Dress nice, but wear very comfortable shoes... is totally acceptable. Be prepared for rain, cold, and hot weather at all times. Keep extra things in your vehicle at all times. Umbrella is a very good idea to keep in your vehicle.
***** Be early on the day of so you can scout the area and plan out the day. ALSO, you never know if you get a flat tire, have car trouble, hit bad traffic, or get into an accident. IT DOES happen. I was trapped on a FREEWAY for 2 hours do to a pile up in front of me. I literally made it to the wedding about 15 minutes before I was supposed to start a Photo Booth. Being early saved me and no one even noticed.
1. Cell phone, charger, and wedding planner / info.
2. Camera and backup camera - 2 bodies and lenses - extra batteries and chargers (2) - MUST
3. Wide angle lens, medium zoom lens, and telephoto Lens
4. Speedlights (Flash x2) at least 1 flash
5. Memory cards (64gb or bigger class 10 recommended) and batteries (keep MANY extra batteries all the time - for camera and flash).
I recommend Duracell PROCELL batteries or very high end rechargeable batteries and several sets and chargers. I have not had good luck with rechargeable ones. IF YOUR CAMERA DOES NOT HAVE 2 SD CARD SLOTS, one for backup and one for main, I HIGHLY recommend swapping cards out often so that if a card does stop working, you don't lose everything you take during the day.
Always bring more cards and batteries than you think you need. I will shoot 50-60 GB of images for a wedding and go through two sets of batteries per camera and per speedlight. Make sure the batteries are all charged up in advance.
6. Tripod, light stands (optional)
A good tripod will get you out of a pinch if you are low on light and just need a little more stability. It’s also helpful if you are working in very low light or compositing images together. The light stands are helpful to place your speedlights on and allow you to adjust the placement of the lights. Shoot-through umbrellas are also helpful to have with the lightstands and speedlights for portrait work.
7. Flash diffuser
8. Camera bags
You will need something to put all your gear in. Make sure it’s big enough and comfortable enough to haul around with you as you’re moving throughout the day.
9. Studio strobes and umbrellas (optional)
Some people may disagree with me that this is essential, but I like to have powerful strobes (more power than speedlights) to use on formal portraits if I need them. Sometimes, it rains or is too cold and I’m forced to take formals in a dark church. In this case, I like have the speed and power of strobes to evenly light up a large group of people.
10. Lens cleaning kit and lens hoods
It’s possible for the lens to get dirty or wet throughout the course of a quick moving event, so it’s good to keep a cleaning kit or lens wipes with you to keep smudges from ruining your shots. Lens hoods are a good way to keep lenses from getting dirty in the first place and also serve to keep sun flare down.
11. Water and snacks
Days can go by really fast, but can also be very long. In case you don't have much down time, pack essentials like snacks and plenty of water.
12. Accessories
Copper piping. This is to achieve the Ring of Fire effect during sunset.
Crystal Prism. When placed in front of the camera lens, you can create some really cool effects.
String Lights. These can add a neat effect. They’re particular great to use during the winter to spice things up a little bit given how dull things can come to look.
A nice dress hanger & suction cup hooks. Having these things on you can enable you to take dress shots at a larger range of locations, and that are more attractive to look at. A simple wooden hanger is much nicer than the plastic ones that come with most dresses.
13. Bring your sense of humor and your smile.
It doesn't matter what you are feeling, or the mood you are in, you MUST put on your acting gloves and make it fun and be happy. The bride and groom will feed of of you. If you are not 100% focused on customer service and having fun, you will not survive as a PRO.