Engagement | Don’t Be Boring, BE BOLD

It happens. 99.999% of the time I’m shooting an engagement session, the bride will email me and ask…..”uh… what should we wear?!” And the best basic advice I give is to pick a color or style & coordinate, but don’t be matchy-matchy.

What does that mean?

Simple- for the lady I suggest you pick an outfit or style that you’re comfortable & confidant in. For me, this means something with structure. I like a fitted jacket, high waist skirt, etc. Then- pick a color and find accessories or pieces that work that color well. As for the guy, let your lady pick her outfit first, then coordinate with her. If she’s in jeans, you don’t want to be in a suit. What color did she pick? Perhaps pick a shirt, tie, etc. with that color too. See, this isn’t hard 🙂

Below are a few examples of what I’m talking about.

Both Liz & Karen opted to choose a colorful accessory (a scarf) in their wedding colors. Then their men chose button-down shirts that coordinated with the scarf.

Melissa & Jonathan took a slightly different approach that worked so well too… this time, more coordinating their style…. rustic, casual. Her lace dress, cardigan & boots paired perfectly with his jeans and plaid shirt. You’ll also notice her cardigan matches the plaid color in his shirt.

And one last one… US! Jeremy & I were photographed by Jonathan Canlas last fall and I knew I wanted these photos to hang in our beach house…. so of course, our outfits had to coordinate with the beach house decor- navy blue & khaki it was….. then what to wear in those colors?

We photographers are no different than you are, we tear apart our closets, search the mall and online stores to find the perfect look. After buying and returning about 14 different things, Jeremy and I both settled on items we already owned… funny how that happens!

I love how the plaid in my skirt mimics the gingham in his shirt, and we each are donning the navy & khaki in different pieces…. my scarf & shoes to his shirt and my skirt to his jacket.