No matter how “technically” perfect a photo is or how beautiful the editing is, you’re not going to like it if you don’t like the way you look in the photo. Almost every couple I work with tells me before their engagement session that they don’t like being in front of the camera, because they don’t usually like the way they look in photos. And while some of this can be chalked up to body image issues, honestly, I think it mainly comes down to posing. Posing is about making sure you look as amazing in your photos as you do in real life. And one of the things I’m always doing during your wedding day and your engagement session is making sure you look your best. I have a whole posing system that we flow through to make sure you have tons of variety and that every photo is super flattering.

My couples always tell me after their engagement session and their wedding that they felt so comfortable, they had so much fun with their significant other during portraits, and they LOVE the way they look in their photos. For me, there’s nothing that makes me happier in this job than hearing how much my couples love their photos.

Today I’m sharing my top three posing secrets for flattering that make my couples look amazing on their wedding day.

Tip One: Lean Towards the Camera

You know that horrifying moment when you’re laying in bed browsing through Instagram, and you accidentally open the camera, and it’s pointed towards you? It’s pretty much the most unflattering version of yourself that you’ve ever seen. Or at least I feel that way when it happens to me! A lesser version of this is what’s going on when you lean slightly away from the camera during a photo. It causes the photographer to shoot at an upward angle towards you, which is not a good angle for anyone. In almost every single photo and pose, I tell my couples to bend at the waist and lean slightly towards me while keeping their weight on their back leg. This instantly makes them look thinner, and it’s a much more flattering angle.

Tip Two: Belly Button to Hip Bone

Belly button to hip bone is my “go to” pose for flattering both the guy and the girl. The most flattering look for men is facing the camera straight on, while the most flattering look for women is turning their body to the side. So for this pose, I have the guy face me straight on, and the girl puts her belly button into his hip bone. Ladies, this pose, literally cuts your body in half and makes you look amazing. Although, I do want to emphasize that this is not about looking “super skinny.” It’s about making sure you look as amazing on camera as you do in real life.

Tip Three: Flattering Your Arms

The biggest thing a lot of my brides tell me that they’re self-conscious about is their arms. AND strapless dresses happen to be the most popular style of wedding dress. So making your arms look amazing on your wedding day is so important to make sure you like the way you look in your wedding photos. My first tip for making your arms look amazing, is to hold them out away from your body slightly. When your arm is pinned to your side, it gets squished and flattens out, making it look much larger than it actually is. You can avoid this by holding your arm slightly away from your body. The other thing you can do is use your veil strategically. When setting up a pose, I always bring my bride’s veil forward so that it covers half of her arm. This cuts the arm in half visually and makes it look much smaller.

I hope you found these posing tips helpful, and that you’ll feel much more confident when posing for your wedding photos!