ROCK YOUR BIG SHOOT!
It took me seven years to write a
“What’s In My Bag” post…
But as I sat down to write it, I realized there’s a whole lot more that powers me through a wedding day than camera gear.
I crafted this list to showcase all my favorite things to help me rock a wedding day, from shoes, to hand cream, to my go-to lens.
Canon 5D Mark IV
My main body is the 5D Mark IV – with wifi, a touch screen, and unparalleled low-light noise handling, this camera purchase was way overdue. I can send a photo to my phone during dinner, edit it on my phone in VSCO and Lightroom Mobile, and post it before the wedding is over! Hello extreme sneak peek!
Canon BG-E20 Battery Grip
I have never owned a camera without a battery grip. It may make your camera a bit bigger, but it holds two batteries (which often gets me through an ENTIRE wedding day without ever even changing them). The biggest reason I use it? SIDE BUTTONS! I can shoot vertical (which I do for 7/10 photos I take) without straining my elbow to the sky. The shutter, along with focus point buttons are on the side of the grip, making your camera right-side-up regardless of vertical or horizontal shooting.
Canon 5D Mark III
My backup camera is the 5D Mark III. This was my main body for over 3 years and 230,000 shutter clicks – and still looks brand new.
Canon 50mm f/1.2
My one true love. I could (and have) shot an entire wedding with just the 50. This incredible piece of L glass performs miles better than the 1.4 – it’s sharp, with unparalleled bokeh, great with low light, and minimal lens distortion (which you correct in Lightroom anyway). If I were to use one lens for the rest of my entire life, this would be it.
Canon 24-70mm f/2.8
Ok, sometimes we need to go wide. The 24-70mm is my favorite for the reception, because I can hold it above my head on the dance floor and shoot, shoot, shoot! Getting pullbacks of the bride getting ready, fun dance shots, and full venue shots are key with this lens.
Sandisk Extreme Pro 64GB CF Card
The fastest out there. Tried and true, I have 7 of these and buy fresh ones every year.
Sandisk Extreme Pro 64GB SD Card
My camera has dual card slots for CF and SD. When you shoot with both, your camera will read and write at the slowest speed (always the SD), so make sure you get a fast SD card or your camera will have a hard time writing the files while you’re on burst during the first kiss.
Canon Speedlite 580EX II
Simple, effective, and can even flash on BURST – which is why this makes this my favorite flash. The built in diffuser is so handy, and the commands are simple. It’s not a battery guzzler, I go through one set of batteries on 1/4 power for a full wedding day and use fresh ones for the next shoot.
Locho Satchel Camera Bag
I love this bag! I have purchased from the Cheeky Lime family before and had that bag for 3 years (before passing it down in the family to my second shooter). This bag doubles as a messenger bag, shoulder bag, AND backpack. I love wearing two straps, but needed to find a “backpack” formal enough for weddings. This bag is large, has a nice amount of zipped pockets, and the leather is gorgeous.
Locho Camera Strap
Still keeping it in the family, I couldn’t pass up a $9.99 camera strap from Locho as well. It’s so comfy and more padded than the original Canon strap.
AmazonBasics AA Batteries
48 batteries for $11… *adds to cart*
They’re packaged in sets of 4, so it’s super easy to throw in 2 sealed mini packs for my flash for a wedding. I will never buy batteries at the store again!
Macro Filters
Did you miss my love letter to the $9 macro filters? Instead of spending $800 on a macro lens for a handful of ring shots, get these – $7.99 for 4 macro filters, and you can stack them, too. These ones fit the 50mm 1.2, but you can search any mm lens thread!
Zazzle Business Cards
I’ve printed with Moo and Vistaprint, but my favorite is Zazzle. These extra thick, glossy business cards are sophisticated and simple. You can upload your own designs or customize pre-existing designs (and boy are they snazzy). Zazzle is constantly running sales – wait until you can get 40-50% off packs of 100, so you’ll pay around $15 for them!
Kate Spade Business Card Holder
For so long, I didn’t keep cards on me because of how dirty they would get in my purse. Then, I’d have an embarrassing exchange where I would write my info on the back of a receipt. I got this as a gift and I can’t stop showing it off! Card problem solved!
Safety & Bobby Pins
Take a trip to the dollar store and grab some packs of safety pins and bobby pins to keep in your bag – you never know when they’ll come in handy.
Command Hook
Just in case there isn’t a convenient place to hang and photograph the dress, bring a command hook with you. They hold up to 5 pounds and you can stick them anywhere for perfect hanging.
Bride Hanger
I keep this wooden custom bride hanger from Etsy in my car in case the dress is on a plastic generic hanger – mine says “Bride” on dark wood with a white bow.
AmazonBasics iPhone 5/6/7 Cable
6 feet cables smoke the 3 footers. I’ve had two for over a year and they still work perfectly.
Lush Honey Trap Lip Balm
For the creamiest lip balm out there made with honey, a hint of mint, almond oil, shea butter, and white chocolate.
Lush Charity Pot Hand Lotion
I keep a mini 1.7oz container of this in my purse at all times – it’s self preserving, which means there are a lot of cocoa butter, olive oil, jojoba oil, aloe, and more. Plus, 100% of the price goes to small grassroots organizations working in the areas of environmental conservation, animal welfare and human rights.
Lush Dirty Solid Perfume
Just in case it’s a really hot wedding day… I keep solid perfume, which is the exact same size as my lip balm tin, in my purse to rub on my wrists or neck in case I need to refresh.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade
For eyebrows that don’t melt on a wedding day or get smudged pushing your camera up against your face all day… this stuff changed my life. A container lasts me about 5-6 months! Smudge free, waterproof, LIFE. SAVER.
Tom’s Natural Moroccan Crochet
For breathable, comfy shoes on a summer day, definitely wear Toms. I can’t wear heels while working a wedding, so I spend the past two years wearing these – they’re simple and cute, however they do not provide arch support.
