Choosing the right dresses for your pre-wedding photoshoot can make a huge difference in the vibe you want your photos to give. I advise every bride and groom-to-be to sit down and talk about what fits both of your personalities. Arin and I love dressing up and both of us pay a lot of attention to detail, so a glamorous pre-wedding photoshoot was exactly what we agreed on!
It can definitely get overwhelming trying to find the perfect dresses or suits while planning your wedding at the same time, so I wanted to share our experience and picked lots of favorites as ideas for your own pre-wedding shoot.
Outfit #1
I’m a sucker for open-back dresses and simplicity – so when I found this dress over a year ago, I knew I had to have it for my pre-wedding photoshoot in the future. I love the boatneck cut on the neckline and long sleeves, giving it an elegant and clean look. The side slits on both sides worked perfectly to showcase my heels and were just the right amount to show some leg. I suggest altering the length if you’re going to be doing a lot of walking around in this dress. I’m 5’6 and left it as is with heels on because I wanted the dress to drag on the floor a little to give the photos a more effortless feel.
PRO TIP // I always use THIS FASHION TAPE, especially for backless or low cut dresses and tops. I’ve used lots of other brands, but this one sticks on the best and barely budges.
I went for a messy, whimsical low-pony for my hair, to really display the back of my dress. You can ask your hair stylist to do a hairstyle that you can open halfway through the photoshoot, just to give your photos a different look, which is what I did. As far as my make-up goes, I went for a glowy natural look and went with individual wispy lashes, to really open my eyes or else my upper lid looks way too heavy. I kept my jewelry simple with this look – just wore studs and 2 smaller cartilage earrings on one side. And since I’m a shoe addict, I had to bring out the J’Adior pumps which have a velvety finish to them and gave a lot of contrast to my overall look.
Shop Heels Here (TTS & VERY COMFY)
PRO TIP // I used an adhesive sticky bra with all of these dresses to make sure my bra didn’t show in any of the photos. If you’re wearing backless dresses then these work great. If you’re wearing a tight dress, then silicone stick on bras work great. If you’re wearing a loose dress, I would use the cloth material stick on bra because the silicone ones are heavier and can LITERALLY fall off if you get sweaty [TRUST ME, IT’S HAPPENED TO ME].
Shop Sticky Bras Here
When picking each outfit, make sure you coordinate with your man ladies! I feel like it takes away from the aesthetic of the photo if you haven’t thought about the colors working together. Since I was wearing white, we went with a muted burgundy colored suit for Arin, adding contrast, that way we wouldn’t get lost in the background and BONUS, it made his green eyes pop out more for me! We threw in a white super slim fitted collared button-down and went with the effortless no-tie look here. Arin chose to wear his Salvatore Ferragamo belt, sophisticated Bulova watch, and shiny black Hugo Boss oxfords to tie the whole look together.
Shop Arins Belt Here
Outfit #2
Here, I went with a simple form-fitted midi length dress to accentuate my figure more. Make sure that the material of whatever dress you choose is forgiving, especially because these photos are going to most likely be around your home forever. I loved the slit on the side, giving it an edgier vibe, and chose to go with a soft pastel pink to give the photos some color. The asymmetrical cut around the neckline is another reason this dress caught my attention – it was so stylish and comfortable! I paired this dress with my rose gold Jimmy Choo pumps (Run TTS, SOO COMFY) a simple studded bracelet, and an ear-climber earring on one side, to give the look some glam.
Shop My Dress Here – Wearing size 2, TTS
Shop My Heels Here – TTS, ROSE GOLD, VERY COMFY
Shop Earrings Here
Arin chose to wear a blue colored fitted suit for his second look, again giving the photos lots of contrast so we both stand out more. He paired his suit with a dark burgundy Kenneth Cole oxford and a casual printed pocket square.
Don’t make the mistake of getting all dressed up yourself and leaving your man in jeans or cargo pants. Make sure you BOTH fit the vibe. If you’re going for a more casual vibe, then you both should dress casual and vise versa.
Outfit #3
This was our last look for the photoshoot, so you know we had to step up our game! I usually stray away from wearing black, but this piece was so beautiful that I knew I had to get it (from @eliyathelabel). I loved all of the different textures my dress had, starting with the shiny leather belt that showed off my waist and not to mention, the ruffles going all the way down the front of the dress. I’m all about side slits so that was a bonus with this dress. I paired my dress with this trendy Alexander Wang studded sandal and loved how it instantly made my look a bit edgier, BUT for designer shoes, these are very poorly made. The slingback strap constantly slides down after only a few steps even though it’s exactly my size, and even after getting it made tighter, it still slides down (now after 15 steps). So if you’re planning on purchasing these, I would for sure test it out by walking in them a lot. Unfortunately, I’ll only be wearing these at dinner where I won’t be doing a lot of walking. I’ve actually improvised and use a black ribbon to hold up the back strap and tie it around my ankle – IT MAKES THE SHOE EVEN MORE GLAM AND I CAN WALK NORMALLY in them LOL!
Shop Heels Here (TTS)
PRO TIP // Make sure you get a natural looking spray tan to give you a healthy glow for your pre-wedding shoot photos. I never recommend tanning beds because of its correlation with skin cancer. My go-to is @spraysbynelli if you’re in the LA area!
Towards the end of the pre-wedding photoshoot, I opened by hair, which gave the photos a whole new look, so I highly recommend doing this if possible. I also added another favorite ear-climber on one side, for some added bling to my outfit.
Arin decided to wear a two-toned navy and black velvet suit jacket for his last look, which ended up coming out amazing in photos! It complemented my black dress so well because of the contrast again. He also put on his 6 time zone @IceLinkofficial watch to fancy it up a bit more.
Hope these looks have inspired and helped you choose your outfit for your future pre-wedding photoshoot! I’ve picked some favorites that would look amazing in photos, hoping to save you time from having to search for the perfect look. Feel free to always send me a DM on my IG if you ever have any questions @drluxy
Hair Style: @bella_studio1
Hair Color: @norajil
Makeup: @glambyedith
Spray Tan: @spraysbynelli
Photographer: @renezadoriphotography
Location: @westlakevillageinn
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