Here is the rundown
So you're wondering what you should wear
Man oh man. I know it can feel kind of daunting to pick what to wear for photos. Here are a few guidelines I’ve put together so you guys can be sure to look great and feel so special, while still making sure the images are focused on your guys’ love, not what you’re wearing.
This advice is just what I’ve found to work best from trial and error from past shoots, they’re only guidelines, not rules!
Ultimately, I want you guys to look like yourselves. Don’t feel like if you don’t follow these guidelines that your photos are gonna suck. The most important thing to me is that you guys feel and look like yourselves, how you normally dress, so you can be as comfortable as possible! A lot of people try to go shopping for new clothes for the shoot beforehand but I actually recommend not going that route. Bring stuff you normally wear, stuff that’s already in your closet that you love and feel yourselves in. An old band t shirt and ripped jeans? Perfect. A lot of my couples will go shopping for “nicer” looking clothes which is totally fine, but sometimes they regret not just wearing they feel like themselves in. Who cares if you look back at the photos in 20 years and laugh about what you’re wearing? As long as it represented what you guys are like right now, thats all that matters. Plus, guys are usually not all that stoked about putting on a collared ironed button up with dress shoes if they’re used to wearing t-shirts and sneakers every day. Pinky promise they’ll be way more happy to be at the shoot if you don’t force an outfit he thinks is stupid.
Options: your new best friend.
Here's a few guidelines to help if you're feeling lost
I always recommend to bring options. To get the best results, I’ll pick and pull from the options you bring for you guys to change into for each location we shoot at. This way I can make sure the outfits compliment the environment so that the focus is on you two. All you have to do is make sure you bring stuff that you feel like a million bucks in that we can pick and pull from!
Make sure it makes sense
Think about the conditions and locations we are going to be shooting in and plan around it. If we are going to be at a grassy park, bring shoes with good grip and you won’t twist your ankles in. If we are shooting on a sandy beach, it would look weird if you’re wearing shoes (ps heels are almost always a bad idea in most scenarios, unless you’re good at walking in them haha). If it’s going to be hot, bring clothes that can breathe more so you don’t have sweaty armpit stains in the photos.
Most importantly, be as comfortable as you can be!
Patterns
Avoid big, loud, chunky, crazy patterns. The smaller or more subtle, the better! If the pattern is too loud, it will distract from your faces.
I usually try to avoid pairing too many patterns together because, you guessed it, it makes the photos feel a little hectic and distracting from your faces and the location. Also, be sure to iron your clothes before so there’s not huge wrinkles distracting from your faces either!
Props
When I think “props”, my mind flashes through all of the cringe-worthy Pinterest photos I’ve seen of cheesy chalkboards and hobby lobby props brought to shoots that basically just make me wanna barf. But props don’t have to be cheesy! Props could be a dominos pizza picnic, a motorcycle, your pets, blankets, a truck/car, a campfire, a bouquet, a paddle board, etc. If you have props you wanna incorporate, let me know and we can make sure to incorporate them in a non-cheesy way!
Hair & Makeup
Many people ask me whether or not they should get their hair and makeup done by a pro. My answer is always, “whatever will make you feel best, do that.” I absolutely don’t think it’s necessary whatsoever because, in my personal opinion, I would rather look like MYSELF rather than a super glammed up version of myself, especially because I wear pretty minimal makeup with a messy top knot anyways.
But, if you want your hair and makeup done, then definitely do it, because the most important thing is that you feel confident. If you’re getting hair and makeup done, I recommend you schedule to be done at least an hour before you have to leave for the shoot, so you aren’t late.
Final thoughts
If you have anymore questions, don’t hesitate to let me know! If you’re still freakin out about what to wear feel free to shoot me a pic or two of what you’re thinking, or we can create a little Pinterest board together!
But overall, just wear what you’re comfortable in and feel like you in. A pair of Vans you’ve had since 8th grade? Great. A sweater you wore for basically a month straight? Awesome. A hat that you know your mom hates? Perfect. You do you, and I promise the photos will turn out amazing.
Sharing with you the Pinterest board I've created for your outfit inspiration.