You want to look like a goddess for your engagement session, we want you to, too! If this is your first time on our blog, welcome! We’re David and Meivys, a husband and wife photography team based in south Florida. We photograph modern, detail-oriented couples who want to be guided, love how they look and have fun! If you’re a fellow follower, thanks for your continued support!
We are really excited to be writing this blog today because we think it will really help you find a dream dress for your engagement session. We have rounded up some of our favorite dresses from one of our favorite online shops – lulus! While there are so many options, these styles and colors are our recommendations for a romantic, elegant, and modern engagement session. All of the dresses in this list are floor-length, but we’re working on a second list for shorter dresses that you can wear for a picnic themed session for example.
When you select an outfit for your engagement session, there’s a few things we like to think about:
- Color – We always recommend light pastel or neutral colors for your session, this will ensure that there is no harsh reflection onto your skin. If you were to wear a bright hot pink or lime green dress for example, the color could reflect onto your and your groom’s skin – and we surely don’t want green skin! The camera loves shades of soft pink and muted blues, mixed with sophisticated light neutrals like heather gray, creams, leather brown and white.
- Length – Floor length dresses are the best for photos because they make you look taller and slimmer and we all want that amiright? But in addition to that, floor-length dresses look amazing on camera because they bring extra movement to the photos. And they will give us the best “twirl factor,” add more romance to your walking photos and look especially gorgeous when juxtaposed with nature, like greens, fields or beaches.
- Style – Consider softer fabrics like chiffon or tulle which allow for beautiful movement in the images – most of the dresses we recommend are of these materials. Also, we really love dresses that have an accent on the wait because it makes your waist look smaller and adds the perfect location for an adornment like ruffles, a belt, etc. In our examples below, you’ll notice ALL of the dresses have a cut at the waist.
- Occassion or Theme – This is a big one! When we plan your session with you we take into account your love story and your personality, plus what you enjoy doing together. Depending on what we cone up with, there will usually be a “theme” which will drive all the decisions we make to style the perfect session – including outfits. We’ve shared some theme ideas in each category below to help you decide.
- Fit – In our experience, every woman (regardless of her size or shape) has an area of her body that she’s self conscious about. Recognizing the areas you’re self conscious about when selecting your outfits is key. Choosing flattering silhouettes and colors that complement your natural features is the best way to ensure you’ll love the way you look in your photos. Skinny straps or strapless dresses have the opposite effect on arms on camera. For most women, skinny straps actually make arms look bigger, so we recommend avoiding those whenever possible IF your goal is slimmer-looking arms.
Remember, there is no such thing as “too dressed up” when it comes to your engagement session, so don’t be afraid to have some fun!
We will be sharing the images of each of our favorite dresses – when you click on them it will take you to the link where you can purchase the dress. We’re also including photos of our MSP Brides wearing a dress for a real world in action example! At the end of the blog post we have a few links to help you save $! on’t forget about those!
This first set of dresses would be perfect for a field, the greens, or even the beach. We love the different shades of blue and that they are all super flowy! They can be paired with white or tan thin strapped heels for a romantic feminine look.
These beautiful soft shades are so dreamy! The first two have a slit for extra points! Slits always make us look taller, slimmer, and a little sassy! These peachy tones look great on any skintone and they match with every setting. White or nude heels for the win on this set too!
Next are the florals! We love these for a park or the beach and they look beautiful in a picnic setting at the park! We’re loving the soft tones and included 3 strap/sleeve examples to pick from. We’d style these with nude strappy heels too!
Now, we’re getting a little more glamourous! Black fitted dresses are perfect for a city engagement session – perhaps downtown or a city skyline like the one below. These looks are for a trendy, bold bride who wants portraits that wow! We’d pair these next few dresses with a tuxedo for the groom.
Just like the dresses from above, these next few white dresses are elegant and classy! Think historic building, rooftop with the twinkle light and lots of glamour!
If you want the glam, but still want color, consider these. They’re glamorous, but are still more muted that a hot pink!
For the bride who loves to sparkle, these are some of our favorites! When you’re wearing sparkling dresses, remember to dress your groom in a solid, dark suit. Also, keep your makeup sparkle-free and stay on the soft neutral sidde so that your dress can stand out and, well, shine!
We hope this guide has inspired your next dress and has helped you understand what to take into consideration when you’re shopping. All of these images have link so that if you think one of these – or two or three lol – is for you, you don’t have to waste time – you can oder it right away.
Lastly, we want to leave you with a few special MSP Bride coupon, Click on the links to apply the coupon:
Free Shipping on orders of $50
Get your bridal team on board and speak to a Lulus Bridal Concierge
XOXO, David + Meivys
M Suarez Photography
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