Let me start this post with: I believe less is more.
I don’t own every lens known to man. I own five. Yes, you read that correctly—five.
So what is in my camera bag may be a bit different than what is in others’ camera bags and that’s okay.
Let’s just jump right in. On a typical wedding day, I do carry more than one bag. I try to split my bags up into certain parts of the day, which lends nicely to having three bags:
- Details Bag
- All-Day/Go-To Bag
- Reception Bag
Detail Bag
In my detail bag I carry items to style flat lays with.
Pretty Things:
- ring boxes
- chiffon scarves
- some faux greenery
- small trinkets such as broches and vintage scissors
- stamps
- styling mat(s)
- ring dishes
Functional Things:
- dental wax (it’s surprisingly helpful for the pesky stacked ring shots!)
- flower holders (I am not sure what the technical term for these are, but they are super helpful!).
This is where my 90mm macro Tamron stays for the majority of the day. I typically only use my macro for details, so it makes sense that it has its own little pocket to call home in the Details Bag.
You may also be thinking…how in the world do you carry ALL of your styling stuff with you to every wedding? You’re right—that would be crazy. One of the questions I ask my couples on their Wedding Questionnaire prior to their wedding is what their wedding colors are. I only assemble items that will match the color palette and bring those along on the wedding day.
All-Day/Go-To Bag
This is the bag that not only goes with me to weddings, but to all of my engagement and portrait sessions.
This bag stays packed constantly, ready to go at a moment’s notice.
It is home to two camera bodies:
- Canon R6
- Canon 5D Mark III
And three lenses:
Of course I have a few other items in there:
- Extra camera batteries
- Lens cleaning cloth
- Additional memory cards (both SD and CF)
- Camera harness (at some points in the day I shoot with two cameras to give a bit more variety to the final gallery)
It is important to me to have easy access to all my gear quickly. As you can see, I shoot only on prime lenses (just personal preference!), so I needed a bag that lends well to that style. I use the Kamrette Avana Handbag. They also have great backpack options!
Reception Bag
I guess I should technically not call this is a “bag.” I use what sort of looks like a suitcase almost to carry my flashes and light stands. It sounds bulky, but if I am working in a small space, I just take the stands and flashes out and carry them by hand.
Flashes:
Typically, unless I am shooting in a really dark reception space, I only use one off-camera flash. But I always bring all my gear in case I feel the need to make a game-time decision and add a second off-camera flash.
So there ya have it—all my equipment and how I manage it on a wedding day!
If you have any questions, I would love to hear them in the comments below.
Also, I am always looking for ways to make my system more streamlined, so please drop suggestions below as well!
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