to share your engagement with the world, we can capture the moment for you. Get in touch to talk more about your vision.