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The very first video that I ever recorded for the Cole’s Classroom YouTube channel was “Our Must Have Wedding Photography Equipment” which oddly enough has still been our most viewed video yet.  At the time that was our wedding photography kit that we loved to pieces and used at each and every wedding.  Since then our Nikon wedding photography gear has grown as we’ve added lenses and gear that have enabled us to give our clients a more diverse set of wedding photos.

Today I am going to share with you our current set of gear that we use for weddings and also give you a detailed look into when we use each specific lens or piece of equipment throughout the wedding day giving you my “Ultimate Complete Wedding Photography Gear Guide”.  In fact, to make this post as honest, unbiased and as transparent as possible I have specifically only included photos from the same wedding showing exactly which photos were taken with which lens.

At the bottom of the post is a section titled “Video Resources” – this is merely resources for you giving you more detailed and specific product reviews or tutorials related to our wedding photography gear.

When your done reading this detailed & lengthy guide, if you found it helpful, I’d really appreciate it if you’d “pin it”, “like” it, “share” it or simply leave me a comment at the bottom.  These lengthy posts take a tremendous amount of time to put together.  Thanks in advance!  Here we go!

Our Wedding Photography Gear See the photo below (taken with cell phone) for our current wedding photography kit.  Items that aren’t shown that were packed away in checked luggage were: a LED video light, a Yongnuo YN 560 III speedlight flash, a collapsible nano light stand, and my favorite waist shooting bag, the Think Tank Lens Changer 3.

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We spoke to a handful of wedding photographers across North America to find out what they recommend for helping a wedding photography business stay on track and compete effectively in the marketplace. All of them gave us great input and here are some of the most commonly mentioned tips.

1. Vendors

Working and playing nice with others is the key to getting more work as a wedding photographer. This not only begins with your clients, it extends to others in the wedding-production business. Caterers, florists, venue managers, musicians, and more are involved in the wedding production. Photographers need to realize that they are just one component of the support staff that complements the wedding experience. Flagstaff, Arizona’s Jamelle Kelley shares this: “Be a team player. There are many talented vendors who participate on a wedding day. Other vendors can be your best source of referrals for future gigs.” Adding to this sentiment, Lori Waltenbury, from Ontario, Canada, recommends that photographers abandon their ego. “It will get you nowhere. Work together with other vendors and you will quickly realize the power of word of mouth,” she says.

Nicki Hufford, based in Warren, Ohio, encourages photographers to see other sides of the wedding business by engaging in the wedding planner role. Portsmouth, New Hampshire photographer Eric McCallister, states, “Network, network, network! Get to know other wedding vendors and venue managers. These folks can be your greatest ally on the wedding day, as well as a source of referrals. And definitely network with other photographers. They can also be a great source for referral leads, but they can offer so much more, including creative stimulus, business advice, and a back-up plan for the dreaded ‘hit by a bus’ scenario. I've filled in for other photographers who were unable to shoot a wedding due to unforeseen circumstances, and while it's not happened to me, I have every confidence that these folks—and others—would do the same for me.”

Not only a great tip for wedding shooters, but a good life lesson, comes from New-York-City-based Andre Reichmann: “Learning people’s names. Calling people by their names automatically builds a personal relationship. As a wedding photographer, this is vital because you need to make your subject look natural and feel as comfortable as possible. Cracking a few friendly jokes goes a long way, too.”

2. Insurance

My father, a retired insurance broker, used to say, “You can never have too much insurance.” That is sound advice for all photographers, but especially for the working wedding photographer. San Diego photographer Sarah Williams says, “Insure your gear. It’s only like $800 a year and will save you in case anything happens. Never, ever leave it in your car.”

Not only should you have insurance for your photography gear, but many wedding pros endorse having liability insurance as well, as you never know what might happen while working a wedding. “Depending on how your business is structured, you could be personally liable for any injury or perceived malpractice caused by your actions or lack thereof. A light stand falls and hits Grandmom. You missed that one most important shot that you never knew about and now you're being sued. Be sure that you are covered!” says Eric McCallister.

3. Contracts/Legal

If you spend enough time on photography blog/news sites, you have undoubtedly read horror stories about post-nuptial lawsuits aimed at wedding photographers. In general, weddings bring out the best in people, but sometimes the opposite happens. Again, from Eric McCallister, “Have a tight, attorney-approved contract. Nobody ever wants to have to invoke a clause in their contract, or face a situation where they hope it covers their butt, but if you photograph weddings long enough, you will. And don't ever change your contract without your attorney's input. You don't want to accidentally give away your personal and business protections by changing your contract when asked by a potential client in order to book the date.”

4. Pricing

When you enter a freelance business, especially one involving services, one immediate challenge is answering the question, “How much do I charge?” Photographers entering the business will not have a portfolio built up and need to price competitively while trying to gain market share. New York City pro Tom Baldassare gives us this tip: “Charge enough to cover your costs and put money back in your pocket. DON’T UNDERSELL!”

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Did you know that Thrive Global is one of my favorite sites to read on relationship problems and tips? Even if you are single today doesn't mean that you will be tomorrow. The nature of relationships is certainly evolving and changing, a cool story about it here. It is a longer read but definitely worth the effort!

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So you found this killer venue to tie the knot, why would you not hire the best photographer you can afford to capture the beauty of it? Sometimes there are hidden gems late at night that you just possibly can't see. Some samples I found at https://www.pixelicious.ca/ highlights this, examine how the light and background being used to tell the story. Remember that the images will serve you for a lifetime, it's definitely worth the investment!

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Ever been troubled by the fact that you need to gift at someone's wedding but unsure of how much? http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/offbeat/heres-how-much-money-should-you-really-be-giving-for-a-wedding-gift/ss-AAoAxU7#image=4 shows you various tips to figure out how much to gift so you no longer have to be shy accepting someone's invitation anymore! Lots of cool stories on MSN, definitely worth reading them on a regular basis.

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Recently I have reading the Once Wed blog, only to find a photographer that we have come across often. We have seen photos from Pixelicious elsewhere before. Once Wed also features many other talented artists around the world for those looking for inspiration and spectacular imagery. A must visit to those who love photography and weddings in general.

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Killer water view from this story here, a lovely wedding in the small town of Westport, Ontario. Very popular venue to get married apparently and the image is courtesy of Pixelicious. Be sure to check out their website for many more inspiration photos!

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Did you know that photography is increasingly become a popular side job for many? Check out this website for inspirations on what kind of interested side hustles you can get into. In particular the story as photographer. Opportunities are endless if you are passionate about photography. What's not to like anyway? Hanging out with wonderful people and capturing beautiful moments all day long.