Wedding Videography Lighting: The Kit a Two-Person Crew Actually Needs
By MS Bollywood Film Equipments, Mumbai ·
A wedding video crew in India needs two or three battery-powered, bi-colour LED lights with high colour accuracy (CRI 95 or above), one soft modifier, a tall stand and a small RGB light for effects. That covers every function from the haldi to the reception without mains power, and it fits in one bag. Below: what each function demands, two ready kit lists, and a setup you can do in five minutes.
Indian weddings are hard to light. You cannot control the venue, you rarely have time to rig, the ceremony cannot be paused, and the same crew shoots a sunlit haldi at noon and a street-lit baraat at midnight. The kit has to be small, fast and self-powered.
What lights do you need for wedding videography?
For most wedding crews, four pieces do the job:
- A main (key) light that runs on batteries. A compact bi-colour spotlight or LED mat, used through a softbox, for couple portraits, speeches and the mandap.
- One or two small panels for fill and for lighting faces in dark corners, on camera or handheld by the second shooter.
- A small RGB light or tube for sangeet stages, backlighting and night shots, where colour is part of the look.
- A tall, stable stand. The best light is useless at waist height behind a crowd of guests.
Bi-colour (adjustable from warm to cool white) matters more than RGB. Most of the time the job is to match the venue's light, not to add colour.
Lighting each wedding function
| Function | What the light is like | What to bring |
|---|---|---|
| Haldi | Daytime, often outdoors, hard sun and deep shadows under the eyes, yellow paste on everything | Weather-resistant panel for fill, reflector, no big lights |
| Mehendi | Afternoon into evening, often under a shamiana with mixed daylight and bulbs | Bi-colour panel set warm, small soft key for close-ups of the hands |
| Sangeet | Stage lighting, coloured DJ lights, flicker from LED screens | RGB stick or tubes for effects, key light for the couple's performance |
| Baraat | Night, on the move, street lights and generator lights | Everything on batteries; handheld panel or stick for the groom's face |
| Pheras / mandap | Long, can't be interrupted, warm decor bulbs and firelight | Soft key on a tall stand set warm (around 3200K), placed once before it starts |
| Reception | Hall lighting, stage, a queue of guests on the stage for photos | Key light in a softbox beside the stage, panel fill |
Which LED light is best for wedding video shooting?
Look for these five things, in this order:
- Colour accuracy of CRI 95 or higher. Skin tones, red lehengas and gold jewellery are where cheap LEDs fail first. Every light in this guide is rated CRI 95 or above.
- Bi-colour control. 2700K to 6500K covers everything from firelight to noon sun.
- Battery power. Venues rarely give you a free socket where you need it. Built-in batteries, NP-F or V-mount.
- Flicker control. Some lights let you change their frequency so they don't flicker on camera at high shutter speeds.
- Size. If it needs a second person to carry it, it will stay in the car.
Good fits from our range
Main light: Nanlite FC60B
The Nanlite FC60B Bi-Color LED Spotlight is a 60W bi-colour spotlight (2700-6500K, CRI 96) that comes with an NP-F battery grip and a Bowens adapter, so it runs without mains and takes a softbox. A strong main light for a two-person crew.
Soft portraits and speeches: Amaran F21x
The Amaran F21x Bi-Color LED Mat is a 2×1 ft flexible LED mat (2500-7500K, CRI 95+) that folds into a bag and runs from a V-mount battery. It comes with its own softbox and grid, and gives very soft light for portraits and speeches.
Fill and on-camera light: Amaran Ace 25x
The Amaran Ace 25x Bi-Color LED Panel Kit is a compact bi-colour panel (2300-6500K, CRI 95) with a built-in battery and USB-C charging. It goes on camera, in a second shooter's hand or on a mini tripod.
Silent, weatherproof fill: Aputure MC Pro
The Aputure MC Pro is a pocket-sized RGBWW panel rated IP65 against dust and water, with passive (fan-free) cooling, so it makes no noise during vows. Good for the outdoor haldi and for hiding in a mandap.
Sangeet and baraat: Godox LC500R Mini
The Godox LC500R Mini RGB Light Stick is a 46 cm stick with bi-colour and full RGB, CRI 95, and a music mode that syncs to the beat. Made for sangeet stages and the baraat.
Backlight and stage entries: Godox TL60 kit
The Godox TL60 Tube Light 2-Light Kit has two RGB and bi-colour tubes (CRI 96) with about two hours of battery each. Good for backlighting the couple or lighting a stage entry.
Two wedding lighting kits
Starter kit: one shooter, small budget
| Job | Product |
|---|---|
| Key and fill | Amaran Ace 25x Bi-Color LED Panel Kit |
| Effects and baraat | Godox LC500R Mini RGB Light Stick |
| Sound on camera | Godox VS-Mic Shotgun Microphone |
| Stand | KUPO Universal Stand 12' with air cushion |
Professional kit: two-person crew
| Job | Product |
|---|---|
| Main light | Nanlite FC60B Bi-Color LED Spotlight |
| Soft modifier for the main light | Amaran Light Dome 60 (focused, soft) or Amaran Lantern 65 (soft all around, good for a mandap) |
| Portraits and speeches | Amaran F21x Bi-Color LED Mat |
| Silent fill, outdoors and in the mandap | Aputure MC Pro |
| Backlight and stage effects | Godox TL60 Tube Light 2-Light Kit |
| Monitor for the second camera | Lilliput A7S 7-inch monitor |
| Sound | Godox VDS-M1 Shotgun Microphone |
| Stand | KUPO Universal Stand 12' with air cushion |
For more options, see all our continuous lights, LED panels and softboxes.
Wedding video light setup, step by step
A setup that works for portraits, speeches and the mandap, and takes five minutes:
- Find where the couple will be and where the camera will be. Everything else follows from those two points.
- Put the key light at 45 degrees to one side of the camera, a little above eye height, in its softbox. On a 12-foot stand you can clear the guests' heads.
- Match the colour to the room. Look at the venue's own lights. Warm bulbs and firelight: set the light around 3200K. Daylight through windows: 5600K. Then set the camera's white balance to the same number.
- Fill the other side gently with a small panel at low power, or let the venue's light do it.
- Add a backlight if there's time, a tube or stick behind the couple, to lift them off a dark background.
- Check faces on the monitor, not the camera screen, before the ceremony starts. You won't get a second chance at the pheras.
Stopping flicker and colour problems at Indian venues
- Mains power in India is 50 Hz. Venue LEDs and tube lights can flicker on camera. Shoot at a shutter speed of 1/50 or 1/100 to hide it, and use a light's frequency setting if it has one.
- Don't mix warm and cool light on one face. If the stage is lit with cool white LEDs and your light is warm, one side of the face goes orange and the other blue. Match your light to the strongest light already on the subject.
- Keep light out of the pandit's and the guests' eyes. Bounce or soften it, and keep it high. A harsh light in someone's face during a ritual will get switched off by the family.
Which camera for wedding videography?
A good light helps any camera, but for low light and long ceremonies these do the most:
- Sony A7S III: a 12.1MP full-frame sensor built for low light, with 4K up to 120 fps. The standard for night baraats and dim halls.
- Sony FX30: a Super 35 cinema camera with dual base ISO and a cooling fan for long recordings, useful when the pheras run for an hour.
- Sony Alpha A7 IV: 33MP full frame with 4K up to 60 fps, for crews who shoot photos and video on one body.
- Sony ZV-E10 II: an APS-C camera with 4K and Real-Time Eye AF, a sensible second camera or a first camera on a budget.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need RGB lights for wedding videos?
Not for most of the day. Bi-colour white light covers portraits, rituals and speeches. RGB earns its place at the sangeet and for creative backlighting, so one small RGB light or stick is enough.
How many lights do I need to shoot a wedding?
Two or three. One main light in a softbox, one small fill panel, and one light for effects or backlight. More than that slows a two-person crew down.
What colour temperature should I use for a mandap?
Around 3200K, to match warm decor bulbs and firelight. Set the camera's white balance to the same value so skin tones stay natural.
Can I shoot a whole wedding on battery power?
Yes, with lights like the ones above that run on built-in, NP-F or V-mount batteries. Carry at least one spare battery per light for the evening functions.
Want help putting a wedding kit together? Visit our store in Goregaon West, Mumbai, or send us a message on WhatsApp from any product page. Everything ships free across India, with a GST invoice for input credit.