After being a photographer for almost 10 years, I often get questions from newer photographers on the best wedding photography gear. Having gear that can keep up with the demands of a wedding day while maintaining a streamlined workflow is essential to making sure we can serve our clients well. Our attention should be spent making clients feel their best – not fiddling with our settings to make sure the photos turn out okay (that should be a given).

It’s taken me years to hone in on what works for me, and believe it or not, I spent 9 years shooting on Canon before I switched over to Sony gear. I was a die hard Canon fan, but when I got my hands on Sony mirrorless, MY MIND WAS BLOWN. While this year Canon introduced their own dual-card slot mirrorless, I’m still grateful I switched to Sony and it’s paid off: my digital work is closer to my film work than every before.

Not only that, but now that I photograph weddings in both Austin AND San Francisco, I’ve also figured out what works best for my cross-country destination weddings, too (like travel light stands and styling mats – BLESS).

Over my time as a wedding photographer, I have also nailed down what additional items make my life easier and my work better, so you’ll see those included below too!!

Without further ago, here is my take on the best wedding photography gear! [SHOP ALL MY RECOMMENDATIONS ON AMAZON]

Round Up: Best Wedding Photography Gear

Digital Camera Gear

• Sony A7Riii (main body – full frame)
• Sony A7iii (back up camera – full frame)
• 55mm 1.8 Ziess: Love the way this matches my film
• 85mm 1.8: My favorite for portraits and smaller weddings where a 70-200 would be excessive
• 24-70mm 2.8: My favorite for getting ready in small rooms, family photos, wide shots of the ceremony
• 70-200 2.8: A must-have for most ceremonies, toasts, and first dances – it really allows me to get in there for tight candid reactions, tears, exchanging of rings, first kiss, tears, etc.
• 90mm 2.8 macro: I use this extensively for ring shots – it may seem excessive for having one primary use, but I would never go to a wedding without it!
• 28mm 2.0 lens: I usually only use this for travel since it’s tiny and super wide
• Canon converter: For those of you not wanting to switch all your lenses over
• High speed SD cards: I use 4 128gbs cards per wedding — two in each digital camera
• Dual Sony battery charger
• Lens wipes

Film Photography Gear

• Pentax 645N: Medium format film camera
• Light meter
• FujiFilm 400 120 Film
• Kodak Portra 400 120 Film
• Pentax 75mm 2.8
• Macro filters

Flash and Off Camera Lighting

• Godox flashes: I have three of these!
• Wireless Flash Transmitter: Perfect for trigger specific flashes for off-camera flash night shots outside, more artistic first dance shots, toasts, etc.
• Travel Light Stands: These babies pack up to be 14″ each — SO SMALL. They extend to be quite large, I’ve been using these for a year, I love them.
• Light Diffusers: I LOVE the Mag Mod brand. I use two Mag Bounces for my off-camera flashes and one Mag Sphere on-camera.
• Octo-Box: For large group photos in dark places or at night, I love using this to diffuse light softly across a large areas
• Rechargeable batteries: My flashes take AA batteries, but I hated the wastefulness of using single-use batteries, but also needed batteries that were long-lasting so I never have to switch out batteries at weddings. These did the trick!
• Battery Charging Dock: No one has time to charge batteries in batches of four…this allows you to charge 16 at a time, which is enough for a wedding.

Flat Lays

• Rollable styling mat: Perfect for on-the-go styling, traveling, destination weddings, etc.
• Ring boxes
• Vow books
• Ring dishes
• Ribbon
• Floral frogs: I use these to prop up heavier florals in invitation photos
• Decorative scissors 
• Cheesecloth: Perfect for shoe shots or to add a textural element to any detail photo
• Acrylic blocks: I used these as riser to add dimension to my invitation photos
• Orthodontic wax: I use this to prop up rings vs. spending 30 minutes trying to balance them. Since the wax is oil-free, I also use this to stick invitation elements or ribbon down in windy situations.
• Storage box: This cute caboodles one is on-brand and holds all your nick-knacks.

Workflow and Organization

• Dual Camera Harness: I wear two cameras at all times during weddings – this helps protect my gear and balance the weight across my back
• Gear Suitcase: This fits in the overhead bin of every U.S. airplane, allowing me to keep my gear on my person since I refuse to check it (too risky)
• Camera Battery Holder: This allows me to stay organized on which batteries are dead and which are charged
• SD Card Holder: I keep two SD cards in each pocket as “sets” since I use two in each camera. One they are filled, I turn them around to they don’t get formatted.
• SD Card Bank Reader: I love putting all my cards in at once to be imported so I can shower and go to bed after the wedding, knowing they’re back up safely on my computer.
• Plastic bags for used SD cards: I store each job’s cards in one of these bags (labeled) to 1) keep images backed up in another location 2) protect them from dust and 3) to keep them organized before delivery.

Wedding Day Extras

• Collapsable Gear Wagon: Especially for wedding days where I have multiple locations and no access to my car (like downtown hotels with valet), I like to load everything up in my wagon to keep everything together and organized
• Clear Umbrellas for Rainy Days: I have 10 – enough for the couple and the wedding party.
• Clear Shower Curtains: Perfect for putting on wet ground to protect the bride'(s) dress(es) from getting wet, muddy, etc.
• Command Hook: To hang up the wedding dress
• Reflector

Engagement Session Necessities

• Fly-away tamer: This little finishing cream is seriously amazing for taking baby hairs or whispies when they don’t flatter the overall vibe of the photos
• Blotting papers: Absorbs any unwanted oil from the couples face without ruining their makeup
• High heel protectors: Perfect for women opting for high heels in a grassy area. These are also great for protecting the heel before the wedding day while brides are breaking them in but don’t want to get the heel dirty.

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Did you love my take on the best wedding photography gear? Check out my wedding advice column and Instagram for more wedding inspo!

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Paige Vaughn Photo is an Austin and San Francisco Wedding Photographer specializing in fun, romantic and vibrant wedding, engagement, couple and boudoir photography. Within the Bay Area, we serve San Francisco, the South Bay, Peninsula, and East Bay: San Jose, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Redwood City, San Carlos, Burlingame, Los Altos, Milpitas, Union City, Fremont, Berkeley, El Cerrito, Carmel, Monterey, Santa Cruz and surrounding areas. Within the Central Texas area, we serve: downtown Austin, Dripping Springs, Georgetown, East Austin, Wimberley, New Braunfels, San Antonio, and Houston. She is available for destination weddings and engagement sessions! Contact her for more detailed pricing.