The wedding is getting close, and your pressure increases. Your palms sweat to think of it. You have thought it through repeatedly to make sure everything will be perfect.

No, you are not the bride... you are the photographer.

Continue reading to guarantee you will equip yourself with the best lenses for this big day.

If you want to learn wedding photography, check out our article on wedding photography.

The 4 types of wedding lenses

1. Wide-angle zoom lens (16-35mm f/2.8)

Wide-angle lenses are perfect for capturing a wide scenario. Great for group shots or to the capture entirety of your venue.

Pros

• Panoramic view
• Interesting distorted effect when the subject is close

Cons

• Distortion

2. Telephoto lens (70-200mm f/2.8)

Like a telescope, telephoto lenses allow you to capture sharp close-ups of distant subjects.

Pros

• More true-to-life
• Less subject distortion
• Shallow depth-of-field (easy to create background blur)
• Narrow angle-of-view (can unwanted background elements)

Cons

• Not ideal for low-light circumstances
• High price

3. Macro lens (90-100mm)

Use these for tiny subjects. The final photo you print can be larger than life-size.

Pros

• Magnification
• Achieve sharp focus on minuscule details

Cons

• Often require you to get very close to the subject

4. Prime lens

A prime lens is a fixed focal length lens (does not let you zoom in or out). It is perfect for isolating the subject and letting light in.

Pros

• Lightweight (portable)
• Sharper than zoom lenses
• Wide aperture (allows for bokeh and other techniques)
• Good for low-light situations

Cons

• You have to move if you want to alter the zoom

The best lenses for wedding photography

1. 70-200mm camera lenses

These camera lenses are great for everything: from portraits and events to sports and wildlife. In other words, they are ideal if you are looking for a versatile option. In a wedding, use it to capture intimate moments from a long distance without disturbing the couple.

Top mirrorless lenses

• Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens
• Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens
• Nikon NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S Lens

Top DSLR lenses

• Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM Lens
• Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8FL ED VR Lens
• Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 EX DG APO OS HSM Lens for Canon EF

50mm camera lenses

50 mm lenses allow you to capture beautiful portraits with blurred backgrounds. Besides, these lenses work great in low light. For this reason, use them indoors (like during the ceremony) and at nighttime (as during dinner).

Top mirrorless lenses

• Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM lens
• Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.2 S lens
• Rokinon AF 50mm f/1.4 FE lens for Sony E

Top DSLR lenses

• Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM lens
• Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G lens
• Sigma 50mm f/1.4 CG HSM Art lens for canon ef

24-70mm camera lenses

These are known as swiss army knives due to their versatility. They lack distortion, have excellent close focus and work well under low light conditions. Use them for the bride preparations indoors, the ceremony and group pictures.

Top mirrorless lenses

• Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM lens
• Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM lens
• Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S lens

Top DSLR lenses

• Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II usm lens
• Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8 ED vr lens
• Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2 lens for Canon EF

100mm camera lenses

These are ideal for close-ups of the ring and table decorations. Also, they have a great focal length for head and shoulders portraits.

Top mirrorless lenses

• Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 macro g OSS lens
• Tokina FiRIN 100mm f/2.8 FE macro lens for sony e

Top DSLR lenses

• Canon ef 100mm f/2.8 macro is USM lens
• Nikon AF-S VR micro-NIKKOR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens
• Tamron sp 90mm f/2.8 Di macro 1:1 vc usd lens for canon ef

16-35mm camera lenses

These are extremely wide lenses, meaning everything is in focus (can't achieve blurred background) and allows a broad frame. Perfect for the church, reception and group shots.

Top mirrorless lenses

• Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8GM lens
• Canon rf 15-35 f/2.8L IS usm lens
• Nikon NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S lens

Top DSLR lenses

• Canon ef 16-35mm f/2.8L III usm lens
• Nikon AF-s NIKKOR 16-35mm f/4.6 ED VR lens
• sigma 18-35mm f/18 DC HSM art lens for canon EF

Rent or subscribe to a lens

As you can see, the possibilities are countless, and I can see you already picturing some of the ways you will capture the big day. Don't lose any more time trying to decide on the absolute perfect option for you.

Start experimenting now: rent or subscribe to a lens.

If you want to improve your photography, check out our article on Photography 101.

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