What to Wear for Your Couple or Engagement Photo Session

A simple, stress-free guide to choosing outfits that feel like you

One of the questions I get asked most before a couple or engagement session is:

“What should we wear?”

The short answer? Something that feels like you.

You don’t need to buy a completely new outfit, dress more formally than you normally would, or suddenly become someone you found on Pinterest.

The goal isn’t to look perfectly styled. It’s to feel comfortable enough to move, laugh, walk, sit on the ground, hug your person, and eventually forget that I’m taking photographs at all.

Here are a few simple things to keep in mind.

1. Start with something you already love wearing

Before buying anything new, look through your own wardrobe.

Think about the clothes you naturally reach for when you want to feel good.

Ask yourself:

• Do I feel comfortable in this?
• Can I move easily?
• Do I recognise myself when I look in the mirror?

If the answer is yes, you’re already halfway there.

If you do buy something especially for your session, wear it at least once beforehand. You don’t want to discover halfway through the shoot that your trousers won’t let you sit down or that your beautiful new shoes are quietly trying to kill you.

2. Coordinate, don’t match

You don’t need matching outfits.

Instead, think of your clothes as belonging to the same overall colour palette.

For example, one of you might wear cream and denim while the other wears olive green and beige. The colours work together without looking deliberately matched.

Try laying both outfits next to each other before your session. If they look good together on the bed, they’ll probably work beautifully together in photographs.

3. Choose colours that work with your surroundings

Neutral, earthy and slightly muted colours photograph beautifully because they don’t compete for attention.

Some of my favourites are:

Cream · beige · brown · olive · rust · terracotta · muted blue · burgundy · soft grey · black

That doesn’t mean you can’t wear colour.

If bright colours are genuinely part of your style, please don’t suddenly dress head-to-toe in beige because a photography guide told you to.

The idea is simply to make sure you’re wearing the clothes, rather than the clothes wearing you.

4. Think about movement

This is a big one.

During my couple sessions, we won’t spend an hour standing perfectly still and looking at the camera.

We’ll walk. You’ll move. You might sit somewhere, lean into each other, dance badly, run for a few seconds or end up somewhere I hadn’t originally planned.

So choose clothes that can come along for the ride.

Soft fabrics, linen, denim, relaxed tailoring, knitwear, oversized shirts, flowing pieces and layers all photograph beautifully.

Anything that constantly needs adjusting will probably become annoying very quickly.

5. Texture is your friend

Simple doesn’t have to mean boring.

Knitwear, linen, denim, corduroy, wool, cotton and other textured fabrics can add depth to photographs without becoming distracting.

Layers are particularly useful: jackets, cardigans, overshirts, scarves or knitwear can subtly change the look of your photographs without requiring a complete outfit change.

6. A few things I’d usually avoid

There aren’t many rules, but there are a few things that can easily pull attention away from you:

• very large logos or branding
• extremely busy patterns
• neon colours
• clothes that feel restrictive or uncomfortable
• something you would never normally wear just because it feels “photoshoot appropriate”

Small patterns and brighter colours can absolutely work. It’s more about balance than following a strict list of dos and don’ts.

7. Dress for the season — and the actual weather

Your outfits should make sense for where we’re going.

Spring & summer: linen, cotton, lighter layers and breathable fabrics.

Autumn: knitwear, jackets, richer tones and layers.

Winter: coats, boots, wool, scarves and warm textures.

Being freezing cold or uncomfortably hot tends to show in photographs, so comfort wins every time.

And if we’re shooting somewhere outdoors, think about your shoes too. Beautiful shoes are considerably less useful if we can’t walk anywhere in them.

8. You don’t have to dress “masculine” or “feminine”

There is no formula for what each person in a couple should wear.

Dress in whatever silhouette, style or combination makes you feel most like yourself.

A suit and a dress. Two suits. Two dresses. Jeans and knitwear. Tailoring and trainers. A skirt and an oversized shirt.

There are no roles to fill here.

The only thing I’m looking for is that the two outfits work together visually and that both of you feel good wearing them.

9. Should you bring a second outfit?

You can, but you absolutely don’t have to.

For most sessions, one outfit you really love is better than two outfits you’re unsure about.

If you’d like some variety, bringing one extra layer — a jacket, cardigan or overshirt — is often enough to change the feel of the photographs without interrupting the session to get changed.

The most important rule

You should still look like yourselves.

These photographs aren’t about creating a perfectly styled version of your relationship.

They’re about the two of you.

Your clothes should help you feel comfortable enough to stop thinking about how you look and start paying attention to the person you’re there with.

And if you’re stuck between three outfits and have absolutely no idea what works?

Send me photos.

I’m always happy to help you choose before your session.