So he just popped the question and you need some winter engagement photos, but you aren’t sure what to wear. I was just in this situation. After scouring Pinterest I came up with some general rules that I wanted to follow. In this blog post I’m sharing some tips on planning what to wear for engagement photos and sharing some photos from our engagement shoot.
This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you were to purchase any of the items linked at no additional cost to you. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
We had a lot of fun shooting our winter engagement photos! We ended up taking photos in the woods and also in some prairie grass. I didn’t think I would like the yellow/orange prairie, but I think the photos turned out really pretty. And I love how the color of my dress really popped in both locations.
The dress I’m wearing I found on Lulu’s for $62. And here are some other similar options:
Pick a Style and Location
When planning your engagement photos you should first pick your style. For example, are you more of a city or country couple? For me, I dreamed of a lodge-themed wedding and Luke and I love cabin retreats, so woodsy pictures made sense.
You can listen to your photographer for different ideas for locations, but I asked my friends to take my photos and I already had the location selected. For those of you in Iowa, these were taken at Jester Park in Granger, Iowa. There are tons of places to take photos in that area!
Be Dramatic, If You Want
There aren’t many occasions in my life where I will get to wear a dramatic dress. So I am taking any chance I get during this engagement and wedding period to be as “extra” as I want.
We only shot one outfit but generally couples have a wardrobe change.
Luke wore a plain shirt and jeans. I wanted him to wear neutral colors so my dress would pop. His more casual look also made the photos seem not too formal. Also, these were clothes he already had in his closet and I didn’t feel the need to go buy him a new outfit.
Incorporate Your Wedding Colors
I’m starting to think of my wedding like a brand. I want it all to be cohesive, using the same color palette. My wedding colors are burgundy, blush, whites and greens. I’m planning to have all my bridesmaids wear burgundy, but I decided I wanted to wear this color for my engagement photos.
Wear White, If Possible
When I pictured my engagement photos, I alway assumed they would be taken in the summer time and I would be wearing a white sundress. I also used to think I would wear white for the entirety of my engagement. Wearing white is traditional, but I like that. For winter engagement photo sessions, consider incorporating a white sweater.
When I first bought my engagement photo clothes, I wanted some dramatic shots and some more casual shots. It had not yet snowed in Iowa, so I bought the perfect white sweater. However, after it snowed, I knew the white sweater in front of the white snow wasn’t going to look great.
If there is snow on the ground, consider wearing your white sweater indoors. We could have done another outfit, but my goal for this shoot was to just get one good shot to have on our save the date cards.
Make It As Timeless As You Can
These are photos you are going to cherish forever, so you want them to stand the test of time. Something that I think ages photos quite dramatically are patterns. If you know me, I am the biggest fan of buffalo check. However I resisted the urge to include this pattern in my photos because I am worried it will date them.
The dress I wore was simple, yet made a statement. Its clean lines make it timeless, to me. Unfortunately, photography styles change constantly so no matter what your photos will look dated eventually.
Wear Layers to Stay Warm
The dress I wore had an open back and it was around 30 degrees when we took these photos. So, I was cold. If possible, wear layers. I knew my legs weren’t going to be exposed so I wore tights for a little extra warmth. I also wore boots and socks!
Have Fun
Don’t forget to have fun with it! Anything related to weddings can easily become stressful, don’t make this one of the things causing you stress. Also, being playful will help bring out your genuine smiles. Luke had me cracking up by whispering to me during our shoot.
These guidelines are just rules I made up and decided to follow for my shoot, of course, you should always make up your own! It’s YOUR time so enjoy it!
Thanks for reading!
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