I'm so glad you are here to check out some recent work. I'm a Colorado wedding photographer that shoots all around the country. The blog is filled with full wedding and portrait sessions, and includes weddings planning tips and inspiration.
January 21, 2021
Congrats, you’re engaged! Now the fun part—getting to plan your engagement photos! And with that, your engagement photo outfits. Probably the #1 question I get asked for engagement sessions is what to wear for engagement photos. There are many variables that go into this, such as time of year, location, and personal style.
I’ve written out a pretty extensive guide on tips and advice for what to wear to your engagement session, but I’ve refreshed it a bit for 2025 and 2026. Fashion trends are always changing, BUT what works well if front of the camera usually stays the same.
Hopefully this helps! If you want to see some full sessions where I think the couples NAILED the outfits, then definitely check out;
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The first tip I always give to couples is to lean towards solids colors. Some patterns can be distracting in photos. You want the main attention to be on you and your love when it comes to your engagement photo outfits. For the exact colors, that is up to you! I tend to love neutrals, but pops of color can work too.
Try to think about the environment you will be shooting at. Is it a lake? A grassy field? A Snowy mountain? A downtown bar? This can all play into your decision.
Below, Emmalie and Christian wear neutral solid colors for their forest engagement session.
Just because I noted above that solid colors are great for engagement photos, that does not mean that you CAN’T do patterns. As long as the pattern isn’t distracting and taking your eyes away from the subject, then go for it! Sometimes it can even add to the fun of the engagement photo outfit. The more serious rule of thumb here is to maybe only have ONE pattern between the two of you, so that they are not competing.
Emma (below) wore a cute floral patterned dress! Which was perfect for wildflower season in Boulder, CO.
This is a new favorite tip of mine. While I do love ‘plain’ colors and no patterns on outfits, I do find that it helps if ONE of you are wearing a non-distracting pattern. That way, a texture is formed between the two of you. It sort of breaks up the monotony of the look. Here are some examples where there was one pattern between the couple. (Below)
If you need some inspiration for the vibe of styling you are going for, here are some current popular aesthetics I’ve been seeing a lot of lately;
There are lots of great places to take summer engagement photos, but living in Colorado, a lot of couples love to take their engagement photos in the snowy winter too. Just because you’re bundled up, doesn’t mean you can’t look fashionable. Winter engagement photo outfits are just as fun. Think about adding a cute knit hat, chunky winter boots, and some plaid.
Winter is one of the harshest months for engagement photos, yet we still want to look cute. Depending on the weather, I highly recommend bundling up with cozy layers. Another helpful tip is to bring hand warmers inside your gloves. When you aren’t capturing those special moments, you can warm yourself back up with the hand warmers (and extra layers), then dash out into the cold for short bursts of photos to keep both your love and body warm. Winter wear can still be functional AND fashionable!
I love the cozy sweater vibe and big snow boots!
Long gone are the days of matching with your partner. But for engagement outfits, it’s best to not stray too far from each others styles. You still want your photos and outfits to look cohesive. I tell my couples to “coordinate, not match”. This means you can stay within the same color palette, or some ‘vibe’ whether it be formal, casual, or vibrant.
Below are some examples where couples kept it in the same realm for style and color scheme.
I personally think that casual engagement photo outfits are perfect for your engagement photos. My view on this is that you will be super dressed up for your actual wedding, with hair and makeup. Engagement photos are ‘extra’ professional photos of you, so why not have them be un-formal!? With more casual outfits, we can also ‘play’ more. By that I mean we can run, roll around, piggy back, climb rocks, etc. It gives us more freedom to experiment and get silly during engagement sessions, that we may not get to do on the actual wedding day
This may be the most important advice; make sure your outfit choice represents YOU. No need to play dress up to completely turn into another person. These are your photos to remember you as a couple forever by. Add a little personal touch in there! (I love how Christian, below, wore his cowboy hat to their engagement session).
Why have one outfit when you can have two!? I usually tell my couples that there will be time for an outfit change mid-shoot if they want to switch up their style. This is when I’d suggest one outfit that is more formal, and one that is more casual. But which one do you wear first!? Well, ultimately, that is up to you, but I find that couples tend to “loosen” up a bit more throughout the shoot, and we eventually get to running around and maybe even rolling around in the dirt towards the end. So for this reason, I sometimes suggest the more formal outfit first.
Where should you be shopping for your engagement outfits? Here are some of my recent favorite stores;
OAS – Love their men’s casual clothes!
Hopefully this helped a little bit with figuring out what to wear for your engagement session. If you are also wondering WHERE to take your engagement photos, especially in Colorado, I have a guide for that;
Check out this post on the 20 Best Colorado Engagement Session Locations!
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