Let’s be real: winter engagement sessions are so frickin’ amazing! They can get kind of a bad rep because (1) they can be cold, (2) nobody likes snow all that much, and (3) locations for your session can be hard to come by! In this blog, you can find all things that have to do with building the perfect outfit for an amazing winter engagement session. If fashion isn’t your main worry, you can read all about our philosophy on winter engagement session, find ideas and inspiration for winter engagement photos, and focus more so on the benefits of winter photos in The Ultimate Guide to Winter Engagement Sessions!

So if you’re sitting there, counting down the days to your winter engagement session, thinking to yourself “BUT WHAT WILL I WEAR?” (And you have to say it in the Grinch voice too!), you’re in the right place! In this week’s blog, we will be deep diving into all things outfit for your winter engagement photos. We know building an outfit to wear for your engagement session can be one of the most stressful parts of the whole ideal! So we’ve compiled all of our advice into one place for you to use…

Tip #1: Dress in Layers for Your Winter Engagement Outfit

Our first point of advice for picking out an outfit for your winter engagement session is to dress in layers! This may be somewhat common knowledge but it’s so important that we want to make a point of it.

When we say layers, we don’t mean you have to bulk up to the point where you can’t freely move your limbs. We’re talking T-shirt, sweatshirt/sweater, and a jacket or vest! This way you are prepared for any kind of weather (You know how the Midwest likes to dump snow/rain out of nowhere!). If you’re feeling too warm, you can shed a layer and, just like that, you have a somewhat new outfit. This can really help if you aren’t wanting to change into a different outfit to mix up the vibe for your session.

A word of caution: make sure your layers color coordinate with each other! You can have a super cute outfit on with a super awesome sweater and some cute boots but that bright red winter jacket should probably not make the cut. But don’t worry we’ll talk more about colors later!

Tip #2: Bring a Few Outfits For Your Winter Engagement Session

Now, some photographers may not be down for you to bring more than one outfit. But not us! We know there are so many options out there to choose from that it can be next to impossible to choose more than one!

If you choose to bring a few outfits to your winter engagement photos, you can be a little bit more flexible about what you’re wearing! Maybe you’ve always pictured yourself wearing a dress for your engagement photos and you really don’t want to make that compromise to ditch the dress. That’s okay! You can brave the cold, wear the dress for a few shots, and change into a warmer outfit right after.

Say you really want some shots of you and your boo in a fancy ass outfit for your save the dates or to share on the Gram! You guys can come in those fancy outfits and then you’ll change after we’ve grabbed some awesome shots in the fancy outfits! Just make sure you bring some alternative footwear if you plan to wear heels for a few shots!

Bringing more than one outfit can be a bit of a hassle–dragging your extra clothes around or figuring out a private place to change. But don’t worry! If a second (or third) outfit is important to you, we’ll make sure to make it a priority to make that change work for you! We’ve even got a portable changing tent for privacy!

Tip #3: Colors Are Everything For Your Outfit

Now when you’re choosing an outfit for your engagement session (for any season for that matter), you may pick out the PERFECT outfit that fits you just right and accents all the right features. Then come to find out later on that the color of your outfit doesn’t photograph well. It’s important to be mindful of colors when you are choosing the best outfit for your winter engagement photos!

When it comes to photography, everyone’s style varies depending on the artistic preferences of the photographer. For us, we tend to lean on the dark and moody, sunset/golden hour vibe. Some colors/patterns to avoid when you’re choosing an outfit for a winter engagement session: bright/neon colors, items with large logos, and crowded plaid. You want your outfit to pop in comparison to the background but don’t want the colors to be so overwhelming that it distracts from the entirety of the image.

Some colors/materials to look for when choosing your winter engagement outfit: tans, browns, blacks, off-whites, jean material (Jean jackets are super cute in the winter!), fur material (Alexa, play “Low” by Flo Rida!), and large, neutral-colored plaid. Neutral colors that give a little pop but nothing too flashy are exactly what you’re looking for! And remember to coordinate the colors of your layers for your outfit. For example, all articles in a layered outfit look best when they stick to that neutral color scheme so avoid a bright red or blue undershirt or something like that!

Tip #4: Accessories Are Your Friend For Your Winter Engagement Session

Accessories can be a totally awesome way to seal off that winter engagement session outfit and add that little touch that brings your whole outfit come to life. When it comes to winter engagement session outfits, some common accessories that add that perfect little touch are hats, gloves/mittens, or scarves.

Basically, these accessories really bring that winter feel to the forefront of your gallery! And not only can they make for some awesome winter engagement photos, you can use these to keep warm! Talk about dressing wisely in the winter!

Of course, you don’t have to wear all these accessories the entire time! We can snap some pictures of you without a hat and then we can warm you up, put that hat back on, and keep taking some awesome pictures! A quick note: You can always bring an accessory and see what it looks like in a photograph and decide if you want to keep it on for the session. For example, a scarf can be a great complement to a winter engagement outfit but sometimes the scarf just doesn’t want to cooperate and it hides that beautiful face! In that case, let’s ditch the scarf and show off those cheesy smiles!

Tip #5: Bring A Blanket To Cozy Up In

One of our favorite parts of winter engagement sessions (and fall sessions too!) is that it can be so cold sometimes that you are forced to cozy up with your partner for your engagement photos! And a great way to stay warm together is to bring a blanket!

You two can wrap up in the blanket in between shots to stay warm and we can even snap some pictures of you two wrapped up the blanket all cozied up! These make for some awesome shots and serves as a practical way to stay warm! Additionally, we can lay the blanket down and have you guys sit down on it and get some picnic-like shots! Trust us, it’ll be great!

Just let us know if you want us to bring a blanket for you! Large plaid blankets make for the best complement for these kinds of photos and we have a few that work really well for our photos and style!

Winter Engagement Outfits Made Easy!

At first, choosing a winter engagement outfit can feel like so much of a headache! But don’t worry, y’all! We hope we’ve provided you a little bit of direction when it comes to choosing your outfit. Every engagement session is a little different so at the end of the day, what matters is that you wear something that you’re comfortable in and allows you to feel comfortable throughout your entire session!

Additionally, we’ve compiled a Pinterest board of some awesome winter engagement outfit inspiration! With the answer to any question at the tip of our fingers, why not reap the benefits of the Internet! Check out that Pinterest board HERE to gain inspiration!

If you’re planning an outfit for an engagement session with us, you can always feel free to reach out to us through email to ask our opinion on your planned outfits! We’d be happy to help you make sure that you feel confident in the outfit that you have chosen for your winter engagement session! Just make sure your prepared to have a snowball fight at the end of your session!

If you’re looking for more tips and tricks regarding winter engagement sessions, you can read more in The Ultimate Guide to Winter Engagement Sessions! If you want to read about a super cool memory map engagement session we shot in Minneapolis, come read about that here! And if you are currently on the hunt for an engagement or wedding photographer, hit us up here! We’d love to chat and get to know you more!

Again, we hope you found this helpful! Stay rad, beautiful humans! xoxo