Do you want to get your images into a bridal magazine? Of course you do – it’s fantastic publicity for any wedding photographer. Catherine Westwood, editor of IPC’s Wedding title, helpfully provided a clear list of Do’s and Don’ts on submitting images to her magazine, at BJP’s Unveiled event this morning.

First, do set the scene – show the location and setting of the wedding, but avoid taking portraits of the guests. Brides looking at wedding magazines want to see elements that they can take for their own big day, not what the groom’s mother looks like. Try taking these shots before the wedding has taken place.

Do think about the composition – without creating anything too forced or contrived. Check out the venue before the wedding, so that you know the good places to shoot.

Do shoot the details – photographs of bouquets are always popular, and provide the reader with ideas for her own flower arrangements. Think carefully about how you shoot these elements though – magazines will probably want colour shots of flowers, and food is extremely difficult to shoot well, especially on location.

Do think outside the box – images of, for example, the bride wearing the groom’s jacket can make for quirky, cute shots. They won’t be the definitive photographs of the wedding, but they could be great add ons.

Finally do take a fantastic shot of the bride and groom - the reader will want to know whose wedding it was. It's an obvious shot, but you do need to think through how to pose the coupe and make them look good. If the groom isn’t a looker, for example, you could think about hiding them behind the bride, or trying a profile shot.

Westwood also set out a clear list of don’ts, including adding naff fake colours in Photoshop after the event (especially coloured elements in an otherwise black-and-white shot), mixing up daytime and evening shots and submitting too many images. She advised photographers to “edit, edit, edit”, and approach her with 50 images in the first instance.

Alternatively, you can enter the Unveiled competition, which BJP is running in conjunction with Wedding magazine. Entry is free, and the winner will see his or her real-life wedding pictures published in the magazine next year. Fantastic publicity for any wedding photographer.