You don’t have to have expensive lighting equipment to get great photos. Grab my entire artificial lighting(FLASH) gear list here!
yes, please!
yes, please!
Learn everything you need to know about lighting, settings, and posing the rings!
*Updated September 27, 2022*
I’ve been photographing couples in love for years, and “what do we wear for our engagement session?” Is my most asked question when we are prepping for it! So I rounded up my favorite AMAZON finds that would look amazing in photos for ANY season!
The best part? most of them are Prime!
I usually recommend couples to wear one “fancy” outfit and one that’s more of a date night outfit. I’ve been married for 5 years now, so my date night outfit is sweats and a top knot, but that’s not what I mean when I’m instructing my couples on what to wear 😂. Think more of a cute dress and statement earrings.
I also recommend having at least one flowy dress! Dresses that have a lot of movement photograph so beautifully, and they twirl so naturally.
1.Stay away from small patterns like small houndstooth or plaid. They get lost on camera and can distract from your pretty faces.
2. Go for a complementary look. If one of you wears a pattern, have the other wearing solid colors. The goal is to coordinate, but not match perfectly. (Unless you’re going for a very classic black suit and black dress look as shown below)
3. Wear something that makes you feel like you look your best! If you have to stand a certain way to make the dress look flattering, it’s probably not the dress for your engagement session. This happens a lot with dresses that don’t have a cinched waist (like those cute Mexican sundresses). They’re cute in real life, but may make you look a little boxy on camera from some angles.
4. You may think wearing a pretty dress is only acceptable in an urban setting, but they look AMAZING out in the “wild”, too! 😉 Proof:
5. Speaking of locations, think about where your engagement session will be. Is it going to be in the Hill country? The desert? The city? All of these options would likely look great in any of those locations!
6. Consider your “problem areas” when choosing your ensembles. i.e., If you hate your knees, I would suggest wearing a long dress instead of a short one. If you don’t like your arms, wear something with sleeves. The more comfortable you feel, the better your photos will be!
7. For guys, you can NEVER go wrong with a suit and tie! Men may seem like the hardest to dress, but they’re really the easiest!
8. Neutrals are your best friend! Unless you’re sporting a classy red dress, stick to more neutral colors and let your location do all of the talking.
With all of these things in mind, here are some outfits I’ve rounded up for my peeps 🤗 All of these have direct links (listed below the image in green) to the products so you don’t have to waste time searching! (FYI, I have not ordered all of these from Amazon for myself (I’ll tell you which ones I did and LOVE) but they all have wonderful reviews and real photos on amazon! A lot of them have free returns or try-ons!)
PS Be sure to follow me on the Like To Know It app for more great resources!
I recommend having at least one “fancy” dress option! Some of these are fancier than others, so you do you!
(Tap the image or description below to shop!)
V Neck Spaghetti Strap Lace Dress with Pockets
Amazon Slip Dress–Comes in multiple colors
Shiny Satin Asymmetrical Dress with Cowl Neck
Spaghetti Strap Split Hem Bodycon Midi Dress
Pleated Cowl Neck Slip Dress with Split Hem
Side Slit Satin Maxi Dress with Cowl Neck
Long Sleeve Bodycon V Neck Twist Dress with Ruching
Shop: Flutter Sleeve V Neck Maxi Dress With Slit –Ballet pink, champagne, dark emerald, black, dusty blue(comes in other colors as well)
Shop: Chiffon Backless Maxi Dress Spaghetti Straps–Dark green, slate blue, black(comes in other colors as well)
Shop: Off The Shoulder Chiffon Maxi Dress With Slit–Burgundy, pink, white (comes in other colors as well)
Shop: Velvet V-Neck Wrap Maxi Dress in “Maroon” (it reminds me of the terra cotta color that is very popular right now!)–Also comes in other colors
Shop 1— Velvet Off The Shoulder Evening Gown in Black and Dark Green (More colors available)
Shop 2— Velvet Long Sleeve Maxi Dress with Tie (More colors available)
Shop 1–Velvet Spaghetti Strap V Neck Bodycon Wrap Dress With Slit–Emerald Green
Shop 2–Velvet V Neck Ruched Bodycon Dress With Slit
Shop 3--Velvet Deep V Maxi Dress With Slit–Dark Blue
Shop 4—Velvet Spaghetti Strap V Neck Bodycon Wrap Dress With Slit–Burgundy
Shop: Velvet V Neck Backless Wrap Maxi Dress with Slit–Burgundy, Blue, Green (More colors available)
Shop: Satin Long Formal Gown with Criss Cross Strappy Back And Slit –Multiple Colors Available
Shop: Satin V-neck Long Formal Gown with Slit and Corset Back–Multiple Colors Available
Shop: Wrap V Neck Maxi Dress with Slit–Multiple Colors Available
Shop: Satin Formal Gown with Plunging V Neck and Slit–Multiple Colors Available
Shop 1: High Neck Bodycon Wrap Dress with Ruffled Slit–Available in Multiple Colors
Shop 3: Floral Lace Long Sleeve Faux Wrap V Neck Maxi Dress
Shop 1: Spaghetti Strap Satin Dress with Split
Shop 2: Sequin V-Neck Mermaid Evening Gown With Sleeves
Shop 3: Sequin Mermaid Floor Length Evening Gown
Shop 4: Sparkly Long Sleeve V Neck Maxi Dress
Shop 5: Sequin Mermaid Floor Length Evening Gown in Gold
Shop 1: Chiffon Maxi Dress with Long Sleeves –Available in Multiple colors
Shop 2: Chiffon Maxi Dress with Long Sleeves –Available in Multiple colors
Shop 3: Satin V Neck Maxi Dress with Sequin Bodice and Slit
Puff Short Sleeve Ruched Tie Back Dress
Shop: Satin Leopard Maxi Dress with High Low Slit –Available in multiple colors and patterns
Shop: Button up Floral Maxi Dress –Available In Many Prints
Shop: Floral Long Sleeve Maxi Dress –Availalble in multiple colors
Shop: Solid Maxi Button Up Dress With Long Sleeves–Multiple Color Options Availalbe
Shop: Maxi Dress With Flutter Sleeve, V Neck, and Ruffle Slit –Available In Many Colors And Prints
Shop: Eyelet Maxi Dress with buttons and V Neck–Available In Multiple Colors
Shop: Off The Shoulder Maxi Dress with Ruffle hem and buttons–Multiple Colors Available
Shop: Short V Neck Tiered Ruffled Dress with Long Sleeves — Many colors and prints available
Shop: Polka Dot Mini Dress with Long Sleeves
Shop: Black Mini Dress with Long Sleeves and Floral Embroidery Detail
Shop: Button Down Midi Dress with Tie Front–Multiple Color Options Available
Shop: Off The Shoulder Midi Dress with Balloon Sleeves– Multiple Color Options
Shop: Midi Tiered Wrap Dress with Long Sleeves– Multiple Color Options
Shop: Off the Shoulder Tiered Maxi Dress
Shop: Spaghetti Strap A Line Maxi Dress with Slit
Shop: Off The Shoulder Midi Dress with Balloon Sleeves– Multiple Color Options
Disclaimer: I haven’t ordered this myself(I’m planning to!–I’ll keep you updated), but there are some great reviews with photos (there are also some negative reviews that say it run small)–order with enough time to return if needed and size up!
1 . Minimal Simple Long Gold Plated Bar Dangle Earrings – $15
2 . Small Hoop Fan Tassel Earrings –Multiple colors– $12.50
3 . Rose Gold Earrings/Metallic Leather Earrings– $11
1 . Gold Layered choker necklace – $13
2 . Mini Drop Bar Necklace In Gold, Rose Gold, and Silver – $22
3 . 14K Gold-plated Heart Shaped Necklace – $11
4 . 18K Gold-plated Layered Circle Charm Necklace – $14
5 . Horizontal Bar Necklace in Gold, Rose Gold, or Silver – $22
6 . 18K Gold Pearl Choker Layered Full Moon Necklace – $14
7 . Double Layered Bar Necklace in Gold, Rose Gold, or Silver – $24
8 . Fishbone Choker Necklace – $8
9 . 18K Gold Layered Circle Necklace – $15
This blog post ended up like the “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” story. If you buy a pretty dress you will need pretty earrings to go with it. And if you get pretty earrings AND a pretty dress, you’ll need to dress your fiance as well 😂 So here are some ideas for the guys with the whole ensemble! (These are from Amazon, but I would suggest getting a “real” suite that will be tailored to fit perfectly)
GUESS Statement Cluster Drop Earrings –$25 Prime
Minimalist Pearl Necklace 14K gold–$12
Ruffle One-Shouldered Black Evening Dress–$27 Prime
Nautica Classic Fit Suit in Black–$90 Prime + Prime Wardrobe (try it for free!)–The “tan” and “charcoal” colors would also look Amazing with those other dresses!
Kendra Scott Elisa Pendant Necklace in Gold Filigree–$99 Prime (Install Honey to be notified when the price drops!)
Kate Spade New York Statement Studs –$68 Prime
Button Up Floral Dress in “Multicolor-white-3” –$39 Prime
Nautica Classic Fit Suit in Charcoal–$90 Prime + Prime Wardrobe (try it for free!)
Kate Spade Gold Plated Statement Studs –$77 Prime
Black Floral Backless Ballgown–$119 Prime
Tommy Hilfiger “Nathan” Tailored Fit Suit in “Navy Stripe”— $199 Prime + Free Returns
Tiered Tassle Earrings–$9 Prime
Seafoam Green Floral Button Up Dress in “light green” –$30 Prime
Men’s Casual Slim Fit Blazer in “gray”–$25 Prime + Free Returns
Click HERE to see more beautiful options for SPRING dresses
Click HERE to see more beautiful options for FALL dresses!
xoxo, Allison
Allison Jeffers is a photographer and educator serving sweet couples and helping other creative entrepreneurs reach their goals. She specializes in wedding photography, elopements, and proposals as well as Bridal and Engagement portraits in Texas. She is available for travel worldwide and has her passport ready!
Learn everything you need to know about lighting, settings, and posing the rings!
You don’t have to have expensive lighting equipment to get bright reception photos. Grab my entire artificial lighting(FLASH) gear list here!
yes, please!
share the love!