heidi lockhart somes photography, gasworks park, seattle, washington, engagement photos, what to wear for your engagement photos. green lace dress

Photography by Heidi Lockhart Somes

Welcome back! Today, I'm discussing Part Two of my engagement photo series: What to Wear. If you missed Part One on How to Prepare, catch up here!

This was honestly my favorite part, but also one of the hardest parts. I'm a bit of a perfectionist, so I wanted it to be just right, but also not look like I planned everything from head to toe...more natural, if you will. It's kind of like those models who have "natural face". The makeup artist spends hours giving them a natural look - it's not just their bare face.

Anyway, carry on! Before you even start considering your outfits, there are several topics you should keep in mind.

Where are your pictures being taken? You want to keep the theme of your location in mind. Sometimes blatantly ironic looks will go in an unexpected setting; however, most of the time they don't. Be sure to match your location vibe.

How many outfits do you get? We had three outfit changes, but sometimes people only do one or two. You want to make the most out of your looks, so don't "waste" an outfit. Pick the best ones - those that suit your personalities.

What's your style? These photos will really just be portraying you. Stay within your style. These are pictures that you'll cherish forever and not the time to do experimenting; however, if you get three looks, you might consider something trendy. For the most part, I have a pretty classic style; but, I do like some trends. The outfit I wore in the last post was more on the trendy side, but still me. This shoot was more of my classic look. And my last post (will be posted soon, but the outfit I wore here) is my current, every-day style. As long as the photographer captures what's truly you, that's all the matters. You do you!

When is your wedding? We took our engagement photos in February. Our wedding is in the fall, but our save the dates go out in the height of spring (I just ordered them. eeek!). We needed looks that would be normal to see throughout all of those instances. It kind of worked out perfectly, because we chose different looks. They will all be appropriate and won't look out of place being shown at the wedding, yet won't look completely out of season for our save the dates.

What are your wedding colors? You don't have to incorporate this, but we did. My bridesmaids will be wearing a deep wine hue and my house party girls will be in champagne. We did 2/3 of our looks included burgundy (yesterday with black and cream and tomorrow with cream and navy) and this one...well, we made sure it didn't look out of place. Red and green are complimentary colors after all;) Maroon and green happen to be some of our personal favorite colors, after all, your wedding colors often are! The oxblood represents Nick's love of wine - it is actually the main color that our kitchen will be! Green and shades of it, have always been our favorite colors. Not to mention that we both have an extreme love of Baylor University. Like I said, this isn't something that you have to do, but it often works out that way. It's just fun to think about!

What are your shared hobbies? Nick and I get asked a lot why we chose Seattle. Yes, a lot of Nick's extended family lives there and yes our photographer recently moved there, but we both love to travel. It just made sense! Some people like to incorporate how they met or what they love to do. For example, if they met while running, they might do a look in running clothes. Like I mentioned above, these pictures should really just exude you and your significant other.

Okay, now that you've thought of those things, onto the clothes part! If you have three looks like I did, I recommend:

1) A classic look. I'd consider this to be our classic look. It isn't too dressy, but for sure isn't casual. These are usually outfits that anyone would like. If I had to describe them, I'd say business casual.

2) A black tie look. Yesterday's post was our black tie look. It was actually made a bit more casual than I wanted, well because...I mentioned it in the post. Read it here. It's just a fancy look, that makes you feel ultra glam.

3) A casual look. Tomorrow's post (the outfit I wore here) is our more everyday look. I think this was my favorite, because it was the most us - we actually ended up taking the most photos in it and I am so glad!

Now obviously, you don't have to take three different styles of photos, but I like the idea of doing that, because it gives you different looks to play with. In my opinion, it is harder to pick out three similar looks, than three different looks, so you have that on your side, for styling too!

Once you know what kind of clothes you want to wear, be sure to follow these do's and don'ts:

DON'T:
-Don't wear all over print. This thought is all Heidi's. Being a photographer and artist, I trust her judgement over my own. I love prints -especially florals. It was so hard not to buy something along those lines, but I'm so glad I didn't. Obviously I added texture to my looks, which adds depth. And, I popped prints in accessories and such, but for the most part, we wore basic. This not only allowed our beautiful background to shine through, but also made the center of attention us, not what we were wearing. Also prints are busy and can add extra weight. You want that skinny arm, don't you?;) Stay away from the prints! Side note-guys are a little different. They can wear a pattern shirt with a jacket and it's fine!

-Don't wear all the same color. I'm a fan of monochrome, but try to steer clear of this for photos. I think it could be pulled off if you were both wearing different styles of black, but other than that, it would be too matchy-matchy. Coordination is key. Consider what colors looks well together and go from there. I'm a big fan of color theory. Blues and greens are both cool, so they naturally go well together. In tomorrow's post, we both wear navy, cream, and maroon - blue and red are both primary colors. If he wears a patterned shirt, then you wear solids that go well with his hues and visa versa.

-Don't wear something that isn't you. Self explanatory, but I had to list it. Be you. If you don't, then you won't like them, and chances are that others will be confused by your choice too!

-Don't wear too much makeup or tanner. This tip is more for the Texas ladies, but don't spray tan or overdo the bronzer or add mega contouring - a little is best. The right photographer will capture your best angles; plus, it will look more natural!

DO:
-Do keep jewelry and accessories to a minimum. I had one bold accessory - a gingham scarf. You'll see in the photos tomorrow, but that was the only pop. Every other piece / parts of the look were simple. You want your pretty little faces to be the point of attention!

-Do pack a pair of walking shoes for use, when changing locations. You saw in yesterday's post and in today's we both changed shoes. Now, I actually wore my boots for a look, but I still would have brought them, even if I hadn't of included them. They are comfortable and perfect for Seattle, due to the rain and grassy areas. If you're somewhere dry, I'd bring tennis shoes. You want them to not give you extra blisters and be able to take them on and off easily. If you aren't doing much climbing, a simple pair of sandals should work!

-Do wear classic and/or neutral nail polish. I wore red nails, by Bellacures. Growing up, my mom only wore shades of red, so it was always a staple for me. Also, it's one of our wedding colors, so it just made sense. Unless it's just your personality, I'd stick to rich reds, pretty pinks, or even whites! You want your ring to get the attention, not your nails.

-Do try on your outfits beforehand. SUPER IMPORTANT. I thought I wanted to wear a sleeveless crop and a faux fur jacket, but when the jacket arrived, I hated it. Nick actually went to the mall and searched several stores, before he found this top for me and it was perfect! Had I just assumed it went well, I would not have been happy with the look. I know it's tempting to not care about how something wears, but you're going to be shooting for a while. Make it comfortable as possible and try your best to reflect your true personality.

Tips for during the photo shoot:

-Be aware of your posture. You don't want to be slumping in your pictures, as it could ruin even the best of looks! Keep your shoulders back and your chin out.

-Relax your face. Smiling all day is hard work. I know when I get tired, my smiles start to droop. Make sure you notice when your body starts giving in, to make sure you still get the pictures you want.

-Enjoy your love, smile and laugh. The best photos we got, were when Nick was making me laugh. He makes me laugh a lot in life, and getting those moments on camera, were the best. In the words of Heidi, our photographer, love, for the most part, is not serious...laugh and have fun. The engagement period is only brief, so make the most of it.