Wedding photography equipment list

The best gear for wedding photography is the gear that works every, no matter what the venue and day throws at you.

Canon's mirrorless bodies are where it's at right now. I shoot with the Canon EOS R5 Mark II and Canon EOS R6 Mark III and it’s what I recommend. The R5 gives you 45MP and insane autofocus. The R6 is a beast in low light and keeps up with the fastest moments of the day.

For lenses, the Canon RF28-70mm F2 is on my camera most of the day. When I need a longer focal length, I switch to the Canon RF135mm f1.8. When I want a wider shot of the ambience or fun dance floor photos, I use the Canon RF15-35mm f2.8.

For lighting, Profoto is non-negotiable for me. The Profoto A10 speedlight and Profoto B10 give you portable, consistent, studio-quality light without being chained to a wall outlet. I’m a huge fan of the Profoto A2 as well, especially when I’m traveling and need something lighter.

You also need professional-grade memory cards that are fast enough to keep up with everything. They also give you peace of mind, knowing that the images are safe. I use Lexar memory cards personally.

That's your foundation: two camera bodies with dual card slots, multiple lenses, Profoto flash, and Lexar cards.

Two camera bodies with dual card slots: one to shoot with and one for backup, or to use two bodies at once. That's where the minimum starts.

A single-camera shooter is one malfunction away from losing or missing moments that can never be recreated, and that's not a risk you get to take at someone's wedding.

Beyond that, you need a 28-70mm f/2 and a 135mm f/1.8 to cover the full day, and at least one on-camera flash for receptions and low-light situations.

Minimum gear doesn't mean cheap gear. It means the least you need to do the job without letting your client down. Don’t forget you can always grab used gear so it doesn’t break the bank! GearFocus is my go-to spot for used camera gear, both buying and selling.

If I had to pick one lens for weddings, it would be the Canon RF 28-70mm f/2. That f/2 aperture is a game changer for low light and background separation throughout the entire day.

For portraits specifically, the Canon RF 85mm f/1.2 is stunning. Nothing else gives you that combination of sharpness and beautiful bokeh for romantic, whimsical feeling couples portraits.

For ceremonies and candids from a distance, the Canon RF135mm f1.8 is essential.

Most wedding photographers need at least two lenses: a workhorse zoom for coverage and a fast prime for portraits. Canon's RF lineup is best-in-class right now and it pairs perfectly with the EOS R system.

Receptions are where gear gets tested.

It’s easy to shoot in natural light outdoors while the sun is up. But mix dark rooms, mixed lighting, fast movement, and the fact that you only get one shot at the first dance… Now we need to up our game.

For bodies, the Canon EOS R6 Mark III or R5 Mark II handle high ISO beautifully.

For flash, I use Profoto. The Profoto S10 or Profoto A2 are compact enough to move through a crowd and powerful enough to fill a large reception space. Bounce them off the ceiling for natural-looking light or go off-camera with a Profoto Air Remote for more trendy wedding photos.

Fast primes like the Canon RF35mm f/1.4 or RF50mm f/1.2 are also great for ambient-only moments during toasts and dancing.

Group photos need two things:

1. Enough width to fit everyone in the frame depending on how far you can back up
2. Enough depth of field to keep everyone sharp.

I shoot groups with the Canon RF 28-70mm f/2 in the 24-35mm range and stop down to f/5.6 or f/8 to keep rows of people front to back in focus (if I have rows of people).

If I have enough room, I’ll happily photograph a group of people with an 85mm lens because it’ll “compress” the people into looking like they’re closer together. This way the people in front don’t appear super large while the people in back are super tiny.

It’s one of the little tricks of group photography that no one talks about!

Yes. Full stop.

And if you're asking this question, I want you to really hear me:

The photographers saying clients don't want prints are usually the ones not presenting them well or not presenting them at all.

Digital fatigue is real. People have thousands of photos sitting in folders they never open. What they actually want is something they can hold, display, and pass down.

Wedding albums carry enormous emotional value and they command premium pricing.

When you present an album the right way, at the right moment, in your client experience… It sells.

The question isn’t whether clients want prints.
It’s whether your business is set up to offer them confidently.

This is where a lot of photographers are leaving tons of money on the table. My clients routinely spend thousands on albums and prints after the wedding, but only because I’m intentional and strategic about how I present and sell them.

The Profit Accelerator course walks you through the structure, pricing, and sales process I use to make it happen.

Pic-Time is my top recommendation for portrait and wedding photographers.

It's not just a gallery delivery tool, it's a sales platform.

You get a beautiful client-facing experience, a built-in print and product store, album proofing, and automated marketing campaigns like anniversary reminders and print promotions that generate revenue from past clients without you lifting a finger.

That last part is huge. Most photographers leave a lot of money on the table after the wedding is delivered.

Pic-Time is built to change that and give a lasting good impression on your clients (and on all of their wedding guests with AI face sorting so they can only look at the photos of themselves).

17hats is what I recommend for wedding photographers.

It keeps your entire client workflow in one place: lead capture, emails, text messages, quotes, contracts, invoicing, questionnaires, scheduling. All of it.

It's built for solo business owners and small creative studios, which makes it a natural fit for most wedding photographers.

The automation is what makes it worth it. You set it up once and every client gets a consistent, professional experience from their first inquiry all the way through final delivery, without you having to manually chase every step.

Showit is the answer, and it's not even a close call.

The reason photographers love it is the design freedom. You're not locked into templates that you have a ton of trouble trying to customize. You drag, you drop, you build exactly what you want without touching a line of code.

It also integrates with WordPress for blogging, which is a plus for SEO.

And here's something most people don't talk about: Showit lets you customize your mobile site independently, not just resize a desktop layout. That means your site looks intentional on every device.

If you want a high-end, custom-looking website without hiring a developer, Showit is what the top photographers in the industry are using.

Lexar professional cards are my go to memory cards, matched to your camera body of course.

For Canon EOS R5 and R3 shooters, the Lexar GOLD Series CFexpress Type B cards are what you want. They're fast enough for high-resolution bursts and video without your camera ever waiting on the card.

For SD card cameras, the Lexar Professional 2000x SDXC UHS-II cards are rock solid.

I'll say this plainly: a slow or failed memory card at a wedding is a disaster.

Not an inconvenience. A disaster that can get you SUED.

Lexar's professional line is built for the reliability standards our job demands.

Carry more than you think you need, and don't reformat a single card until your images are backed up in at least two places.