client Resource
What to wear for your engagement photos.
DO THIS BEFORE YOU START SELECTING PIECES
Figuring out what to wear for your photo shoot is usually the final part of session preparations. You've selected the photographer, booked a date and time, and now you just need outfits. But before you start pulling everything out of your closet and filling up an online shopping cart, follow these steps to get an idea of what you will be looking for to avoid being overwhelmed and irritated.
1. Decide if you want to stick with one outfit or two. Having two outfits is a great idea to add more variety to your shoot and capture multiple sides of your personality. But finding a place to change in the location you are shooting may be difficult, so take this into consideration when making your decision.
2. Settle on the style, vibe, or theme you want. It can be glamorous evening wear, still dressy but less formal Sunday best, total business, classic southern country, vintage boho, coastal, business casual, everyday casual, or athletic apparel. Choose a style that you feel accurately represents you as a couple and also makes sense in the location that you are shooting. For my couples planning two outfits with LaVonda Gale Photography, I recommend choosing two styles that are opposite - something formal / dressy and something more relaxed.
3. Decide what type of pieces you will be looking for. Think about what you will feel most comfortable and confident in based on your body type and what the weather should be like that day - short sleeve, long sleeve, pants, shorts, dress, etc. Then decide if your desired look will need multiple layers or accessories - jackets, ties, hats, cardigans, etc. TIP: If you feel stuck or indecisive on this part, think about the shoes you want to wear. Let that help you navigate making the other decisions.
FIGURE OUT THE FIRST LOOK
Once you've laid the foundation for what you are looking for, it's time to start shopping for the first look. Choosing everything else will be easy after that is selected. Decide which person will be the more difficult to dress and have that person's outfit be the first look. Sift through his / her current wardrobe to see if anything fits the criteria of what you are looking for. If not, take to the stores to buy something new. As you are putting this look together, make sure it gets tried on (accessories and all) before committing to it. You will want to measure comfort, confidence, and the ability to move around so that you aren't restricted to the kinds of posing you can do during the photo shoot.
LET THE FIRST LOOK INSPIRE THE SECOND
After you secure the first look, build a color palette. Do this by looking at the first look as a whole, (shoes, accessories and all) and pulling out 2-3 colors. At least one of those needs to be a neutral. Then, find those colored pieces for the second look that are in the desired style and cut. You'll want to be sure the colors in the second look are the same shade as the first. Other than that, you don't need to duplicate the first look. Although it looks fine when outfits mirror one another (same colored tops and same colored bottoms), it looks better when the outfits are only complimentary (two completely separate looks that have the same feel and color scheme). It's more dynamic and adds more visual interest to your overall image. When you think you have the second look all planned out, look at it side by side with first (preferably with both of you wearing them). Make sure the two looks pair well together and you are happy and both of you both are happy with them.
IF THERE IS MORE LEFT TO PLAN
If you are planning to do a second outfit for both of you, repeat the process. Pick your style. Decide what kind of pieces you want. Complete the first look (of the second outfit). Build the color palette. Build a complimentary second look. See both looks side by side and make sure you are both happy with them.
If you will be adding children or other people to your engagement session and you have more outfits to choose, apply the same principle used to build the second look to the rest of the collection. Stick to the original color palette built from the first look and find coordinating pieces (same style and cut) that compliment (not mimic or mirror) the other two looks. Check out my blog post "Family Photo Outfits" to get more insight on coordinating for multiples and selecting color palettes.
Lots of Love,
LaVonda Gale
