Sandhya Garg · The Wedding Calendar
Engagement Photos
Coordinate, Don't Match · Colour by Location · One Print Rule · 12 Pieces
Quick Answer
Coordinate, don't match: agree on two or three colours and wear different shades. Only one of you wears the print, and the other wears a solid colour from it. Choose colours that contrast with your location, because white disappears on a beach and black in a forest. Bring two outfits, one casual and one dressy, and a jacket you can take off for a third look.
Engagement photos are the first wedding pictures most couples ever have taken, and they end up on save-the-dates, the wedding website and the parents' walls. They're worth planning the way you'd plan an outfit for the wedding itself.
This guide is about the photos themselves. If you're dressing for the party, see What to Wear to an Engagement Party. For the styling basics I've drawn on The Knot. The colour and print advice comes from designing prints that have to look good on camera.
Coordinate, Don't Match
The Knot's advice is to coordinate rather than match: pick a shared palette and plan it with a mood board. I'd add one rule from designing prints: only one of you should wear the print. The other picks a solid colour that appears in it.
The simplest rule
One Print, One Solid
If you wear the Carolina, your partner wears plum, navy or blush, all colours from the print. Two prints in one frame fight each other.
Location first
Contrast the Setting
White washes out on sand, and black vanishes in a forest. Decide the location, then choose colours that stand out against it.
Casual, then dressy
Two Outfits
Start casual in daylight and change for golden hour. A jacket you can take off gives you a third look.
Only one of you should wear the print. The other picks a solid colour that's in it.
What to Wear, by Location
| Location | What works | From this edit |
|---|---|---|
| Desert or red rock | Blue, green or pink against warm earth tones. Avoid tan, rust and beige, which blend in. | Marquis, Antonia, Carolina |
| Beach | Saturated colour, not white. A maxi that moves in the wind. | Duchess, Marquis |
| Garden or vineyard | Pinks and blues stand out against green. | Marie, Queen, Carolina |
| City streets | A structured midi or jacket. Warm colours against grey stone. | Queen, Louis, Allie |
| At home or a favourite café | Something you'd wear there anyway, a step dressier. | Versailles, Kimono |
Shooting in Arizona? The red rock around Sedona and the saguaros near Tucson both call for cool colours. I wrote about photo spots in Instagram-worthy spots in Tucson. For help choosing a shade, see How to Tell Whether a Colour Suits You.
The Engagement Photo Edit · Let Them Eat Cake Collection
Twelve Pieces That Photograph Well
Prints drawn to read clearly on camera, from wide landscape shots to close portraits.
Long Lines for Wide, Scenic Shots
City, Café and Close-Up Portraits
The Casual First Look
Jackets for a Second Look
Dresses run XS to 3XL and jackets XS to XL. Stock is limited, so check the size selector on each product page · Size chart · Made to measure
Frequently Asked Questions
What colours look best in engagement photos?
Choose colours that contrast with your setting. The Knot warns that all-white can wash out on a beach and very dark outfits can disappear in a forest. Jewel tones like royal blue, emerald and deep pink work in most locations and flatter most skin tones.
Can you wear a print in engagement photos?
Yes, if only one of you wears it. Let one partner wear the print and the other pick a solid colour from it. Choose a large, clear motif over a small busy one, which can look like noise in a wide shot.
How many outfits should I bring to an engagement shoot?
Two is the usual number: one more casual and one dressier, often changed when the light changes. A jacket you can take off partway through gives you a third look without a full change.
Should we match for engagement photos?
Coordinate, don't match. Agree on a palette of two or three colours and wear different shades of it. Identical colours make two people read as one shape in a photo.
Keep Reading
The Party
What to Wear to an Engagement Party
For the bride-to-be and every guest.
Shape
Five Silhouettes
And what each one does.
Prints
How to Wear Bold Prints
Even if you're nervous about them.
Maxi Dresses
The Maxi Dress Guide
Hem, line and neckline.
About the Writer
Sandhya Garg is a Project Runway Season 13 designer who won two challenges on the show and presented her collection at Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week. She studied womenswear at London College of Fashion and has worked at Alexander McQueen, Gucci, Liberty London and Alice Temperley. Her label has been featured in Marie Claire US, Elle, Cosmopolitan and Vogue online. Every print is drawn by Sandhya in Los Angeles and printed and made in India. Read her story.
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