So you just booked the perfect photographer (you have SUCH great taste by the way), coordinated those schedules, found the right location, and are now left with the final question….what do we wear?! Whether you are dressing a family of five or just you and your boo, figuring out the right outfits can feel totally overwhelming. But don’t worry! We have put together some tips and tricks to finding the right look for YOU 🙂

Dress it Up

A photo session is a great excuse to get dressed up! Maybe there are some special outfits in your closet that rarely see the light of day, or a white dress that didn’t quite make the wedding day cut but would be a perfect engagement session look. Think about what you might wear for a really special night out and go from there! You can take that same approach when it comes to hair and makeup. Keep things natural yet elevated! An engagement session can be a great time to schedule your wedding hair and makeup trial, you will get to see how it looks in photographs and get a little more bang for your buck 😉

Feeling Goooood

If you are a total jeans and t-shirt type of crew, this might not be the time to suddenly change things up. It is important to feel super comfy in what you are wearing! These photographs should be a representation of who you are and what this current slice of life looks like. Rather than feeling like you have to fit into a certain “picture day” mold, aim for the best version of yourself! When you feel good, you look good!

Complimentary Neutrals

When in doubt, you simply can’t go wrong with complimentary neutrals. Building around a minimal color palette is an easy way to guarantee that no outfits clash, and gives you that “together” look. We especially recommend this for larger families! It never hurts to keep the season and location in mind when figuring out your palette. Think creams and pastels for the beach, or earth tones for a fall nature session!

Add a Pop!

While staying away from prints is fairly standard advice for photo sessions, we have always been fans of artful rule breaking 😉 Sometimes throwing in a print or a bold color choice is exactly what you need! The trick is to do it with intention. Every person in your family wearing a different random print? Not so much. Throwing in a couple of prints, patterns, or bright colors that vibe with the overall palette? Absolutely!

Monochrome is Cool

Another classic photo “don’t” is matching. Article after article will tell you to compliment, but never match. But here we go again with the rule breaking! Monochrome looks can be super visually appealing when done properly. You don’t all have to be wearing the exact same thing in order to achieve that chic vibe. Incorporating different textures and layers is a great way of breaking things up. Think about adding a knit sweater to your look or bringing a fuzzy blanket into the mix!

Bring a Prop

If you are feeling a bit of photo anxiety (which is totally normal btw!), having something to do can be really helpful. Maybe it is bringing a picnic set up, or a hobby you share! Tying your session around something familiar can help shed those nerves and allow you to just be yourself. Bring your child’s favorite toy to a family session to help keep things fun, or your favorite drink to an engagement session to, well, help keep things fun! Haha. We all need a little safety blanket sometimes 😉

Do You.

As with any advice that we give, you can absolutely ignore all of this and do exactly what makes you happy! Feeling like yourself is always the top priority, and more than anything else we want the photos to represent you. So wear a top hat, or a neon jumpsuit, or a Canadian tuxedo for all we care! Just do you, and do it with JOY 🙂