What Not to Wear For Your Engagement Photos

You’ve seen them before: the super awkward, cringe-worthy, “OMG, did they seriously wear that?” engagement photos. And then you’ve also seen the ones that simply take your breath away. So how do you make sure yours fall under the breathtaking category? Well, aside from hiring an amazing photographer, it’s all in what you don’t wear, brides-to-be.

1. Anything that makes you uncomfortable
Boston-based award winning photographer Kristin Griffin says her biggest piece of advice to brides-to-be is to dress in something comfy. “I see so many women wearing short skirts and heels that clearly don’t wear them on a regular basis,” she explains. “Their faces show discomfort, they don’t enjoy walking around (and we generally do a lot of walking on engagement shoots), plus they are constantly pulling at their clothing.” On top of all that, you won’t really look like yourselves in the photos either.

2. Matching outfits
Coordinating colors can be cute, but matching white tees and jeans? Err, not so much. It’s overdone, points out Griffin. “You’ll look like the generic beach family in the frames you buy at the store.” Instead, she recommends choosing colors in the same family, as they’ll complement each other and photograph well. “Think purple with yellow, blue with orange, black with gray or white with possibly a splash of color.”

3. Lots of logos and loud patterns
For obvious reasons, logos are a huge no-no when it comes to your engagement photos. After all, you don’t want to be a walking advertisement, warns Griffin. However, busy patterns can be just as bad, as they not only draw attention away from you, but they also age your pics once the pattern goes out of style, notes seasoned photographer Marc Nathan of Marc Nathan Photographers, Inc. in Houston, Texas. “If you’re simply dying to sport a patterned shirt or scarf, a nice way for your partner to incorporate pattern subtly would be to have it peaking out from underneath a solid sweater,” advises NJ-based portrait photographer Danielle Hark.

4. Neon colors
As trendy as they are right now, neon colors tend to be extremely luminous and create a weird color cast on your skin, cautions Dana Cubbage, a destination wedding and engagement photographer based in Charleston, SC. “In my experience, it’s very hard to correct my clients’ skin tones when there is a neon glow from their clothing present.”

5. Anything that’s too tight or loose
Unfortunately, the camera captures every little curve and bulge, plus too tight pants can result in the dreaded muffin top, points out Nathan. Baggy clothes, on the other hand, might make you look larger than you actually are in pics. “A good, comfortable fit in a solid color that flatters both skin tones is best,” he says.