I want you both looking madhotsexy™ in your photographs. With that in mind, I’ve put together a few helpful tips about getting ready for your engagement session. Please remember that regardless of what you wear or how much you prepare, we’ll have a great time and create some awesome photos during your engagement session!
What Should I Wear?
You first consideration should be choosing attire appropriate to your location. For example, if we’re meeting at the beach, unless you’ve settled on a stylized fashion-forward engagement session, you probably won’t want to wear your finest evening wear. Likewise, if we’re shooting downtown, board shorts and flip-flops aren’t going to fit very well with local scenery. And if we’re working in a garden setting, high heels are prone to sinking in the lawn so that’s probably not a wise apparel choice either. Think carefully about our shooting location and let that be your first consideration.
In regards to apparel specifics, I generally promote two options. My first suggestion is to wear matching colors. For example, you could both wear blue jeans and white shirts, or khaki pants and black shirts, or you might wear a yellow sun dress and your fiancé might wear a yellow shirt (if you’re a guy and you’re reading this, please switch that around). Put simply, matching is easy, it works, and it makes for great photos. When your apparel combination is simple, people who view your photos will pay attention to you and your expressions instead of what you’re wearing. If you like this idea, I have one caution–make sure that the colors you’re wearing are exactly the same. For example, if you have a new black shirt and your fiancé has a well-washed black shirt, if the washed shirt is slightly faded, that can be very apparent in your photos. Make sure the colors really match!
An alternative suggestion is that instead of wearing matching colors, you can select wardrobe items in the same color palette. If you’re wearing earth tones (brown, tan, green), then your fiancé should also wear earth tones. And if you’re wearing pastel colors (pink, light yellow, light green), then your fiancé should also wear pastels. However, you’ll want to avoid wearing highly contrasting colors. For example, if you’re wearing a dark red shirt, then your fiancé shouldn’t wear a light pink shirt. That kind of contrast can prove jarring in photos. To put it simply, if you’re wearing light colors, then your fiancé should also wear light colors. If you’re wearing dark colors, then your fiancé should also wear dark colors.
After selecting your color scheme, make sure that you’re not wearing clothes with strong patterns, busy prints, or prominent logos. That kind of apparel can draw attention away from your best attributes—your faces and expressions. If you don’t have access to a stylish new wardrobe, you may want to consider a shopping trip before your engagement session. Even if your budget doesn’t allow for new apparel, you might be surprised to learn that some clients purchase new clothes but later return those same items. I know that returning items sounds a little crazy, but stylists for commercial photographers do that all the time! You may also want to take a look at some supplemental information found in my blog post titled Choosing Complementary Colors.
As a final wardrobe consideration, please consider bringing an alternative outfit to the engagement session. Although you’ll likely leave those additional clothes in your car, it’s best to be prepared for any contingency. During one engagement session, a groom dribbled ice cream down the front of his shirt. But we were fine; he had another shirt in his car. In another instance, while driving to the engagement session location, a bride spilled coffee on her skirt. We were again saved by the back-up wardrobe. It’s best to be prepared; you never know what might happen during an engagement session!
Other Recommendations
- If you have any questions about your wardrobe choices, please call me. I’d be happy to talk in more detail about your plans!
- Comfort is a key consideration on your engagement session. We’ll be walking quite a bit so think about comfort when you’re making your shoe choices.
- It’s much easier for you to drop your photographic inhibitions when it’s just the three of us; therefore, only you and your fiancé should attend the engagement session.
- Plan on leaving cell phones, purses, bags, makeup, and other accessories in your car. If your keys are bulky, I’ll carry them for you. We don’t want bulky things in your pockets!
- Make sure your wardrobe is pressed. An insignificant wrinkle can sometimes detract from an otherwise great photo.
- Bras and bra straps often cause problems in photos so ensure that your undergarments aren’t visible through your clothing.
- Remove all tags from white or semi-transparent clothing. Under certain lighting conditions, those tags can be visible in your photos.
- Avoid wearing multiple layers of clothing. If you do wear layers, that can sometimes add perceived weight in your photographs.
- Even for slender subjects, it’s often difficult to focus attention on your face if your bare arm is competing for attention in the photograph. So unless you’re very thin, avoid sleeveless shirts, sweaters, or blouses.
- Avoid wearing distracting jewelry including large watches, rings and earrings as well as prominent necklaces. Jewelry should be kept at a minimum as these items can sometimes detract from the photograph.
- Unless you’re going for the "rugged man" look, the groom should shave no more than a few hours before the engagement session. I’ll be taking several close up photographs where facial hair shadow will be evident.
- Getting a manicure a few days before the engagement session is sometimes a good idea–even for gentlemen. Pedicures are also great if we’re doing any barefoot shots or if you intend to wear open toed shoes.
- Try to get a good night’s sleep before your photo session and avoid alcohol. You’d be amazed how easily bags under your eyes can detract from your photos!
If you’d like to use this information on your own web site, please place the following statement and link (URL) wherever you use this text: "This information was provided by Los Angeles wedding photographer Rob Greer (http://www.robgreerweddings.com)." Thanks a bunch!
