Advice for Couples on What to Wear for a Photoshoot
Advice on the style of your photoshoot
- firstly, think 'style' - is it casual, formal, or very dressy?
- whatever your answer it's best to co-ordinate your outfits in the same style - you don't want one of you in a super stylish cocktail dress with beautiful heels and the other wearing ripped jeans and trainers, as it won't look great,
- don't be fooled into thinking a photoshoot is where you have to dress up smart - yes, by all means dress up (or down), but remember that informal clothing can also look great - as long as you've carefully chosen what it is in advance (and that you've not just thrown it all together at the last minute without talking to each other about it!).
Things to avoid
- large logos and writing on clothing can be very distracting when you later look at the photos (it can also look dated very quickly),
- tracksuits/hoodies don't usually work well, as they can easily make a casual look turn scruffy,
- identical outfits (both of you wearing white tops and the same colour jeans can look nice, but it's now looking really dated, so only do this look if you really, really want to),
- don't wear seasonal outfits,
- don't get a new haircut the day before - make sure you've had time for you to get used to how you 'wear it',
- don't let anyone overdo their makeup - it will look even stronger in photos than normal:
- if anyone wears lots of eyeliner that really darkens their eyes, now might be the time to ease off a bit, as when they smile while wearing lots of eyeliner, their eyes will naturally close slightly - this can make the whites of their eyes almost disappear (so there's a danger they'll look like their eyes are always closed),
- don't overdo the foundation either.
Advice on choosing colours
- the first thing to consider is "do you want some form of co-ordinated colour scheme?"
- this doesn't mean you should both look identical (because you shouldn't),
- having a 'colour scheme' is entirely optional - but there are two big reasons why you might want one:
- backgrounds - think about the type of backgrounds you might have in your photoshoot - are you in a park, the country or a back garden with lots of green backgrounds? Or are you in an urban setting, where there might be concrete, steel and brick colours instead? Choose colours that will work with the backgrounds you're likely to have,
- displaying the photos - is there already a strong colour scheme in the room in which you want to show your photos? If there is, does that make you want to steer away from certain clothing colours that might clash with the colour of your room? Would that make you change your mind about the colours you want to wear?
- whether or not you've decided to use a colour scheme you'll still need to co-ordinate your colours - in
this case think 'complement' not 'match' when it comes to colours, for example:
- these clash: orange and pink,
- these complement: purple and green; or yellow, white and blue; or blues and pinks; or coral and blue; or blue and white,
- don't be afraid of bright, bold colours:
- these can look great, but just make they're co-ordinated between both of you,
- if one of you wears a very bright, eye-catching colour make sure it doesn't 'steal the show' from the other person,
- when you look at your photos we want your eyes to be drawn to both of you, not just the person who wore the brightest colour!
- it's best to stick to around 2-4 main colours between both of you - we want you to look like a work of art, rather than a wall of graffiti.
What to consider in co-ordinating outfits between both of you
- it can be helpful to consider whether one of you has a key outfit around which you want to choose the other person's outfit - if that's the case, choose that outfit first, then select the outfit for your partner afterwards so that it complements that key outfit (again, we're not talking 'matching', just co-ordinating),
- it's fine for one of you to wear a strong pattern or stripes, but not for both of you, as more than one pattern will compete with the other and we don't want anything to be too distracting from your lovely faces.
Specific advice for women at a photoshoot
- for women preparing for a photoshoot, you might find 'advice for women on what to wear for a photoshoot' useful.
Do bring along other extras to the photoshoot
- accessories, such as hats and scarves work well,
- these can often be at their best when their colour enhances, or is different than, the colour of their top,
Tips to help you decide what to wear for a couple photoshoot
- wear an outfit that's good to look at all year round and in any season,
- think about timeless styles - you'll be looking at these photos for years, so wear styles that you don't think will quickly date,
- layering clothing can work really well, as it adds variety - for example, a coat, a jacket, or a removable top (it will make it look like you're using more than one outfit),
- textures are great - for example, thick woollen knits in the winter, or lace material in the summer,
- what you wear on your feet is just as important as the rest of your outfits, so give your footwear (and socks) your full attention and choose what goes well with your outfits,
- don't forget about what YOU will be wearing - it's all too easy to spend your time thinking "what should I organise for my partner to wear?", only to consider your outfit last of all - if you end up just throwing any old outfit of yours into the mix at the end, then you're doing it wrong - you need to look FABULOUS, so think about it carefully - if that means going back and changing their outfit, so that you can look stunning, then that's what you should do - you should certainly love YOUR look in the photoshoot.
And finally...
- don't leave choosing your outfits to the day before - do it at least a week in advance (in case anything needs washing, ironing, or if one of you changes your mind about something),
- make sure whatever you wear is something you don’t mind wearing while sitting on the dry grass,
- make sure all clothes are clean,
- check for any marks or damage,
- once you've decided on your outfits lay them all out side by side on the floor, or on a bed (including footwear and socks), to check they all complement each other and that nothing clashes - you've still got time to make any changes if you want to,
- remember the above is just advice - there are no fixed rules - if you think everything looks great together, then it probably does,
- just make sure YOU feel super confident in what you're wearing,
- and that BOTH of you feel comfortable and relaxed in your outfits.
Finding out more
Read more of our helpful tips about preparing for your photoshoot.
Get our free 'What to Wear' Magazines
We're currently offering two of our premium digital magazines for free.
The first of these is 'A Guide for Couples on What to Wear at a Photoshoot'. This is a 50 page magazine for couples, which is full of lots of advice, photos and colour combinations to help you choose what you and your partner might wear during a photoshoot.
The second magazine is 'A Guide for Women on What to Wear at a Photoshoot'. This is also a 50 page magazine, full of lots of advice, photos and colour combinations to help you choose what you might wear during a photoshoot. This magazine is specifically tailored towards women.
These clothes fit in well with natural backgrounds, as the colours work in a complementary way amongst the greens
behind the couple.
This patterned dress works well next to her husband's solid colour shirt (had they both worn patterns, then their
clothes would 'compete' and this wouldn't have worked).
Here's an example of why not to use writing and logos, as the large writing on this blue t-shirt distracts away
our attention from their faces.
An example of a very smart 'look', where this couple are wearing smart clothing, using complementary colours.
A casual look works just as well, as long as the colours work well together, as shown by the blues and whites
this couple are wearing.
