Must Have Gear for Wedding Photography

In the Beginning

My gear list has grown quite a bit over the last couple years. Like 99% of Canon photographers, I started on a Canon Rebel. This camera is under $500 and was a great start into the DSLR world and learn my settings. It also came with a lens so I didn’t have to go buy one, which is great for starting out! I have to say- this is a fun camera to learn on. I would not recommend shooting something important like a wedding day with this camera. It just doesn’t have the quality or low light capabilities needed for a full wedding day.

Next Up…

Soon after, I upgraded to a Canon 70D, which is also a crop frame camera, but I have had many friends buy a Canon 6D, which is a full-frame camera. I think both are a really good middle tier option.

I shot my first wedding on that Canon 70D, and it is still used today as my backup-backup camera. It’s been really great and I still use it when I travel since it’s a lot lighter than my other ones.

Main Wedding Gear

My main camera is a Canon 5D Mark IV and my backup is a Canon 5D Mark III. This camera is quite pricey, but made a huge difference for me in my professional wedding photos. I love it and can’t imagine a wedding without it now. 

I have multiple compact flash cards and SD cards. Make sure if you are buying a memory card to use a brand that you trust or has good reviews (I like Sandisk), because sometimes a card can go bad in the middle of you using it and you could lose your photos. This is especially important for weddings. If you have two slots for memory cards in your camera, use both for an instant backup! The compact cards are faster, so I always use that one to import into lightroom and have the sd cards as my backup. If you’re using a rebel or middle tier camera, there will only be a spot for an SD card and not a compact flash card.

You will want a flash if you are shooting weddings. Flash can be really scary to new photographers because it’s hard to figure out, but once I learned mine I LOVED it and don’t know what I would do without it. This is the flash I use, it’s super affordable and it fires SO well! I’ve had two of them for about 5 years now and they are still running perfectly! Don’t forget to bring backup batteries, LOTS of them!

My Favorite Lenses for Weddings

Canon 35mm f/1.4 – Worth the money. It’s fast, has sharp focus and gorgeous bokeh (blurred background). 

Canon 50mm f/1.2 – Amazing! Worth every penny. This lens is great for taking photos of the couple and excellent for your detail shots as well.

Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 – I LOVE this lens. It’s pricey, but it’s amazing for those close up shots during ceremonies. Weddings are SO important and you don’t want to be walking down the aisle to get a closer shot when your couple is getting married, This has great focus and although it’s heavy, it’s a must have for me for the ceremony shots so I can stay in the back and unseen by guests.