What’s in my Camera bag on a wedding day?

With over 20 years of experience, I’ve learned what camera equipment for wedding photography I need to bring with me on every wedding day. My camera bag (Pelican case actually) is pretty much my magic bag of essentials and nice to have camera gear and accessories.

In my third year of photography, in the early 2000s, I experienced the old adage that if I didn’t have something in my bag then I would definitely need it on a wedding day. Ever since then my wedding day photography kit includes everything from camera bodies to lenses to flashes and reflectors. Here’s my list of must-have items that should always be in tow, even if they’re not used that often. 

2 camera bodies

Having two different options for camera bodies is crucial. Both are always on me with various lenses so I am ready to capture action without having to switch lenses or pausing the action. This way I can be present in the moment to witness the authenticity of the day. All of the cameras have two memory card slots so they can shoot to two cards simultaneously. This allows me to backup every image as soon as I click the shutter button.

6 lenses

These lenses are always with me on a wedding day, though my 28-70mm and 135mm are my far my favorite lenses. I bring my out 200mm for portraits along with the 85mm or 135. Canon’s 200mm f/2 is regarded in the world of photography as arguably the BEST portrait lens ever developed. 85mm and 135mm lenses are also fantastic at separating the individuals from the background. IMHO, there are no better lenses than these three in 2024 for portrait photography. Check out the separation of the subject from the background.