Finding the Perfect Outfit for Engagement Photos

A lot of people have been asking about what I wore to our engagement photo shoot, so I thought it made sense to write about how to find the perfect outfit for engagement photos.

A little back story, my Fiancé and lived in New York City, and we relocated about two years ago to Arizona. It was super important to us (ok to me) to do our engagement pictures back in Manhattan, since we’re getting married out west. We picked three locations for our shoot: Central Park, Flatiron, and Times Square (what’s more New York City than that?).

We are fairly casual people, and wanted the pictures to be a true representation of ourselves. Jesse (my fiancé) is a jeans and t-shirt kind of guy. I knew he would be the most comfortable in something like jeans, so khaki pants were an easy choice. With all of the commotion in the photos, a solid shirt for him was a must! We found a fantastic black polo at Nordstrom and went with that.

Prior to finding the perfect dress for our engagement photo shoot, I tried on many options but nothing was quite right. The most important part of the outfit was feeling like myself. We planned to use the photos for our save the dates, so the outfit had to be perfect. Comfort is key, and everything was too dressy or too casual.

I was shopping with my sister and we went to literally every single store in the mall (and if any of you have been to Fashion Square in Scottsdale, it has everything). After hours of shopping, we found a beautiful ivory dress with a nude underlay, with off the shoulder detailing. It was so romantic and I felt like myself when I tried it on.

It was perfect! The dress is trendy, but timeless. The off shoulder look is my absolute favorite! And it photographed so well. Check it out in our engagement pictures:

Here are a few tips from my shopping experience, to help you find the perfect outfit for your engagement photos:

Dress for your environment
- If your pictures are going to be in a busy place (like NYC), go with a solid color vs a print
- Plaid, for example, would have been a busy print in a place like Times Square
Coordinate your outfit with your partner
- Don’t let your significant other show up in a contrasting color
  - Notice how the khaki pants go well with the nude underlay in my dress!
- You totally don’t have to match, but play off of each other’s outfits
Show off your best assets
- I love the off shoulder look, because I feel like it complements my figure
- If you love your legs, show them off! Be YOU.
Choose clothes that are YOU
- Don’t wear a formal outfit if you are not a formal person
- Just be comfortable that day and you’ll take much better photos
  - Jesse is not into photos, but he had an awesome time, and was so comfortable in his outfit

Choose outfits that move well
- If you’re walking around a ton, ladies, don’t wear 5 inch heels! Be practical
- You do not want to be uncomfortable, because you’ll be miserable during the shoot
Be comfortable, yet stylish
- You don’t have to go crazy with fashion, but be you and dress the part
Love the outfit you are wearing
- I knew what I chose was the perfect outfit, and I was so comfortable and felt so beautiful that day!

Check out some of our engagement pics, by the incredible Susan Shek out of NYC (she’s insanely talented and so wonderful to work with if you’re looking for a tri-state located photographer!).