Singaporebrides | Fashion

May 2024

20+ Pre-Wedding Shoot Outfit Ideas and Tips

By Tansey Tang

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20+ tips and outfit ideas to help you select what to wear for pre-wedding shoots!

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 express your personal style. Many couples these days choose two or more settings for their pre-wedding shoots, giving you opportunities for both formal and casual outfits. We explore the best ways to choose what to wear for your pre wedding photos. Use the shoot to tell your story and what you love doing together!

How to Choose What to Wear for Your Pre-Wedding Shoot

The most important question to ask yourselves when planning what to wear for your pre-wedding shoot is, “Where is your shoot going to be?” Thinking about the setting of your shoot location will help you choose the perfect outfits. For example, brightly coloured outfits work well in urban locations, while more formal-looking locations are great backdrops to your wedding gown and suit. Romantic settings such as a cafe call for flowy dresses and button-down shirts, while you can wear athleisure for sports-themed shoots. If you’re shooting at more than one location, think about each setting and what to wear to each location.

While you want to choose outfits that are dressier than your usual date fits, so that they pop on camera, you don’t want to be uncomfortable. Make sure you choose outfits you feel good 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 confident. Here are some outfit ideas to inspire you on what to wear for your pre-wedding shoot!

1. Dramatic Gowns for Dramatic Backdrops

Don’t be overshadowed by dramatic landscapes; wear a big, dramatic silhouette in a bold colour to hold up to sweeping scenery. Bold and contrasting colours and big ruffles and trains work well when you’re doing a shoot against a scenic backdrop.

2. Embrace the Traditional

Have fun and embrace your heritage with full-on traditional outfits! From colourful was and over-the-top headdresses to colourful, vintage parasols, you can create bright and vibrant shots with traditional outfits.

3. Accent and Accessorise

Don’t forget that accessories can add a lot to your pre-wedding shoot! For a dreamy and ethereal effect, especially for dawn pre-wedding shoots, use a long wedding veil that can cover the both of you.

4. Modern Cheongsam

Is there a better occasion to custom-make a cheongsam than your very own wedding? A bespoke modern cheongsam can be the perfect outfit for your pre-wedding shoot. It fits and flatters your body, and the contemporary silhouette and materials don’t call for a very traditional theme.

5. Cocktail Casual

Something midway between formal wedding portraits and a casual shoot might be your vibe. If you’re going for a more casual pre-wedding shoot, try wearing a white maxi dress instead of a wedding gown, and an open-collared shirt with your blazer instead of a suit and tie.

6. 1920s Glamour

If you love all things vintage, why not don a 1920s-inspired outfit for a themed pre-wedding shoot? Go all out and don’t leave out accessories such as headpieces, hats, long gloves, or a pocket watch, and shoot in an appropriate location.

7. Groovy Retro

Lean into the retro trend with outfits straight out of the 80s or 90s. Puffy sleeves, short lace gloves, and fluffy veils can be paired with retro, straight-cut groom’s suits in beige or other retro prints such as plaid or houndstooth to echo your parents’ wedding style. Quirky sunglasses, oversized trench coats, and wide-brimmed hats evoke old Hong Kong movies.

8. Adventurous Accessories

Adventurous couples can document their love for the outdoors with fun accessories and locations such as wearing hiking backpacks and boots while on an outdoor shoot at Coney Island.

9. Oversized Shirt for Her

An oversized shirt for her is an adorable and sexy outfit choice for a pre-wedding shoot set at home. Match with your significant other in white for a timeless look.

10. Suit Up

Buck convention and wear a bridal suit instead of a traditional wedding gown, if that’s your style! A sleek, white bridal suit can look amazingly stylish in your pre-wedding shoot, shot in an urban location such as on city streets. Don’t forget a cute veil and bridal bouquet to make it more obvious you’re on a wedding shoot!

11. Wear Sneakers

Shrug out of the high heels and stiff loafers, and get comfortable on your casual outdoor pre-wedding shoot in matching sneakers.

12. Pop of Colour

Work with your location’s colour palette to stand out in your pre-wedding photos. Claire and Charles wore bright orange and blue so they weren’t overshadowed by the vibrant graffiti at their Melbourne pre-wedding shoot.

13. Pair Your Plaid

Plaid is a classic choice for a pre-wedding shoot outfit. You can match your plaid shirts or opt for complementing colours.

14. Harry Potter Wizarding Robes

Are you a pair of Potterheads? Celebrate your love for the wizarding world with a shoot in Harry Potter robes. Ditto for other book worlds!

15. Blend in for a Dreamy Effect

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.

16. Dress for the activity

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.

17. Try a short wedding dress

You can 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.

18. A Classic White Dress

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!

19. Team Player

Do you love working out together? Sport your favourite team’s jerseys or the tennis outfits you wear to play every weekend.

20. Bring Sexy Back

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.

21. Work a Jacket

A jacket not only adds polish to your outfit, it also creates great lines when slung over your shoulders.

22. Stick with Similar Shades

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.

23. Keep Things Timeless in White

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!

24. Fun Sunglasses

Sunglasses are a great way to add fun and personality to your shoot!

Credits: Feature image of Charmaine and Ming’s Quirky and Fun Photoshoot at Old Holland Field and A Laundromat by Soju & Shots

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