What to wear for your Charlottesville engagement session

In my eleven years of Charlottesville, Shenandoah, and DC area engagement photography, I’ve photographed a couple hundred engagement sessions.

One of the questions I get asked most frequently (right after what do we do with our hands??) is about what to wear for Charlottesville engagement photos. I wrote up this advice for my couples a while back and figured it’d be worth it to share on the website!

The short story is that your outfits should reflect your personalities. Take this as your excuse to buy that dress from Free People you’ve been eyeing and to break out the shoes you love and had to buy but never wear - whatever feels like you.

My shooting and editing style lends itself towards muted, more subdued colors than bright primary colors. You’ll see me rocking a faded chambray shirt or military green 50% of the time because I’m sort of like a chameleon. I subconsciously become the colors I like photographing. If you look through the photographs in my portfolio, you’ll notice that couples’ outfits generally fit this palette, but their outfits definitely aren’t boring. I find that interesting patterns, unusual materials, and pops of bolder color can be a good way to keep outfits interesting without resorting to colors too bright and intense.

Long, flowing dresses are also a personal fav. There’s just so much you can do with all that additional movement!

Outfits tend to be a little simpler for guys, but they can still mix it up if they’re up for it. A great, fitted button down shirt is awesome (the J. Crew Gingham That Every Man Owns is always a good go-to), but if he’s comfortable in a denim shirt, suspenders, vest and tie, or with sleeves rolled up for part of the session for something a little more casual - all of these can be good ways to be a little different style-wise.

Think about colors that go well together, but try to avoid perfectly matching; just dress as though you’re going to an event together. If one of you is dressed for a date at a coffee shop, try and both stick to a similar vibe. Same goes for if you’re planning on running barefoot through a field or dressing more adventurously for a hike (I’m always in support of that!).

Think of it this way: you want to look like you fit together, but not like you scanned yourself and somehow created an identical second person. Make sense?

And also - if you’ve casually figured out the whole cloning thing - can you teach me?

Plain Ts can work well if you’re trying to keep things minimal, but I’d avoid crazy logo T’s! There are always exceptions to the rules, but generally, if your shirt has more tattoos than you do, it’s better left at home.

Also, try to avoid any clothing that may show unintentionally visible straps, tags, or semi-transparent clothing that could reveal undergarments. I may be able to fix this kind of thing in Photoshop if push comes to shove, but no promises, so it’s always better to just stop it before it even happens.

During the session, plan on only carrying the bare minimum – if you can, leave bags in your car or stick to something we can tuck to the side.

And lastly, although my knowledge of makeup is... not what you’d call “vast”... I have a few tips here, too. This session can be a great time to get your makeup trial done with your wedding H/MUA if it’s doable logistically (obviously not so easy if we’re going on a hike in the middle of nowhere!).

Second, keeping things minimal here is usually the way to go. “Simple eye makeup with dark lashes & either nail polish or a mani-pedi if you prefer bare nails” is advice I got from someone who definitely knows more about makeup than I, but it’s solid advice for my shooting style.

And remember - confidence is everything in photos. None of these tips are requirements - they’re just suggestions to help you feel more prepared and confident during your session. What you choose to wear should be something you feel comfortable in, something that compliments your physical features, your individuality, something you can move in, and something that makes you feel amazing.

I totally trust your personal style and I know I’ll love what you choose, but if you’re having trouble deciding, feel free to bring along an extra outfit for each of you in case one gets dirty, if we have time to change during the session, or if you’d just like a second opinion before we start the session.

If you have any questions as you’re planning for your session, please don’t hesitate to ask. I have 100% played style judge in the past and helped choose outfits based on phone pics or Madewell product pages before.

Looking forward to photographing you soon!