A common question that newly engaged couples will frequently ask their wedding photographer – what should I wear for my engagement session? Lots of women have thought about their dream wedding dress, but few have thought about clothes for their engagement photos. And if you already have an idea of what you want to wear, you may be unsure how to pair your partner’s clothes with your selection. Let’s get those questions answered.

I always tell my couples to plan on bringing at least 2 or 3 outfits to their session. A good rule of thumb is to plan for one casual outfit and one fancier outfit, that way you get a mix of looks in your photos. And ladies, I suggest at least one outfit for you that includes pants (jeans, leggings, etc). Why, may you ask? There are a lot more poses we can do during your engagement session if you aren’t wearing a skirt or dress that risks exposing something the camera (and photographer!) doesn’t want to see!

Now that you know how many outfits you need, let’s talk about what type of outfits look best in photos. I will say it until I die, neutral colors are the best route to go. Blacks, whites, tans and grays will never go out of style. Plus if you want to hang any photos in your house, you won’t have to worry about neutral colors matching your current decor! Additionally, designing your save the dates and/or wedding stationary will go a lot smoother if you don’t have to worry about matching bright colors.

The second (and arguably the most important) rule for picking out your engagement photo outfits is to keep only ONE person in a pattern. Do not mix patterns. I find it looks best if one person wears a pattern and the other person wears a solid color drawn from the pattern.

And lastly – don’t forget to accessorize! Shoes, jewelry, nails, hats – it’s all important! Adding in accessories can bring your photos to life and make them “pop” just a little bit more. Here are a few ideas of accessories you could add:

Needing a bit more inspiration? Here are few outfits I put together based on a simple google search.

Outfit #1: More Casual

Outfit #2: Fancier Options

If all else fails, send your photographer a photo of what you are thinking of wearing and ask them for their opinion. There’s no such thing as “one size fits all” when it comes to expressing your love through photos. So above all else, remember to reflect who you and your partner truly are when choosing your wardrobe for your engagement photo session.