Singaporebrides | Photography
May 2017
What to Wear for Pre Wedding Photos: 20 Engagement Session Outfit Ideas
20 outfit ideas to help you select what to wear for pre wedding photos!
Deciding what to wear for pre wedding photos can be a tough one! You want outfits that make you look and feel good, work with your locations, and tell your personal story. Many couples these days choose two or more settings for their pre wedding shoots, giving you opportunities for both formal and casual outfits. Here are 20 tips to help you choose what to wear for your pre wedding photos. Use the shoot to tell your story and what you love doing together!
1. Think about the Location
Tansey and Phil’s Breathtaking Pre-wedding Adventure in Kuala Lumpur by Cliff Choong Photography
Chelsea and Jason’s Captivating Pre-wedding Adventure in Perth by Trouvé
The most important question to ask when planning what to wear for pre wedding photos is, “Where is your shoot going to be?” For example, brightly coloured outfits work well in urban locations, while more formal-looking locations are great backdrops to your wedding gown and suit. If you’re shooting at more than one location, think about each setting and what to wear to each location.
2. Be Comfortable
Jiayi and Javi’s Lush Botanical Wedding at Masons at Gillman Barracks by Bloc Memoire Photography
Make sure you choose outfits you’re comfortable and can move around easily in. You might be camera-shy enough as it is, without having to worry about sucking in your stomach or covering up your arms during your pre-wedding shoot! Wear silhouettes you know flatter your shape and make you feel good. Choose something you’d wear on a date, so you feel exactly like yourself!
3. Stand out with colour
Sophia and Darren’s Breathtaking Pre-Wedding Photoshoot in Morocco by AndroidsinBoots
Work with your location’s colour palette to stand out in your pre-wedding photos. Sophia and Darren took their shots at the blue-hued village of Chefchaouen, Morocco, and made sure to pack outfits that contrasted!
4. Blend in for a Dreamy Effect
Ines and Irjen’s Mesmerising Lovescapade in Japan by Multifolds Photography
Instead of standing out, how about coordinating with your location? Ines and Irjen dressed in millenial pink while surrounded by blushing cherry blossoms to create dreamy, ethereal photographs.
5. Dress for the activity
Edlyn and Fabian’s Teochew Opera Themed Pre-Wedding Shoot by The Peeping Thom
Planning to do an activity together? Here’s a great chance to get a little more matchy-matchy without looking cheesy. For their house-painting themed pre-wedding shoot, Edlyn and Fabian wore denim overalls and blue jeans over white tops to create coordinated looks.
6. Relax in your wedding finery
Clara and Tim’s Ethereal Hokkaido Pre-Wedding Photography Session by Adrian Seetho Photography
Your wedding portraits in your suit and gown don’t have to look posed and formal if you don’t want them to. Making certain styling choices, such as losing the tie, or leaving your hair loose, can make your wedding outfits feel more casual.
7. Try a short wedding dress
Retro 1950s Engagement Styled Shoot at Universal Studios by AndroidsinBoots
Another way to get more lifestyle-looking shots in your wedding dress is by choosing a shorter skirt length. A short wedding dress gives a flirty, playful vibe that lets you have more fun with your shots. He can lose his jacket (and even his socks!) to match your casual look.
8. Wear a Classic White Dress
Jasmine and Wei Xian’s Enchanting Victorian Garden Wedding at Hotel Fort Canning by Diktat Photography
Moody and Dreamy Engagement Photography by AndroidsinBoots
A pretty white dress is a popular pre-wedding shoot outfit choice, for good reason. Choose from flirty baby-dolls, long maxi silhouettes, or dresses with beautiful lace details. Casual, yet dressy enough for this special occasion, a white dress also hints at the gown to come!
9. Choose Classic Colour Combinations
Weddings in Pictures: Elegance with a Touch of Vintage by Wishwander Pictures
When selecting your outfits, choose colours that complement each other, and go for classic combos instead of trendy ones that might look dated in the years to come. Blue and yellow is a classic colour combination that pops well against many backdrops, and won’t go out of style.
10. Be a Team Player
Chelsea and Jason’s Captivating Pre-wedding Adventure in Perth by Trouvé
What a Match! by Kenji Kwok
Do you love working out together? Sport your favourite team’s jerseys or the tennis outfits you wear to play every weekend.
11. Wear Matching Denim Shirts
Nadiah and Shandan’s Rustic and Vintage Wedding Celebration by Bliss Photo + Cinema
Wedding in Pictures: Nina and Alvin by e Image Studio
Coordinate your pre-wedding shoot outfits by wearing matching denim shirts and different bottoms. This way, you’ll make sure your colours go well together without looking like twins. She can wear a flirty skirt, and he can pull on contrasting pants.
12. Pick a Plaid
Audrie and Eugene’s Dreamy Pre-wedding Shoot by Smittenpixels Photography
Wedding in Pictures: Nina and Alvin by e Image Studio
Besides solid-coloured shirts, a good choice for him is a simple plaid pattern. To coordinate, she can also wear a plaid shirt, and choose a different colour!
13. Show Off Your Style
Chelsea and Jason’s Captivating Pre-wedding Adventure in Perth by Trouvé
Your pre-wedding shoot is all about your story. Own your style, and work those quirky accessories and neon colours!
14. Be Backward-Thinking
Audrie and Eugene’s Dreamy Pre-wedding Shoot by Smittenpixels Photography
Think about how things look from the back as well. An open-backed dress or lace details can add another dimension to your pre-wedding photos.
15. Channel the Yesteryears
Abid and Mizah’s Wedding Under the Trees by We Made These Photography
Keep things classic by adding a hint of retro into your pre-wedding looks, with him wearing suspenders and a bow tie, and her selecting a dress with a pencil skirt or a boxy top, and accessorising with red lipstick.
16. Work a Jacket
Cannas and Jim’s Beautiful Pre-Wedding in Perth by Mocco Photography
A jacket not only adds polish to your outfit, it also creates great lines when slung over your shoulders.
16. Stick with Similar Shades
Tansey and Phil’s Breathtaking Pre-wedding Adventure in Kuala Lumpur by Cliff Choong Photography
Another way to coordinate your pre wedding shoot outfits is by sticking to similar hues. Pick a colour both of you can pull off, and choose different shades or patterns.
17. Coordinate Your Levels of Dressiness
Daphne and Jonathan’s Intimate Solemnisation at The White Rabbit by Tinydot Photography
Make sure your outfits have a matching level of dressiness! If you’re wearing a cocktail dress instead of a long gown, he can dress his suit down a little by leaving off a tie. Pair soft, casual dress silhouettes and shorter skirt lengths with oxford cuffs on his shirts and khaki-coloured pants.
18. Keep Prints Small and Simple
Weddings in Pictures: Rebecca and Wei Nien’s Rabeang Pasak Tree House Adventure in Chiangmai by The Peeping Thom
Busy or complicated prints can look glaring on camera, so stick to simple and smaller patterns when deciding what to wear for your pre-wedding photos.
19. Don’t Forget Your Feet
Joey and Travis’ Hidden Forest Outdoor Pre-Wedding Shoot by Juxtapose Pix
Besides your outfits, think about your footwear too. If you’re doing a casual pre-wedding shoot outdoors, try matching sneakers or boots for some fun!
20. Keep Things Timeless in White
Yah Jun and Kuie Soon’s Whimsical Beachside Vintage Pre Wedding Shoot by A Little Moment Photography
Roxanne and Terence’s Fun-Filled Conrad Centennial Singapore Wedding by Unknown Imagery
White is a classic colour choice the both of you can wear. It nods to the wedding occasion you’re celebrating, and keeps your outfits coordinated and timeless. You can dress it down too, such as by opting for a casual beach maxi, or going for simple white tees and sneakers!
Credits: Feature image of Jasmine and Wei Xian’s Enchanting Victorian Garden Wedding at Hotel Fort Canning by Diktat Photography
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