SO..... you've booked your session. Now you're probably wondering, BUT WHAT WILL I WEAR ? This is a question I get asked alllllll the time. I'll be honest with you - your outfit choices can make or break a photograph! It's so true. You can have the most beautiful beach or the rockiest mountains as a stunning back drop but if you're wearing a lime green dress with giant orange polka dots, and your future husband is wearing red pants and a chevron shirt - no one is going to be noticing the two of you and the gorgeous location. They're going to be focusing on your mismatched trainwreck of an outfit. That why I created this little guide - I'm here to help you pick out clothes that aren't going to take away from you and your love, but to compliment you both instead! Lets get started!
First thing first - Comfort is KEY.
Want to know the secret to those really beautiful photographs where the girl is throwing her head back with laughter and their hair is blowing in the wind and they're both just lovin' up on each other ? It's comfort. They're comfortable with each other, with their surrounding, with their photographer.. but most importantly their comfortable with what they're wearing. Straight up, the first thing I like to say to my clients is take your favourite outfit.. the one that you would throw on for date night or if you were going out for a casual night with friends AND WEAR THAT. Not only do you feel beautiful in it (if you don't feel beautiful in your favourite outfit are you sure it's really your favourite ?) but you will be comfortable. Chances are if you're wearing a pair of tight jeans, 6 inch heels and an off the shoulder shirt that you keep fixing every five minutes, you won't feel comfortable. And I can 100% tell you that it will translate directly into your photographs. So make sure you're comfortable, and you'll get those "throw your head back with laughter" type of photos.
Lets talk about colour!
One of the first things to consider when picking out your outfit for your session is what colours you're going to wear. I like to start out by telling my clients that neutral colours are going to be your best friend. The idea is that we're going to be taking photos of YOU not your outfit. So you'll want to stray away from colours that may take away from you and your love. Colours like electric blue, and hot pink aren't going to do this. But if you go for a navy or burgundy these colours are more neutral and will compliment rather than clash! I'm not saying wear black and white and we'll call it a day. But if you have looked at my photographs you'll see that I tend to play off of earthy elements. I love colour, don't get me wrong - but those earthy, neutral colours will make you love your photos more!
Now that we've covered which colours will make your photos look great, how do you pick out exactly which colours to wear ? I recommend thinking of the colours of the location we're shooting in and picking which colours are going to create a good contrast. FOR EXAMPLEEEE - if you're shooting on a beach the colours tend to be lighter, and softer. SO in this case I would pick some darker colours so that it will pull the focus in towards you. If we were shooting in a dark forest setting, then bring in lighter colours to help you stand out. Just remember when you're picking out outfits for both of you that complimentary is good, matching is bad. We don't want you guys to both be wearing jeans and white t-shirts. So try and mix it up with colours that compliment each other.
Wearing Patterns
I looooove patterns. I've got a few plaid shirts in my closet that have become staples in my wardrobe. They're such a loyal piece of clothing and they go great with jeans or leggings which are my go to. THAT BEING SAID - patterns can be sooooo tricky when it comes to picking out your clothes for your session. My first suggestion when it comes to wearing patterns at all is making sure that only one person is wearing a pattern at a time. If you're wearing a gorgeous flowing floral dress, and your future husband is wearing a plaid shirt it's going to create a visual battle of where your eyes should focus on your images. So, put on that floral dress and have bae throw on something a little more simple!
Things like floral patterns, and plaids are great and look so beautiful in a photograph. Just make sure that these patterns are on the smaller scale. When you get into BIG bulky patterns they are super distracting in a photo and the first thing you will notice when you see it is what you wore and not who was wearing it. So definitely opt for a more subtle pattern if you're going in the direction of patterns!
Lastly, take in to consideration the location of where you're getting your photo taken before you decide on a pattern. When you get into a location that has a ton of texture and has busy backgrounds a pattern is just going to be fighting to be seen. When you're at a location that is soft and subtle bringing patterns in through your outfits creates something that is more visually appealing!
Material & Fabrics
I'll say this again because I feel that it is so important when it comes to picking out your session outfits. COMFORT IS KEY. Make sure you're comfortable in what you're going to be wearing. Try to avoid stiff fabrics that are hard to move around in, and sit down in, and run around like an idiot in. If we're doing a winter session dress warm! Find clothes that are flannel, or wool so that you can retain some heat. If it's the dead of summer and HOT HOT HOT wear that flowy sundress or those cute denim shorts!
Iron or steam your clothing. That's it. just do it.
My favourite materials are ones that can get caught in the wind. Those flowy dresses give me lifeeeee! I like to bring movement and motion into your photographs and flowy dresses or shirts are great for that!
Props & Accessories
Thinking about incorporating a prop ? When I was first starting out those chalkboard signs with a couples wedding date, or that big letter from Michael's representing the first letter of the couple's last name sounded like I was going to be creating pinterest masterpieces. Which was really cool at the time! You may have noticed that i've strayed away from that style of shooting now! When I'm talking about props and accessories I want you to incorporate something that actually means something to your relationship. Are you guys obsessed with your dog ? BRING THE DOG. PLEASE BRING YOUR DOG. Motorcycle ? Truck ? Beers ?
Basically what I'm getting at is that if you want to incorporate some sort of prop into your session - make it mean something to both of you. I'm sure if you had a sweet photo of both of you with your dog, or on a motorcycle you would be more likely to hang that up in your house than a photo of you holding a chalkboard with a date on it.
ACCESSORIES ARE MY JAM. Wear jewellery, wear that hat, bring your sunglasses. You got a scarf ? SWEET i love scarves. Thats going to add interest to your outfits. And the best thing about them ? If you're not feeling them, you just take them off. So simple. The only accessory that I don't normally encourage is watches. This is because when doing close up shots and when you touch each other's faces / hair (you will be touching faces and hair - I can guarantee it) it's just a big circle that can be super distracting. So I don't normally recommend a watch.
