What to wear for your California Engagement Session
What to wear guide
It can be really hard to know what to wear for your engagement session. Especially when taking them somewhere in California, from the greenery of the redwoods to the ocean blues, a lot of people don’t naturally know what goes best. Full transparency: I wear yoga pants and large sweaters 90% of the time and will probably show up in a Patagonia to our session, this is just what I’ve found to work best for couples over the years. This is only a guideline to help you, and make you feel and look like yourselves. These are not rules and I want you to wear what makes you feel most like YOU!
Think about the places we will be shooting. Heels are always a bad idea, I want to capture you running and jumping and being playful with your partner. Heels and tight clothes really limit the different poses and places we can go. If we are going hiking please wear something with a good grip. I recommend no shoes or sandals if we will be shooting at the beach. If it’s cold outside bring a big comfy sweater or layers, I want you to be comfortable. If it’s going to be hot wear something that will breathe so you're not sweating through your clothes.
Something you can move in is THE most important thing, if you are wearing a tight dress you cannot run and jump on your partner’s back or sit down and snuggle, I’m VERY limited in poses. If you are envisioning more casual wear; comfortable jeans that allow you to bend and move are preferred to anything tight or constricting.
Colors
I typically recommend sticking with neutrals. Think earthy muted tones: mustard yellow, forest green, navy blue. Stay away from anything you would describe as bright. I also recommend staying away from pink, red, purple, etc these are not neutrals. These tones can reflect back on your skin and not complement the overall image. I also recommend clothing that pops or complements our environment, if we are in the forest white or light colors would be beautiful, if we are at the beach darker colors will pop.
Patterns
Avoid big loud chunky patterns also avoid stripes and plaid, the more subtle the better. Also, stay away from trying to pair too many patterns together, it can look busy and distract from your face and emotions. Simple and comfy is always the best bet!
How many outfits should we bring?
1-2, if you are wanting to get wet bring two and a change of pants for your beau!! A lot of times we will start at the beach you can run on, that tends to be the beach best to play in the water.
I LOVE lulus for dresses! I think they’re a great affordable option. Some dresses clients have worn in the past are linked below.
White embroidered dress ( some clients choose to have their session be an extension of their bridal shoot)
J +K had an intimate wedding this week, they stayed at the La Playa Hotel in Carmel, California. They were joined by J’s best friends and K’s siblings. They had a beautiful first look at the hotel before heading off for a cliffside ceremony along the Big Sur Coastline and a beachside picnic, followed by a first dance on the cliffs as the sunset over the Pacific Ocean.