Spring & Summer Outfit Inspiration for Engagement Photos

Spring is right around the corner, which means lots of beautiful, colorful, spring engagement sessions! But, let’s be honest, here - one of the best and toughest parts of any engagement session is figuring out what to wear - especially when you have to coordinate outfits for not one, but TWO people. While an upcoming engagement session may be a good excuse to head to your favorite local boutique, it can be frustrating not knowing what to wear with so many different options!

Today, I want to share some styling tips specific to spring and summer sessions for engagement photos. Below, you’ll find a few ideas to say “yes” to, and a few you might want to consider passing on. Below these two categories, you’ll find a link to my engagement spring & summer inspiration board (which I update on the regular!), as well as some inspiration from past JHP couples. But above any of these ideas, make sure you feel comfortable in whatever you choose to wear for your engagement session. Confidence in front of the camera can be hampered whenever you’re not fully sold on (or comfortable in) what you’re wearing! And trust me… you’ll be moving around a lot for your engagement photos, so you’ll want to make sure you feel comfortable!

Without further ado, here are my top styling tips for engaged couples!

SAY YES TO…

• Bright colors - I LOVE bright colors for spring engagement sessions! Whether you choose a bright top or colorful sundress, your brightly colored outfit will most likely compliment the new spring blooms beautifully! 🌷

• Neutrals - As much as I love bright colors, there’s something sophisticated about some well coordinated neutrals. For example - white dresses and a neutral blazer are both classic and pretty much never go out of style!

• A Light Button Down (for Him) - I’m a big fan of guys in blazers for engagement sessions, especially if the lady is wearing a sun dress, maxi dress, or skirt! They’re SO classy and immediately “upscale” an outfit (and they’re flattering for guys!), but if it’s TOO hot for a blazer, I recommend a nice button down shirt - whether short sleeve or long sleeve (but rolled up, of course, for some breathing room!)

• Three Quarter Length Sleeves - Did you know that three quarter length sleeves are the most flattering type of sleeve length for both men and women? They’re also the perfect length for those temperate spring mornings and evenings!

• Floral (for Her) or Other Patterns (for Him) - Floral patterns for the spring are always a hit! Whether you go with a top, sundress, or maxi dress (my personal fave!), floral patterns (and even other patterns) work well to make someone “pop” off of the background of an image with a simple background. If you’re working on styling your guy, a shirt or tie/bowtie with a slight pattern can add some extra visual interest and make your outfits pop!

• Accessories - Watches, tie clips, bowties, or ties for him, and hats, kimonos, watches, and jewelry for her. Both can go a long way and add a lot of visual interest to your photos!

• Maxi Dresses/Skirts - Maxi dresses and skirts are oh-so beautiful in the spring and summer! They’re light and breezy and do a wonderful job of naturally elongating the body in photos! Plus… they’re fun to twirl! 💃 Which, for an engagement session, is always so dreamy!

• White Jeans - White jeans are a great compliment to a brightly colored or patterned top, and can be nice to throw into the mix if your S.O. is wearing jeans. White jeans are sleek and give a bit of an upscale look!

CONSIDER PASSING ON…

• Fluorescent Colors - Neon colors don’t tend to photograph quite so well, so pass on any colors that are a bit too fluorescent (not to be confused with the aforementioned bright colors - examples in the photos below!).

• Shirts with Logos - Shirts with logos don’t usually look that nice. Try opting for a shirt without a logo to keep your photos classic!

• Being too Matchy Matchy - Focus on coordinating your outfits, not matching them. Coordinating outfits means choosing complimentary colors, patterns, and textures between the two of you - not wearing the exact same thing! (i.e., both of you in a white shirt and jeans)

• Super Short Shorts and Dresses - Shorts and dresses are totally fine (and encouraged!), but sometimes when they get way too short, they’re tough to move around in, especially for engagement photos (you’ll be moving around/sitting on the ground quite a bit!)

• Too Many Heavy Layers - There are few things more uncomfortable then being bundled up in 90 degree weather for an hour and a half while getting your photo taken! Wearing too many layers in the summer particularly can result in lots of sweaty portraits - so be careful how many layers you and your S.O. add particularly for really hot days!

A FEW MORE RESOURCES:

If you’re looking for some more help preparing for your engagement session, check out the posts below!

• 4 Tips for Preparing Your Groom for Your Engagement Session

• 5 Ways to Pamper Yourself for Your Engagement Photos

• How to Choose Outfits for Your Engagement Session

• 3 Must Read Tips for Bringing Your Dog to Your Engagement Session

• Creative Outfit Ideas for Your Engagement Photos

Why Professional Prints Are Worth the Investment

When someone pays to have photos taken, typically, they plan on printing them to hang around their home. At least, that’s usually the final destination. But not everyone gets there the same way. Some might choose to print through a local consumer lab, such as Walmart, Target, or Walgreens – all of which are helpful for keeping things cheap and fast. But what might you be sacrificing in the long run?

I like to liken having photos taken and printing them through a non-professional lab to going to a fancy restaurant with a picture of a meal that you want to eat from a different restaurant – for example, a burger with fries – and then having that restaurant make the meal with their ingredients. Technically, yes, you’re eating a burger and fries that resembles the photo you brought in – but the quality of the meal (and your experience) will most likely suffer, because you’re not eating the meal the way it was indented to be eaten with its intended ingredients. Much is the same with printing your photos. The photos might not look that different – in fact, they might look fairly similar – the same faces, the same pose. But what’s affected is the quality.

So, what can be affected in your prints when you order from a consumer lab, such as Target, Walmart, Walgreens, Costco, or Shutterfly?

• Colors could look off (too saturated, or just plain different)
• Skin color is always affected (you might look too orange, yellow, pink, or green!)
• Highlights may be too bright (making the subject look too washed out!)
• The print could lose contrast or have too much added (making the print look too soft or muddy and gross!)
• The photo could appear out of focus (I’ve had this happen several times to people!)

If you’re interested in comparing different photos from a variety of labs, I highly recommend checking out THIS ARTICLE, which gives an amazing comparison of prints from a variety of different consumer labs compared to a professional lab!

Printing from a professional lab ensures that your photos will look as close as possible to what you see on your screen and in your gallery. Remember – photos are an investment, and if you’ve spent money on having gorgeous photos taken, going the extra step to make sure they’re printed correctly is an investment worth making!

Kristin + Brian: Allegheny Commons Park Engagement Photos

Have you ever met people that are just so instantly comfortable to be around?! Kristin and Brian are most definitely those people! Not only are they easy to be around, but they are incredibly gracious and kind! These two wanted warm weather photos, and if you live in Pittsburgh, you know that we had one of the longest reaching-into-spring winters in a while. So we pushed back their engagement session date once - then twice - and you know what they say - third time's a charm, and it was SO worth the wait!

We met up at Allegheny Commons Park on a chilly morning, but lucky for us, there were some pink blossom trees that were in bloom, which is exactly what Kristin had envisioned (along with lots of green!).

And if you can't tell how adorable and in-love these two are from their photos, listen to how they met: Brian was a teller at a bank, and Kristin was a server at Eat'n Park (a little over three years ago). Kristin would come into the bank to deposit her tips, which is how she met Brian. After she met him, she tried to purposely make sure she would end up going to his counter (doesn't it sound like something out of a movie?!) - and a short while after, they had their first date (on St. Patty's Day!) which included some Eat'n Park grub!

Besides being such fun and kind people, Kristin is actually an incredibly talented wedding and senior photographer herself (check out her work here!!). It is always such a HUGE honor when someone else in the industry trusts me with their precious memories!

Without further ado, check out a few (or, okay, a LOT ) of favorites from Kristin and Brian's session! Cannot wait to celebrate with you two next month!!

Caroline + Grayson: North Shore Engagement Photos

I loved having the opportunity to hang out with Caroline, Grayson, and their pup Rigsby in downtown Pittsburgh not too long ago! Congratulations on your engagement, Caroline and Grayson!