What to wear to photograph a wedding

All things EJP, For Photographers

I have had this question come up four times in the past month (from other photographers, assistants, and clients)….so I’ve decided to write a blog post about it :-)

What do I wear to shoot weddings? I wear dresses. Sometimes black, mostly solid, good fabric (ie not to be mistaken for a cotton sundress), knee length (or close) dresses with straps/sleeves, and a nice cardigan or blazer for when I’m cold (this is guaranteed to happen at some point in the day). I start the day in heels that I find comfortable, and always have a pair of flats in the car to slip into at some point. In the winter, I will wear tights and nice boots, especially if we’re going to be out in the snow.

It is really important to me to blend in with the guests. I will ask clients before the wedding how formal it will be if I don’t get the paper invitation. Just because I’m working does not mean that I shouldn’t put my best face forward and dress well. I want the couple, their parents, the bridal party, and guests to see that I am put-together professional. I know this sounds trite, but you can never get back a first impression! Especially in a word-of-mouth industry, I believe it to be crucial to present yourself well.

I wear dresses to work weddings because I LOVE dresses. I like to feel feminine and I wear dresses as much as I can in my day-to-day life so it only makes sense that I would wear them working too! If dresses aren’t your style, I would suggest wearing either wearing a suit or formal dress pants and a dress shirt/blouse.

Because my standard response to any question now is to start a Pinterest board….these are recent finds that I would buy and wear to a wedding in a heartbeat!

From Macy’s, Cach’e, Asos, and Asos.

This isn’t to say that I won’t wear patterned clothing, but the very first wedding I photographed on my own, the pattern of my dress matched the mother-of-the-groom’s. I felt sick to my stomach, but we were nowhere near home and I didn’t have a change of clothes! I try to stick to simpler things now, to avoid this even being a possibility :-)

Having a second photographer is great for another angle during all of the important moments of the day, and for hilarious pictures of me working! Proof of what I wear during real wedding days…please don’t judge my messy hair, the summer gets hot and I almost always end up pulling it back ;-)

Above dress from JCrew, photo from Elissa R.

Dress from Pitaya, photo from Lauren Wakefield.

Dress from Banana Republic, photo from Wil.

I have also had great success at Ann Taylor, the Ralph Lauren outlet, Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, and Nordstrom, in addition to the options I mentioned above :-) Happy Wednesday!!