A few months ago, I started a series I titled “Wedding Wednesdays”, which was to be used as a reference for all of our Sarah E Brides! Unfortunately, I think I started this series during the busiest time possible! And so, with constant sessions and the Christmas season beginning, Wedding Wednesday slowly took a back seat, which is sad because I really love this idea! So, as it’s a new year, I’m re-introducing Wedding Wednesdays! Hoping that it will be as much of a joy for you as it was for me to put together! And since Wedding Season will be here before we know it, this post is meant to be a helpful tool for planning your outfits for your engagement shoot!!

When you’re prepping for your engagement session, there are a few things to keep in mind. This is supposed to be FUN! This is the shoot with no pressure. On the wedding day we’ll be crunched for time, your dress won’t be able to get dirty and there won’t be time to chat and get to know one another.  Your engagement session is your chance to get to know me, get comfortable with how I work and have FUN in front of the camera. Now don’t get me wrong, your wedding day will be a BLAST! But it’s so helpful to have a great engagement session before the big day so that you know what to expect! My couples that have an engagement session are PROS by the wedding day and it shows!
Please don’t think that you need to apply EVERY tip and trick, that’s not true. Just view this post as a guideline to help you make outfit decisions that you’ll end up LOVING! So here are my TOP TEN tips and recommendations for making decisions about engagement sessions outfits! Enjoy! 1. Most of my couples have two outfits for their engagement session. One outfit is normally on the dressier side and one outfit is more relaxed and casual. This is one of my most highly recommended tips!

2. Coordinating doesn’t mean “matching”.  Wearing the same color in a different shade is actually more ideal than trying to find the EXACT color!

3. Some couples plan their attire to coordinate with their wedding day so that their Save The Dates match the wedding theme, decor and wedding colours! You definitely don’t have to do this though!!

4. Don’t over think it! Some of my favorite outfits have been when the guy is just wearing a simple colored v-neck!

5. If one of you is wearing something with a lot of color and pattern, sometimes it’s best to have the other person wear a neutral! Balance is KEY!

6. Accessorize! Scarves, necklaces, belts…. I love them all! They can add so much to an outfit!

7. Make sure you are equal when it comes to how formal your attire is. If the bride is wearing a little black dress…. the groom probably shouldn’t be in shorts and tennis shoes.

8. Don’t be afraid to be yourself and wear something that is unique to you! It’s great to wear a dress with a cardigan…. that’s probably what I would wear!… but if you have a unique style, be sure to show it off!

9. If you’re wearing plaid, the bigger the better!! This is just a personal preference. However, it is true that larger plaid photographs better than tiny little checkered patterns. It would be better to have a solid dress shirt than a shirt with teeny tiny patterns. The camera can’t pick those tiny patterns up from far away!

10. Last but not least, this is a tip that I highly recommend paying attention to: Wear attire that is flattering to your figure and your skin tone.  It seems like common sense but I’m guilty of this all of the time. We all know that everyone has certain things that look GREAT on them and certain things that aren’t really made for them. If you don’t like the way you look in stripes on a normal, day-to-day basis, you’re not going to love the way you look in your images that I take. If you’re self conscious about your legs, don’t wear a mini-skirt. If you’re self-conscious about your arms, it’s probably not smart to wear a sleeveless top. Bottom line, make sure you wear something that you’re comfortable in. Sure, I’m going to teach you how to pose in super flattering ways, but you’ll love your images so much more if you wear an outfit that you’re comfortable and CONFIDENT in!! Confidence photographs well!!