{Styling Tips} What to Wear For Your Engagement Photos: Some DOs & DON’Ts

I remember planning my wardrobe choices for my own engagement photos.  We took them in February and I remember having a hard time finding what I wanted in stores.  In the end I went with two wardrobe choices: a cute dress for some more formal photos, and a super casual jeans & tee for some fun and playful ones on the beach.  I’ve learned a lot since then about what makes a good engagement photo outfit, and wanted to share with you today.  Here are some DOs & DON’Ts:

{DO wear a pop of color}

Nothing looks better in a photo than a pop of color.  Whether it is in your wardrobe, props, or location, color will add a bit of life and fun.  I love the idea of throwing on a colorful scarf that you can take on and off.

{DON’T wear anything TOO trendy}

While you want to wear something cute and fun and current, you DON’T want to look dated when you look back on your photos. You want your photos to be timeless. You want to enjoy looking at them for years to come rather than looking back in five years and saying, “what was I thinking with all of that neon!?” Find a balance between wearing something you love that is current and timeless as well, like the choices above.

{DO wear something that is flattering}

If you buy something new, make sure it fits well and flatters you from all angles.  You’ll be moving around and getting photographed from all angles.  Keep in mind that flowy tops often billow out with movement and wind and may not look flattering in photographs (take a clip or hair claw to pinch back excess fabric for more formal photos just in case!)

{DON’T wear anything too revealing}

This is probably pretty obvious, but keep it classy.  You can be sexy without being too revealing. Remember, your family members will see these photos. Your KIDS will someday see these photos.  No side boob, no super mini skirts, no extremely low cut tops. And remember to make sure your outfit isn’t too revealing when you’re standing, sitting, jumping around, or whatever you want to do in your photos.  Which brings me to…

{DO wear something you can play in}

You want to have some playful photos that show your fun side. Choose one outfit that you can play in and one outfit that is a little dressier for formal portraits.

{DON’T wear anything that isn’t YOU}

You want your engagement photos to represent who you are, so wear what you usually wear.  If you’ve never worn a hat in your life, don’t wear a hat in your photos.  If your fiancé has never worn a suit, don’t make him wear one for your photos.  Surround yourself in both the photo setting and your wardrobe in things that represent your life and who you are.

{DO remember the little things}

Don’t forget to pay attention to your shoes, jewelry, hands & feet, and of course, your engagement ring.  That means wear cute and clean shoes, add a statement necklace or cute accessory, get a manicure & pedicure, clean your ring so it really sparkles, and don’t forget to wear it – you’ll want it featured in some photos!

In the coming weeks I’ll have a post for you about how to achieve great engagement photos (for me, that includes a cocktail!).  But wardrobe styling is a very important step in that process, so start here and choose your outfits (I would pick two!) and then come back soon for more tips.

Do you have any addtional DO’s and DON’Ts for engagement styling to share?  For more ideas of what to wear, check out our engagement pinterest board (and FYI, if you click through on any photos and get a “suspicious link” warning, it is just because our new url redirects to the unhyphenated ohlovelyday.com, which Pinterest flags as suspicious.  But any Oh Lovely Day links on Pinterest are totally safe!)

{photo credits} matt clayton via inspired by this | Grace & Kenneth | Colleen & Kris | Brittany & Rob | Lindsay & Andrew | Chandra & Jonathan| Elizabeth & Michael | Olivia & Brennan