Today, on My Wedding Chat, we have an extra-special guest blogger: professional wedding and engagement photographer, Rebecca Ickes, of Rebecca Marie Photography & Design. Rebecca has been kind enough to share some of her vast knowledge on how to take the best engagement photos ever, gained from her many years of taking amazing engagement photos. Here, she gives us some excellent tips on preparing for engagement photos. Read on, for tips on engagement photography poses, engagement photo props, engagement photo clothes, hair and makeup for engagement pictures, and other cute engagement photo ideas.

Examples of engagement photography poses provided by Rebecca Marie Photography & Design

Tips on how to strike the best engagement photo poses ever.

Without further ado, we give you Rebecca's tips on preparing for engagement photos - from engagement photography poses, to engagement photo props, and, of course, tips on the best clothes, hair, and makeup for engagement pictures. Rebecca really knows her stuff, and these are some great engagement photo ideas. Enjoy! The biggest question I get regarding tips on engagement photography poses is "What should we wear for our engagement session?" I have created this little guide to help you on your path to picking the perfect engagement photo clothes! (Bear with me, it's a little lengthy, but will hopefully be a great help.)

Tips for picking your engagement photo clothes.

The real-life couple in these engagement photo examples, Stephanie and Steve, did a killer job of combining both a relaxed style for their more casual engagement photos, as well as a night-out style for their more trendy engagement photography poses. Stephanie and Steve's session makes the perfect engagement photo examples, because they really showed off who they are as a couple, where they love to go, and what they love to do. We had a blast starting at the Fullerton Beach on the Northside of Chicago and making our way into Downtown Chicago, as the sun set. These two are a real-life couple, just like you, so I promise that getting the amazing engagement photos that you’ve been dreaming about is only a few helpful engagement photo ideas and tips (and a lot of your own personality) away!

Rebecca Marie Photography & Design

"Disclaimer": As always, rules are meant to be broken, and if you are on the fence about an outfit, ask your engagement photographer what they think before your session, or bring it along as an additional option.

Engagement photo clothes: Coordinating colors and style.

Keep in mind that your clothes help set the mood and feeling of the portrait. You most definitely want to be yourself, but dressing up just a little bit helps set the tone for this important step, as you prepare for your big day. (About the Engagement Photo Example Below: Stephanie and Steve both work downtown and enjoy being out and about in the city for a night out, so this shot totally fits who they are as a couple. We kept it comfortable without a tie, and only occasionally used Steve’s sport coat; but Steve's collared shirt kept the vibe dressy, especially with the help of Stephanie’s great outfit!) For your engagement session, it’s important to wear clothing that you can sit, stand, and walk comfortably in, because you will be moving around a lot, in order to capture a variety of different engagement photo poses. Don’t forget to think about your shoes (and socks!). Ladies, we all know that the perfect pair of shoes can make your outfit. Unfortunately, those shoes tend not to be the most comfortable (when are they going to figure that one out?!). Consider bringing an extra pair of flats or sandals to walk around in. Dress in clothes that are in the same color palette - but are not exactly the same. Think blues and grays, or browns and reds. There is no need to match perfectly, but looking coordinated with the same style of dress is important. Guys, if you want to wear jeans and a polo shirt, double-check that your lady isn’t looking at a new amazing cocktail dress for your engagement images (and ladies, if you found that perfect cocktail dress, then dress him up!). The color palette of Stephanie and Steve’s first outfits for their more casual engagement photos were perfect for a day at the beach. The white linen shirt complemented Steve’s skin tone wonderfully, and Stephanie’s sea foam green top kept her fair skin from being washed out by the white. The solid colors keep the focus on their faces, and allow their engagement portraits to really pop. A few great examples of casual engagement photos:

Rebecca Marie Photography & Design

Take a look at the way photos in ads and catalogs are styled. You'll see that the ways the models are dressed present them as one cohesive image - this can give you ideas for choosing complementary colors and clothing styles for your engagement photos. If you are going for a casual look, there are a few simple ways to give casual looks that extra "oomf". For guys, I love collared shirts with dark jeans and lace-free dress shoes. Girls, you can never go wrong with a great sundress. If it’s a bit chillier for your engagement session, dark jeans with amazing shoes are also a great dressy/casual combo. Fitted clothes (although not skintight clothes) translate better in photographs than loose, baggy garb. Anything hanging off your body (baggy) will make you look bigger than you are, and sloppier, too.

Engagement photo clothes: Solid colors vs. bold patterns.

Stick to solid colors or subtle patterns. Bold stripes, large designs, and polka dots stand out too much, and tend to draw attention away from your face, which should be the main focus of your portraits. An eclectic mix of patterns can clash and reduce the quality of your engagement portraits. This isn’t to say that you can’t wear any patterns at all, though. If one of you wants to wear a pinstriped or plaid shirt, it will work best if the other wears a top in a solid color seen in the pattern of your significant other's top. Another good option is for girls to wear a patterned tank top under a v-neck shirt. I love layers! You can also jazz up solid-colored outfits with great jewelry and accessories. Most importantly: Be comfortable and have fun with your engagement session! You will have a much better time, which always makes for better photos.

Rebecca Marie Photography & Design

Things not to wear for your engagement photo clothes:

Tops with big logos or a lot of writing on them - keep it clean and classy.

• Shirts with short hemlines and bare mid-drifts.
• Super short skirts.
• Exactly matching outfits (Remember: look coordinated, not matching).

White shirts and jeans don’t have much personality, and your engagement session is your time to let your personality shine. Try to avoid complete black and/or white - gray or ivory will complement your skin far better.

More cute engagement photo ideas: Engagement photo props:

Another fun way to make your engagement session unique and fun? Engagement photo props! Some fun examples of engagement photo props include:

• Sunglasses
• A "Thank You" or "Save the Date" sign
• Musical instruments you play
• Balloons (or one big balloon!)
• Hats
• Pets
• Anything else that makes your relationship unique to just the two of you

Hair and makeup for engagement pictures:

Are you having your makeup done for your wedding? Then why wouldn’t you want to get your makeup done for your engagement session? It's always great to have a professional when you can, (that’s why you’ve hired me, right?). So, in order to add that extra bit of glam to your session, get your hair and makeup done, ladies! I'm sure you are absolutely wonderful at applying your own makeup on a day-to-day basis, but a professional will know what photographs best, and how to make you look perfect-o for your rockin’ engagement session. You can be cost-effective by arranging to have your hair and makeup trial done on the same day of your engagement session - two birds, one stone!

Last, but not least, when preparing for engagement photos, remember:

The most important thing to remember when preparing for engagement photos is that we are photographing the two of you, so be yourself! Dress nicely, but don’t get so "dressed up" that you are uncomfortable. Interact with each other the way you normally would. Go head, ignore your photographer (for the most part)! Goof off, make faces, cuddle, laugh, play - in short, be excited. It’s all about having fun and being in love.

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