WHAT TO WEAR GUIDE

These neutrals pair well with the winter landscape.

These are bright, yet still muted colors. Incredibly flattering to the subjects + landscapes.

So here's the rundown.

Man oh man. I know it can feel kind of daunting to pick what to wear for photos. Here are a few guidelines I’ve put together so you guys can be sure to look hot and feel like Beyonce, while still making sure the images are focused on your guys’ love, not what you’re wearing. Full disclaimer, I don’t know anything about fashion. I wear the same sweater and loose dresses practically everyday so there’s a heck of a good chance you’ve got better style than I do haha! This is just what I’ve found to work best from trial and error from past shoots, they’re only guidelines, not rules! You can show up wearing potato sacks for all I care.

Ultimately, I want you guys to look like yourselves. Don’t feel like if you don’t follow these guidelines that your photos are gonna suck. The most important thing to me is that you guys feel and look like yourselves, how you normally dress, so you can be as comfortable as possible! A lot of people try to go shopping for new clothes for the shoot beforehand but I actually recommend not going that route. Bring stuff you normally wear, stuff that’s already in your closet that you love and feel yourselves in. An old band t shirt and ripped jeans? Perfect. A lot of my couples/families will go shopping for “nicer” looking clothes which is totally fine, but sometimes they regret not just wearing they feel like themselves in. Who cares if you look back at the photos in 20 years and laugh about what you’re wearing? As long as it represented what you guys are like right now, thats all that matters. Plus, guys are usually not all that stoked about putting on a collared ironed button up with dress shoes if they’re used to wearing flannels and Chacos every day. Pinky promise they’ll be way more happy to be at the shoot if you don’t force an outfit he thinks is stupid.

The neutral colors in this photo draw your attention to their faces + that beautiful sun flare!

Their patterns aren't overbearing and compliment the location. There are more solid colors than there are patters which balances the photo.

Her muted pink dress compliments the white and navy that he is wearing. Both colors pop against the lush green and yellow flowers.

Here’s a few guidelines to help if you’re feeling lost about what to wear

First off, I always recommend to bring options or text me pictures of what you'll wear (I know that bringing extra clothes to a family shoot would be nothing short of chaotic, so sending me pictures will essentially take care of these next few paragraphs, haha).

To get the best results, I can pick and pull from the options you bring for you guys to change into for each location we shoot at. This way I can make sure the outfits compliment the environment so that the focus is on you two, not on any distractions, which yes, can be your outfits. All you have to do is make sure you bring stuff that you feel like a million bucks in that we can pick and pull from!

Don’t bring your whole closet though. It will take too much time for me to go through everything and will take time away from your session. Most people bring about 3 or 4 pairs of bottoms and 4 or 5 tops each, then you can bring dresses, accessories, jackets and whatnot as well. Also, just know that depending on where we are shooting, you’ll most likely be changing in the back of the car on the side of the road. If you aren’t down with that, that’s totally fine and you can just bring one outfit! Just make sure to text me a few photos of the outfit options you have and we can pick it out together beforehand.


The pattern on her dress is lovely. It's soft and subtle and adds so much texture and interest to the image without being distracting.

This is an outfit she wears to school often. She was comfortable and happy and it looks beautiful with the landscape. You can see her personality in her clothes because she isn't trying to force anything.

Make sure it makes sense.

Think about the conditions and locations we are going to be shooting in and plan around it. If we are going to be hiking around the mountains, bring shoes with good grip and you won’t twist your ankles in. If we are shooting on a sandy beach, it would look weird if you’re wearing shoes (ps heels are almost always a bad idea in most scenarios, unless you’re freakishly good at walking in them haha). If it’s freezing cold outside, bring lots of layers and warm clothes with wool socks and boots. If it’s going to be hot, bring clothes that can breathe more so you don’t have sweaty pit stains in the photos. Be as comfortable as you can be!

These beautiful blue + tan colors add so much to the spring back drop

Big, bold jewelry adds to the muted, neutral tones of this shoot

movement.

Like I said, make sure that the materials you wear will keep you comfortable during the shoot not only for temperatures but also for being able to move around in. If you're in brand new jeans that are still stiff and tight, you might be distracted during the shoot trying to make sure everything stays in place as well as lets you sit and run and move around in. I recommend bringing clothes that are "broken in" so that you'll be as comfortable as possible. I also love when people bring clothing or accessories that can show movement by catching wind, because it adds energy to the photos and looks freaking gorgeous!

colors.

I typically recommend sticking with neutrals and earthly tones. Neutrals don't mean just grays and browns, there's neutrals of every color (mustard yellow, forest green, navy blue, burnt orange, etc.). Stay away from bright, fluorescent distracting colors. The only specific colors I typically recommend to be cautious when choosing are REDS AND BLUES. My advice is to find a soft version of these colors, avoiding jewel tones. A lot of the time wearing those colors in photos results in them standing out too much. It can be distracting. So just try and stay away from those colors if you can, but if you really want to wear something that is red or blue, just check with me! If you're feeling lost, text me! I'll send you some example photos.

Long flowy hair and layers of jewelry and braids enhances movement. Her white nails with a black accent nail adds even more of her personality into the picture.

Her flowy dress and his top button left undone adds so much to the relaxed + in love vibe of this dreamy engagement session.

*A NOTE IF YOU'VE BOOKED A MINI SHOOT *

ONLY BRING ONE OUTFIT! SINCE WE'LL ONLY BE SHOOTING FOR 30 MINUTES, CHANGING YOUR OUTFIT WOULD TAKE AWAY FROM THE PRECIOUS TIME YOU'VE SCHEDULED WITH ME!

patterns.

Avoid big, loud, chunky, crazy patterns. The smaller or more subtle, the better! If the pattern is too loud, it will distract from your faces (and make the whole picture look sub par). I usually try to avoid pairing too many patterns together because, you guessed it, it makes the photos feel a little hectic and distracting from your faces and the location. Unless crazy patterns are your norm and you know how to work with crazy color, I'd stay away from it.

Also, be sure to iron your clothes before so there’s not huge wrinkles distracting from your faces either!

props.

When I think “props”, my mind flashes through all of the cringe-worthy Pinterest photos I’ve seen of cheesy chalkboards and hobby lobby props brought to shoots that basically just make me wanna barf. But props don’t have to be cheesy!

Props could be a dominos pizza picnic, a motorcycle, your naked cats, dogs, blankets, a truck/car, a campfire, a bouquet, a paddle board, etc. If you have props you wanna incorporate, let me know and we can make sure to incorporate them in a non-cheesy way!

hair + makeup.

The rule of thumb is to over-do it. You might be thinking, WHAT?! I don't want to look like a clown! But let me tell you something - a picture taken with a camera can really wash you out! So I recommend "over-doing" what is normal for you. If you normally wear only mascara, put on some eyeliner too. I'd recommend putting color on your face - like blush, bronzer, and a lip color that you love on your self. Heavy makeup photographs really well.

For hair, do something you feel comfortable moving around in! You don't want to be worried about it. Maybe tease it for some extra volume. In general, if you want candid photographs, make sure you're not going to be worried about touching up constantly. You want to be comfortable!

Buffalo Check blanket used as a prop

Characteristic jewelry isn't overdone when it's your thing.

And that's it! You're going to look fantastic. Thanks for taking the time to read all that, haha!