The best wedding photography lenses.

Learn how to choose the perfect wedding photography lenses to help you capture someone’s special day.

The ideal wedding portrait lens.

You want your wedding portraits to be as sharp and in-focus as possible. For unmatched clarity, you need a prime lens.

Most wedding photographers opt for either a 50mm or 85mm prime lens for their wedding portraits. These focal lengths will let you take crisp, high-quality shots of the bridal party and guests.

Prime lenses also offer wider apertures. Most can reach f/1.8, while some can get even lower to f/1.4 or f/1.2. This will help you get enough light into the camera in poorly lit banquet halls and add some bokeh to separate the subjects from the background.

The best all-around wedding photography lens.

When you’re running around snapping candids, you need a versatile lens that can keep up with the changing conditions.

A 24-70mm f/2.8 is a great all-around lens that can work for just about any part of the wedding. The solid range of focal lengths lets you capture subjects no matter where you’re standing, and the wide aperture can keep your photos well exposed in almost any light conditions.

This lens is ideal for the ceremony, cocktail hour, reception, and exit.

The perfect telephoto lens.

You can’t always be close to the action. Especially during the reception, you might have to stand against the back wall and take photos of people on the dance floor, giving speeches, or cutting the cake.

The 70-200 f/2.8 telephoto lens offers a versatile zoom range, so you can capture everything from the nearest table to the other end of the reception hall, and the wide aperture ensures your photos stay nice and bright in low light.

This lens is ideal for receptions and ceremonies. Just be sure to use a tripod and maintain a fast shutter speed. At longer focal lengths, even the slightest movements can make your shots come out blurry.

Want more photography tips?

Discover how Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop can make your wedding pictures clear and bright, no matter which lenses you choose.