Over seventeen years into being a wedding photographer in the greater Philadelphia area has enabled me to shoot engagement sessions in so many different areas all across southeastern PA and beyond. One of the most common questions I get asked by couples leading up to their session is what to wear. In this guide, I am going to go through all four seasons and make some recommendations that will allow you to be as prepared as possible for your engagement session.
Let’s dive in
What to Wear for Your Engagement Session in the Spring
Spring in the greater Philadelphia area can be all over the place with weather. Early spring is often dreary, muddy, cold and wet (but not snowy). If we can avoid it, I always try to not do engagement sessions in the early spring. But, if that isn’t doable, have no fear. We’ll just make a plan to shoot at a location that will be dry and feature backgrounds that are consistently nice throughout the year. I have quite a few city locations that are go-to spots for engagement sessions in these situations.
Later in the spring though, when the flowers are in bloom and leaves are on the trees, we have a lot more options to work with.
*Something I’m going to repeat a lot in this guide is the importance of dressing seasonally. If you’re doing your session in the spring, don’t dress as if we’re entering winter… Embrace the season we’re in and work with it.
For all sessions we do, we’re typically walking around quite a bit so always wear comfortable shoes. Heels for the ladies can be nice of course, but it may be helpful to bring a pair of walking shoes and then slip on the heels when we’re ready for a specific shot.
Another general guideline I have is that you want to dress similar to how you normally do. No, I don’t want you showing up in sweatpants and a teeshirt, but dress like you would if you were going out on a double date with friends. It’s okay to dress up a bit, but don’t overdo it to the point where it doesn’t feel natural. Feeling natural is so important for engagement sessions because it’s already a time where you can have some increased nerves with the process. We want to make sure you’re as comfortable as possible.
Ok, now I feel like I am just giving general tips for engagement sessions and not actually giving you pointers for what to wear for your engagement session in the spring..
Squirrel.
Back to What You Should Wear for Your Engagement Session in the Spring
Ok, so now that we’re back on track, I would absolutely avoid solid whites or blacks. There is only one season where I think you can pull this off well and springtime is not that. Wearing seasonal colors is always going to be a win. It allows you to provide some color to the scene but doesn’t make you stand out like a sore thumb.
Feel free to accessorize too.
Have a light jacket you like?
Wear it.
Do you have a favorite hat?
Bring it along.
These types of accessories give us some natural feeling things to do with your hands which always helps. If we’re doing your session somewhere that has a place to change, feel free to bring a second outfit, but real talk, I find that it’s normally not worth doing. Most couples end up opting for just one. This is where accessorizing comes into play as we can get several looks without having to take the time for a complete change.
Also, if it is dry, there is a high probability that we’ll have you sitting at some point during the session. Make sure that whatever you’re wearing works well for that.
What to Wear for Your Engagement Session in the Summer
The summer is often the easiest season to dress for an engagement session. It’s nicer weather and most of the time, it’s much more dry. Similar to the spring engagement sessions, I recommend wearing clothing that is comfortable and natural feeling. You’ll probably do a mix of walking, standing, sitting, and even laying on the ground. I’m not going to put you in situations that are highly likely to get you dirty, but this isn’t the time to wear super high value clothing. No one is going to look at the session you have and be drawn to the clothing brand you’re wearing. They’re going to see two people in love who are being themselves. My goal is for you to feel comfortable with what you’re wearing and not have it be a mental distraction in any way.
Now, that being said, guys, I probably wouldn’t wear shorts. I basically live in shorts most of the year when I am at home, but for your engagement session, in most situations, pants are best. Now, the caveat to this is if you have a nice looking pair of shorts that intentionally fits the outfit you have, go with it. I’m just saying that you likely want to avoid showing up in cargo shorts and a teeshirt.
Also, something to consider a week or so prior to your session is tan lines. If you’re going to be wearing something new, make sure you’re aware of any tan line issues you may have. This also goes for sunglasses, your watch, etc. Just be aware of it leading up to the session because it’s a much bigger challenge to handle after the fact.
What to Wear for Your Engagement Session in the Fall
Remember earlier when I mentioned there was only one time where solid black or white can work? Well, its the fall and it needs to be during peak color foliage. Don’t ask me why. I don’t make the rules.
In all seriousness though, this is really the only time where I think black or white looks good for a session and still, I would probably avoid it. I like colors that complement the season as it ties the whole scene together better. Similar to spring, I recommend accessorizing a bit to introduce some variety to the scene. Bring a blanket to sit on so that you can cozy up together. Hats, scarfs and other similar accessories can be great too.
Fall is a great time for earth tones as well!
What to Wear for Your Engagement Session in the Winter
Winter sessions can be a ton of fun and we’ll often have couples who want to be on call for snowy sessions. If this is you, please reach out so we can get you on the list. Snowy sessions are a ton of fun. If we’re scheduling outside of that though, I have a few recommendations. If it is super cold out, I recommend you wear a thermal layer under your clothing so that you don’t have a big puffy jacket the entire time. While having a jacket on at times makes a ton of sense and will look great, being able to be in normal clothing for part of the session is helpful too and will offer some variety. All of that being said, we’re not going to have you freezing your tail off and being miserable the entire time. The goal is to keep you comfortable so that when we are taking pictures, you’re enjoying the process.
I’ve said it a million times, but seasonal accessorizing is perfect here. Wear a scarf, hat, mittens, etc. It’s going to make sense in the pictures and give them some depth.
A Few Final Tips for Your Engagement Session in Philadelphia
- Bringing your dog(s) can be a ton of fun and introduce a very real way to show who you are and what you care about. If this is something you want to do, please bring a friend or family member to hang out with our furry friend while they’re not in the shots. We’re tried it other ways in the past and it’s just not as good imo.
- I said it earlier, but I’ll say it again, comfortable shoes are going to be your friend.
- Focus more on what makes you comfortable and feeling like yourself than you do on trying to find the perfect outfit. You want to feel like yourself throughout the session.
- Before the session, if you’re feeling stressed in any way, please know that there is zero pressure from me- We can take our time and make sure you’re 100% ready before we begin.
- It’s helpful to think about what you’re going to be using these pictures for in the future. Are you going to have us craft a guest book for you? What about using them for Save the Dates? Is this just a practice run for the wedding? Whatever the case may be, it’s good to think about what you’ll use these engagement pictures for.
Finally, I am only ever a phone call or email away, so please reach out anytime if I can help!
