The DJI RS 3 is a great gimbal with a number of handy features. First, this Gimbal has an auto-locking feature that will make your Wedding Day 1000% easier. I shudder thinking back on the times my gimbal would be knocked out of balance because the camera would spin while I tried carrying it across the venue when it was turned off. With the press of the power button, the RS 3 turns off and locks itself in place so you can save battery and carry the gimbal with ease. This feature results in my gimbal ending a Wedding Day around 55% battery remaining.
Some other features include Vortex Mode, Undersling Mode, and the ability to charge it with a USBC cable. I highly recommend this gimbal if you're in need of an upgrade.
I use two different types of tripods on Wedding Days. I like to have a tripod that pans well as well as a tripod that is easy to set-up for stationary shots.
The Viltrox is a solid tripod for panning capabilities. It is pretty sturdy, has impressive abilities for height, and I like the tightening mechanism. I do have a few hang-ups in regards to this tripod. First, I bought 2 of these tripods when I was starting in Wedding Videography. When another person I was shooting with was handling one of them, the locking mechanism broke. He claimed it was a malfunction of the tripod, but it's possible he was tightening it too much. I have never had one break on me when I was handling it. My second challenge with this tripod is that it can be difficult to level at times. It is rather bulky, which is good for stability, but it can be tough to level with the oversized legs. Outside of this I do really like the panning head on it and I like the locking mechanisms.
The 2nd tripod I use, which I also have 2 of and now bring 2 to every wedding, is the 'Punks Anarchy Patti' from 3 Legged Thing. I know, interesting name. Name and logos aside, this tripod has been fantastic. It is portable, sturdy, and has a few features I love. First, it's really easy to put up and take down. Second, it's incredibly easy to level with it's ball-head. Third, and maybe my favorite feature, it has an adjustable system at the top so that, if I want to make small adjustments to the height, I only have to adjust one piece of it as opposed to adjusting all 3 legs. I use this tripod for all of my stationary tripod needs such as Wide Angles on Ceremony, tights on Couple during Reception Speeches, and Wide's for dances at Reception.
This item is a game-change for Wedding Videography. This Quick Release System allows you to move your camera from your gimbal to a tripod back to your gimbal in the blink of an eye. This is invaluable when filming weddings where you're jumping from one important moment to the next. Gone are the days of taking camera plates off of tripods or having to rebalance your gimbal because you had to screw your camera off of the plate.
I purchased 3 of these. I put 1 on my gimbal for my 'A- Camera, one on a stationary tripod for my 'B' Camera, and one on my other stationary tripod for my 'C' Camera. This has hands down been one of the best gear purchases I have made.
Lugging your gear around all day can not only be a nuisance, but it can be an obstacle to you being able to capture the footage and audio you need throughout a Wedding Day. Wedding Days are the definition of run and gun, and sometimes you have little time to get set-up for big moments like the Ceremony or Speeches at the Reception. The last thing you need is to miss an important moment because you had to run back to your car to grab your audio bag or the lens you need.
The Wagon linked below is up there with the Quick Release System for one of the best gear purchases I have ever made. I used to lug in my camera bag, my audio bag, my gimbal, my drone, and multiple tripods on my shoulders and back. On top of this, I would scatter all of my bags on the floor in a random corner of the venue hoping nobody tripped over my gear or broke it by stepping on it. Purchasing the wagon below changed all of that for me. I arrive to the venue, pop the wagon out of my trunk, set it up in seconds by pushing down the middle section to fan out the base, throw all of my gear in it, and wheel it into the venue. I now get everything into the venue in 1 trip, everything is safe in my wagon throughout the day, and I have it close by and easily accessible if I ever need to grab anything out of it. I have even offered for photographers to throw their stuff in if they have a lot of gear. I know small things like this has lead to referrals from photographers.
Below are 2 camera bags as well. This is an area I would definitely start out going the budget route in. There are many pricey name brand bags out there, but really all you need is a safe padded space to store your camera bodies and lenses. If you have the money to put toward a nicer bag that is waterproof and has dedicated compartments for spare batteries, laptops, hard drives, etc. consider investing in a more expensive bag, but for those just starting out, I recommend going affordable here. Heck, you can even repurpose an old book bag into your camera bag.