What to Wear:
Couples
If we’re being honest, the days before your photo shoot can be extra stressful, whether you're trying to stave off a cold, getting rid of a breakout, or your fiance came home with a haircut that isn't quite right.. Something always seems to happen right before your session.
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Add to that the pressure of figuring out how to style the whole thing and it can be totally insane.
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So, how do you self-style your couple's shoot to look like a total pro? It’s not as hard as you think!
Here’s the number one rule I recommend for creating a quick, stylish look from the clothes you already own:
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One person in a statement outfit, the other person in an "anchor" outfit
We're going to skip any kind of dictionary explanation and jump right to example photos.
Rachel: wearing a bright red, lace cocktail dress. Mitchell: "anchoring" with a charcoal button down and grey pants.
Ciara: rocking a sunny yellow jumpsuit. Aaron: "anchoring" with a sage green henley.
I think you get the idea!
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But does that mean that someone has to be wearing a bright color? No! The "statement" outfit can be anything that isn't an anchor.
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As long as the "anchor" is a couple degrees less flashy, the statement outfit can be as chill or exciting as you want.
(So you shouldn't both be wearing black and grey t-shirts!)
Hannah: a rosy dress, peasant blouse, and floral crown are less "colorful" than Garrett: in a dark turquoise button-down and dark pants. But the combination of her outfit makes it a statement without flashy colors.
Mia: statement in a dusty orange sweater. Dan: anchoring in fawn and grey.
Texture & pattern (even if it's a little subtle) can count as a statement!
Hallie: a pastel striped summer dress makes its own statement next to Matt: in a charcoal polo and khakis
Carli: in a lovely cream and floral dress. Matt: in an olive button down and dark pants.
If in doubt: layer and accessorize
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Nothing says "we're grownups who can dress ourselves!" like a little extra layer to your outfit. Whether its a winter vest, a coordinating necklace, a flower crown, bouquet, a bowtie, or all of the above! That little touch goes a long way and can be the difference between looking like you pulled something together last second and actually styled.
The necklace, bowtie, and bright lipstick really finish these outfits perfectly
Ana + Justin arrived wearing these great outfits.. (Ana’s sweater and shirt combo is perfect for casual maternity shoots)
They also brought their jackets to layer over everything so we could maximize the texture without a lot of hassle
Add Some Color- While you bring in texture, pull more colors into the mix. If your outfits are leaning really heavily in one color direction you’ll want a few accent colors. There’s no hard and fast rule for this. I’ve photographed lots of beautiful family photos where everyone is wearing grayscale plus 1 accent color on a couple family members. But I’ve also seen families that have a different accent color on almost every person.
What to Wear:
Couples
This whole page is dedicated to one simple principle that I recommend to all my couples for creating a quick, stylish look from the clothes you already own:
​
One person in a statement outfit, the other person in an "anchor" outfit
That's it! We're going to skip any kind of dictionary explanation and jump right to example photos.
Rachel: wearing a bright red, lace cocktail dress. Mitchell: "anchoring" with a charcoal button down and grey pants.
Ciara: rocking a sunny yellow jumpsuit. Aaron: "anchoring" with a sage green henley.
I think you get the idea!
​
But does that mean that someone has to be wearing a bright color? No! The "statement" outfit can be anything that isn't an anchor.
​
As long as the "anchor" is a couple degrees less flashy, the statement outfit can be as chill or exciting as you want.
(So you shouldn't both be wearing black and grey t-shirts!)
Hannah: a rosy dress, peasant blouse, and floral crown are less "colorful" than Garrett: in a dark turquoise button-down and dark pants. But the combination of her outfit makes it a statement without flashy colors.
Mia: statement in a dusty orange sweater. Dan: anchoring in fawn and grey.
Texture & pattern (even if it's a little subtle) can count as a statement!
Hallie: a pastel striped summer dress makes its own statement next to Matt: in a charcoal polo and khakis
Licia: in a burgundy dress with lace applique. Dave: in a heathered grey henley and dark jeans.
If in doubt: layer and accessorize
​
Nothing says "we're grownups who can dress ourselves!" like a little extra layer to your outfit. Whether its a winter vest, a coordinating necklace, a flower crown, bouquet, a bowtie, or all of the above! That little touch goes a long way and can be the difference between looking like you pulled something together last second and actually styled.
The necklace, bowtie, and bright lipstick really finish these outfits perfectly
Without Licia's poncho, their outfit combo would probably fall a little flat. However, with it their styling looks super intentional
Still not sure?
I LOVE when my clients text me pictures of outfit ideas and where they want to display photos in their house. It helps us narrow down where to shoot at and how I can personalize the shoot to them. The more I know, the more I can get the EXACT shots they need. The space over your mantle needs a big canvas print? I’ll focus on making sure we get a really stellar horizontal photo. You want to make a black and white candid "save the date"? I’m on it.
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The more your photographer knows, the more they can help if you need it!
Go with the flow!
While aesthetics matter, the most important factor in great photos is great attitudes. Don’t stress yourself out trying to find the right accessory or spending hours on Pinterest figuring out what to wear. Staying relaxed and upbeat makes all the difference. It’s a little cliche but happy people really are the prettiest.
To view my curated board of favorite couple's outfit inspiration, follow the button below