How to dress for your engagement shoot

Ok, you’re all excited for your engagement session. You are dyyyying to have one. You know where you want the shoot. You’re almost almost there people. Now what’s a person to wear? My engagement sessions are 2 hours, so that usually allows for one outfit change. So I suggest one more casual/fun outfit and one more dressy outfit. Ok, that’s great. But what to wear? AHH. Here are some tips:

• Go bold or go home. Bold colors. Bold jewelry. Bold choices are best. Yes, black is slimming *yawn*. But you know how much more fun photos are with a bright purple dress?? Or a big, chunky necklace? Don’t wear itty bitty prints or jewelry. They just disappear into a mush in your photos.

• Wear a similar aesthetic but do not wearing matching clothing. Are you trying to scare me?? You can wear the same color . And you should have the same ‘feel’.

• I’m not trying to scare you *oh God here comes the but* but in my experience, if someone is unhappy with their photos, 9 times out of 10? It’s because they don’t like their clothes. Maybe they thought that dress was amazing but when they saw the photos? It looked baggy. Or wrinkled. Or just not right. And you know what? It’s really freakin’ hard to know what looks good on you. I don’t. So this winter, I hired a stylist. Yup. Ohhhh, I’m from Hollywood now! I just asked her to come up with three outfits I could go to cocktail parties, network, or meet a client in. She told me I don’t look good in gray (ooppsss….80% of my wardrobe is gray), don’t wear the mustard yellow I sent to her as my favorite shirt pick. Ha! And she told me to go towards corals/navys/purples/greens- colors I ran away from like the plague! I thought they would make my pale skin look too washed out or red!! But you know what? I tried on the outfits. Holy shiot. I was blown away. I was WRONG. And I plan on hiring her again to help me pick some outfits for an anniversary shoot with me and my wife. And shocker- it’s not expensive. At all.

• And a word about makeup: everyone listen up. If you don’t ever ever wear makeup (boys included) please for the love of all that is holy, wash your face with a matte face wash. Oil is my enemy. Photoshop can’t help you with an oily face. Then slap on some chapstick and some loose powder on your t-zone. That goes for everyone. If you want to wear a bit more makeup or looooove you some makeup, this would be a good day to have your makeup trial. This way, you get professional makeup for your photos and you get one more thing checked off your wedding to-do list. Remember, the camera takes away a lot of makeup, so if you’re thinking ‘Is this too little?’ it is. And honestly, I know many makeup people who will do your hair and makeup for a lot less then you would think. I always recommend it.