One of the first questions I get when couples book engagement photos is, “Okay… but what are we supposed to wear?” And honestly, my biggest advice is to start with yourselves. Your engagement session should feel like you two, because I don't want to create a bunch of pretty photographs that don't actually feel like your relationship.
When I photograph engagement sessions in Sudbury, Ontario, I like to make the whole thing feel more like an afternoon date than a traditional photoshoot. We usually do two locations, two outfits, and two completely different sides of your relationship.
For the first part of your engagement session, I want to photograph something you actually love doing together. Maybe that is going to the library, playing golf, spending time at the beach, getting tattoos, grabbing coffee, or wandering around one of your favourite places in Sudbury. I want to follow you and build the session around your relationship instead of making you fit into a specific photography trend.
For this part, I would choose an outfit that feels like something you would actually wear on a date together. Maybe that is jeans and a favourite sweater, a little vintage, something casual, or something completely your own. You should still feel like yourself when you look back at these photographs years from now.
Then we can change and move into the more polished part of your engagement photos. This is where you can have a little more fun with your outfits and bring out the romantic, editorial side of your relationship. Think about what makes you feel beautiful and confident, while still choosing something you can comfortably move around and actually enjoy wearing.
I also love paying attention to colour when couples plan their engagement outfits. You don't necessarily need to match, and honestly, I usually prefer when you don't. Instead, think about colours that work together — soft neutrals, earthy tones, muted colours, or complementary shades can photograph beautifully without making you look like you coordinated your outfits in a panic five minutes before leaving the house.
If you want inspiration, I really love the way @anastasiia.preston approaches styling and colour. Her work is a great reminder that outfits don't have to be overly complicated to feel intentional. You can stay true to your own style while still thinking about texture, colour, movement, and how everything will photograph together. Remember, you are not dressing for Instagram. You are dressing for photographs that you may still have hanging in your home twenty years from now.
That is why I always come back to the same advice: stay true to yourself. If you never wear something formal, you don't have to suddenly become someone who wears a ballgown for your engagement session. If you love vintage clothing, wear it. If you live in jeans, wear the good jeans. If you want to dress up and feel a little fancy, absolutely do that too.
Your engagement photos in Sudbury should feel like your relationship, not somebody else's Pinterest board. BUT if you still need inspiration, I have the perfect Pinterest board for you!
Whether we are walking along the water, exploring a Sudbury neighbourhood, spending an afternoon doing something you love, or heading somewhere beautiful for those more polished portraits, I want your engagement session to feel like a memory you actually lived.
Because that is what The Memories We Keep is all about.