I shot a wedding this weekend and it was overcast the entire day and had a light misting outside all day. When the mist began I tried my best to get back indoors...as most of the wedding was outdoors. It wasn't heavy mist just enough to sort of start feeling it...ya know, the kind that you can see starting to lightly accumulate on your glasses.
My question is- should there be great caution for shooting on days like this...can it damage the camera? Or is the mist just a nussiance to the lense? I'm super paranoid about the camera failing me I want to do my best to make it last a good number of years!

In most manuals it gives the operating suggestions for heat/cold and humidity. A lot of mist means high humidity, so yes, it can't be good for your cam, but then it can't be helped either. A few days ago I ran into problems after shooting in fine rain/mist. I had to wipe my cam after and let it sit to dry out. (It's now working properly again.)

The 3 top rain covers. there's a model for every camera.

http://www.kata-bags.com/Item.asp?p...d=10&ProdLine=1

http://www.petrolbags.com/cgi-bin/p...tml?id=ZKB8EW6n

http://www.portabrace.com/asp/ProdDesc.asp?DescCode=RP

Rain covers are good, and it's a good idea to have one of those designed for your camera. However, in an emergency, you can keep a plastic bag handy. Precut a hole for the lens, and you can stick it on in a couple of seconds.

Yeah I actually did have plastic bags handy...I thoght to bring them when packing for the shoot. However with mist-like precipitation it doesn't matter. It sorta floats through the air as it pleases and ends up on the lense anyway. UGH

Raindrops on the end of the lens won't hurt the lens, only the picture. You don't want the inside of the camera to get wet. I always tape the bag to the lens hood to keep as much water as possible off the lens barrel.
Y'know...what a guy could do is use a mayfer clamp, or equivalent, on the camera's handle, and stick a lighting umbrella in it. It sould work fine for light rain.

stick a lighting umbrella in it. It sould work fine for light rain

Yeah, an umbrella's a good idea. however, up here in the mountains of North Vancouver, it's not rain, but a very---very heavy mist! Like, 100+% humidity. Even a rain jacket won't work. Perhaps an all-weather-housing case with windshield wippers would do the trick!