so here's the rundown!
I know it can feel kind of daunting to pick what to wear for photos.. Here are a few guidelines I've put together to make sure you look and feel your best, while still making sure the images are focused on your guys’ love, not what you’re wearing. Full disclaimer, this is just what I’ve found to work best from trial and error from past shoots, they’re only guidelines! The most important thing to me is that you guys feel and look like yourselves.
make sure it makes sense:
Think about the conditions and locations we are going to be shooting in and plan around it. If we are shooting on a sandy beach for example I usually recommend you don’t wear shoes to help (ps: heels are almost always a bad idea in most scenarios unless you’re freakishly good at walking in them or you plan to do more formal photos with less movement). If it’s freezing cold outside, bring lots of layers and warm clothes with wool socks and boots. If it’s going to be hot, bring clothes that can breathe more so you don’t have sweaty pit stains in the photos - be as comfortable as you can be!
tips:
If you're in brand new jeans that are still stiff and tight, you might be distracted during the shoot trying to make sure everything stays in place as well as lets you sit and run and move around in - since a large portion of your session there will be movement, like walking, dancing and spinning around. I recommend bringing clothes that are "broken in" so that you'll be as comfortable as possible. I also love when people bring clothing or accessories that can show movement like long skirts and dresses that catch wind because it adds energy to the photos and looks gorgeous!
Incorporate texture whenever you can - ripped jeans, jean jackets, sweaters, etc.
I typically recommend sticking with neutrals and earthy tones. Neutrals don’t mean just grays and browns, there are neutrals in every color. Stay away from bright fluorescent distracting colors. The only specific colors I typically recommend staying away from are bright pinks and reds- a lot of the time it results in giving you a really pink/orange skin tone. I always recommend sticking to light wash jeans unless you prefer black - and a reminder that denim-on-denim is totally fine and I personally love the look!
Layer up! If you have a flannel or jacket you can layer, do it! We can always take a few with and without your layered pieces.
I personally love the more casual look instead of a button-down and dress pants… but this doesn’t mean it can’t look “put together”.
patterns:
Avoid big, loud, chunky, crazy patterns. The smaller or more subtle, the better! If the pattern is too loud, it will distract from your face. I usually try to avoid pairing more than two patterns together because, you guessed it, it makes the photos feel a little hectic and distracting from your faces and the location (see first photo).
hair + makeup:
A lot of people ask me whether or not they should get your hair and makeup done by a pro. My answer is always "whatever will make you feel best, do that." I absolutely don't think it's necessary whatsoever, because in my personal opinion,
Brides to be: if you're planning to have hair + makeup done by someone for your wedding day, now would be a great time to schedule your trial run for your engagement session
If you're getting hair + makeup done, I recommend you schedule to be done at least an hour before you have to leave for the shoot so you aren't late. Also, if you're whiter than toothpaste like me and want a spray tan, be sure to get a suuuuper natural airbrushed spray tan rather than one from a salon/tanning place. We don't want you looking like an oompa loompa!
props:
When I think “props”, my mind flashes through all of the cringe-worthy Pinterest photos I’ve seen of cheesy chalkboards and hobby lobby props brought to shoots just aren't my style of photos. But props don’t have to be cheesy! Props could be a pizza picnic, a motorcycle, a boat, blankets, a truck/car, a campfire, a bouquet, a paddleboard, etc. If you have props you wanna incorporate, let me know and we can make sure to incorporate them in a non-cheesy way!
If you have any more questions, don’t hesitate to ask! If you’re still freaking out about what to wear, feel free to shoot me a picture or two of what you’re thinking so I can help out! But overall, just wear what you’re comfortable in and feel like YOU in. A pair of Vans you’ve had since 8th grade? Great. A sweater you wore for basically a month straight? Awesome. A hat that you know your mom hates? Perfect. You do you, and I promise the photos will turn out amazing!
If needed, here is a little more inspo! 
