Krystal Wesson and Christopher Peoples
Christal Phillips Photography
In the weeks following a new engagement, the wedding prep to-do list seems to grow each day. One big to-do is taking engagement pics. There’s a lot of planning that goes into preparing for the shoot. After you’ve found the perfect location and locked down the date, the most important question remains, “What do we wear?”
Social media provides lots of examples, good and bad, to draw inspiration as you plan your photoshoot. However, you should create a look and feel that truly captures the essence of your relationship. How did you meet? Are you playful or romantic? Do you share common hobbies? Thinking about these things will help you plan the location, your poses and, of course, what you wear.
Whether you and your sweetie are taking engagement photos or posting family pics for the ‘gram, check out these three ways to create looks that compliment your mate in photos and the “science” behind finding pieces that work together.
(1) Make sure everyone is comfortable
Charlotte native Myeisha Hamilton and her family take photos each year. Hamilton describes herself as the “COO (Chief Operating Officer) and CCD (Chief Creative Designer)” of her family.
One of her challenges is getting her family to like the pieces as much as she does. It’s important to make sure that everyone is comfortable in their chosen looks. Confidence, or a lack thereof, can make or break your photos. Think back to the look on your face wearing the turtleneck your mom made you wear in your third-grade school pictures.
To help everyone feel comfortable in their chosen looks, Hamilton suggests incorporating their favorite types of pieces. For example, knowing that her son loves jeans, she finds ways to incorporate denim in the theme for family photos.
Courtesy of Myeisha Hamilton
(2) Don’t go all matchy-matchy
Charlotte-based styling consultant Felicia Bittle advises, “Respect each other’s tastes. No one should feel that one style dominates the other. Find pieces that compliment both aesthetics. Don’t become so focused on achieving a ‘matching look’ that you forget about your individual style.”
When styling clients for couple’s shoots, Bittle chooses palettes for which she can create several outfit options. “The goal is to provide each other with a range of choices that can work perfectly together. Earth tones, neutrals, black/whites and classic monochromes work especially well,” she added.
(3) Apply color theory
Choosing complementary colors is more than having an “eye for fashion.” There’s actually a science to it called color theory. The color theory uses a color wheel to display primary and secondary colors. It then divides colors into warm (colors that evoke warmth) and cool (colors that considered to be calm and soothing) tones.
Local bride-to-be Krystal Wesson and her fiancé, Christopher Peoples, recently shared their engagement photos on Instagram. Several followers commented on the complimentary colors of their look to which Wesson said, “I have always been a fan of the color champagne; it’s my favorite neutral color. There are so many nice shades of blue to pair it with that complement each other well I decided to play with a few shades in our pictures.”
If you’re not sure that you can style yourself in a way to avoid showing up on an awkward photo site, hire a stylist. Or you can use sites like Pinterest or Instagram for outfit inspiration to create the perfectly coordinated look for your photos.
