8 Tips for Choosing Your Engagement Session Outfits



If you and your partner are trying to choose your engagement session outfits but have no idea where to start, you’ve come to the right place! As a Halifax engagement photographer, I’ve captured couples in every season and many different locations, from downtown streets to the Annapolis Valley vineyards. While the weather and location of your shoot will influence what you wear, a few pointers can help guide your choice no matter where your session will be. Keep scrolling to get tips and plenty of outfit inspiration!

How to Choose Your Engagement Session Outfits

Be True to You

I always recommend that couples wear something that makes them feel confident and like their day-to-day selves. If you wear something out of your norm that makes you feel uncomfortable, it will affect how you feel in front of the camera—which will show in your photos! For example, if you don’t like to dress up, don’t choose a very fancy outfit for your shoot. And leave the itchy sweater and shoes that pinch your feet at home!

Think Date Night

One good rule of thumb is to wear something you’d wear on a typical night out with your partner. You’ll feel comfortable, confident, and sexy! When choosing your outfit, ask yourself, would I wear this to our favorite restaurant? We can even make that happen during our session if we plan accordingly!

Avoid Bold Patterns (or Don’t!)

Typically, I suggest avoiding clothing with bold or busy patterns. However, if there’s a fun, patterned piece you love and want to wear, go for it! The key is to love how you look and feel in what you’re wearing, not necessarily to stick with the status quo. 

Avoid Unflattering Colors

While “flattering” and “unflattering” are highly subjective, the key here is to avoid colors that wash you out. Instead, choose colors that make your skin and hair look healthy and radiant. For example, if yellow has always made you look “blah,” your engagement session isn’t the time to try and make it work.

Choose Outfits with Variety

Choose several outfits to cycle throughout the shoot or one with built-in variety, such as a sweater that comes off or a hat you wear for a few photos. That way, you won’t be in the same outfit the entire time, which will lend some nice variety to your session.

Pamper Yourself

The day of your engagement session is the perfect time to indulge in a little self-care! Use those teeth whitening strips you’ve been neglecting, get a manicure, and have your hair professionally styled (for guys, a fresh haircut and shave!). You can even book a session with your wedding makeup artist to get an idea of their work before the big day.

Keep the Focus on YOU

Ensure you and your partner are the stars of the show by avoiding clothing with distracting logos and accessories that obscure your face, such as a baseball cap. In addition, avoid overly casual items like flip-flops and shorts unless you want to lean into a really laidback, summery feeling.

Complement Each Other

Choosing outfits that look good together is crucial since you’ll both be in most of the photos! Avoid dressing unevenly with one partner very dressed up and the other dressed down. You want to look cohesive, but you also want to avoid looking matchy-matchy. Choose a palette of three or four colors inspired by the season and location of your shoot, and go from there!

I hope these tips for choosing your engagement session outfits have inspired you! As your photographer, I would love to help you decide what to wear or provide feedback on your selections so you can look and feel your best. I can also help you select the perfect location for your Halifax engagement session. Plus, you can find more outfit inspiration on my Pinterest page—follow me there for some ideas!