What to Wear for Engagement Photos

Outfit Ideas for Engagement Photos

Engagement photos are one of the most exciting parts of the wedding planning process. Every time you look at those photos for years to come, you will remember the happy time that was your engagement. Because of this, picking out what to wear for your photos can seem a little daunting.

PS: all of our beautiful photos were taken by the sweetest – Kayley Haulmark Photography.

Shop my look: Dress

Shop Winston’s look: bow tie

How to Select Outfits for your Engagement Pics

Identify Your Location

First and foremost, I recommend you choose where you are going to shoot before deciding what you are going to shoot in. I am a firm believer that your environment should be representative of your relationship. For example, if you are known for being a little – ahem – “extra” – you probably shouldn’t take your photos in a barn. I also recommend taking some that are most classic rather than seasonal. Remember you are going to be looking at these photos forever, and unless you just LOVE pumpkin patches year round, that may not be the place to go.

Harry and I chose our location to be in our little neighborhood in Dallas. This allowed us to utilize our apartment pool area, the nearby park, and the beautiful streets. We made this choice because we wanted our photos to depict not only our personalities, but also this time of our lives.

Plan the Scene

Next, before deciding what to wear for your engagement pics, decide what you are wanting to achieve. I would recommend going on Pinterest and looking at all the aesthetics you are considering in order to make sure you get the shots you are wanting. Your photographer will thank you for this! Any type of creative direction helps them understand what you are wanting. They want to make this the best possible experience in order for you to love the final product.

For me, I knew I wanted to have a champagne toast in the park (duh). Winston (my corgi) also had to be involved. I did lots of research ahead of time to make sure I knew exactly how I wanted these photos to go. Doing this also helped me know how I wanted to divide up our time at each of the scenes I had pictured.

FINALLY…

Engagement Picture Tips and Outfit Inspo

I’m going to first share my engagement outfit tips, and then, finally, outfit ideas. If you are looking just for the outfit ideas, go ahead and scroll!

Engagement Photo Outfit Tips

Once you have settled on a location, it is time to choose the ‘fits! A few rules of thumb here:

1 – Make sure your partner is on the same page as you in terms of desired attire for the engagement shoot. This may sound like a no brainer, but you’d be surprised! You don’t want to be wearing a ballgown/tux if he is in shorts and a polo.

2 – Have a backup outfit option just in case. If you get to shoot two looks, have a third picked out in case something gets spilt on, rips, or doesn’t look the way you remember it looking the day of.

3 – If you are the BRIDE (whether you are a she bride, a he bride, or both brides) have one of your outfits be white or at least partially white! I did one red dress and one white, and though I like the background of my photos in red better, the ones in my white dress make me SO happy and excited for our big day!

4 – Make sure to carry a clutch with you to bring oil wipes, a comb, extra lipstick, and even an extra pair of earrings (you can never be too careful).

Engagement Photo Outfit Ideas / Inspo

Now for the fun part… I have hunted the world wide web for some of my FAVORITE engagement photo outfit suggestions for every season, background, and mood. Also, I have linked my outfits (and, of course, Winston’s bow tie) under some of the photos throughout in case you want to shop the look.