Drone Wedding Photography

Having your wedding ceremony photographed by drone can be a unique way to capture the highlights and emotions of your big day, and more and more wedding photographers are beginning to offer this service. Interested in drone photography for your wedding? Find out more below.

Why Drones?

Naturally, you want every aspect of your wedding day to be perfect. Photography is arguably the most important service to consider for your special day – the photos or videos taken are your one way to permanently record all of the day’s highlights, to look back on and relive your memories in years to come. You won’t want to miss a single priceless detail! Using a drone can give you the unique opportunity to capture angles and shots of the wedding day that you would otherwise be unable to get, such as aerial shots of all of your wedding guests together, providing a souvenir of the scale of the event and how much everyone enjoyed themselves. Drone photography can also help capture the full effect of a scenic location in your wedding photos, especially if you’re having an outdoor or destination wedding, for example. A drone can also give your wedding video an almost cinematic feel, offering you video footage like you might see in a documentary or high-budget movie. 

Hiring a Drone Photographer for Your Wedding

Naturally, the drone will operate in tandem with a traditional wedding photographer on the ground. While some photography studios offer both services, you may need to hire two different photographers if you choose to have a drone, since some photographers who work with drones don’t offer traditional photography due to the level of specialisation required, and in any event they will be occupied with flying the drone. In general, drone specialists will be more than happy to work in tandem with another ground-based photographer, and they may even have a partner that they usually work with under these circumstances. The services of a drone specialist for your wedding day will generally cost between £300 and £1000, depending on geographical location, how much of the wedding you would like them to film or photograph, and the level of post-editing required afterwards. 

Is a Drone Right for My Wedding?

Before deciding definitively on having a drone specialist take footage of your wedding from the air, there are a number of considerations to take into account. The first, and arguably most important of these, is to bear in mind that the drone will not be able to fly if there is any rain whatsoever. This is because the electronic equipment contained within is generally not waterproof, and the rain makes it more difficult for the pilot to fly the drone. High winds could also mean that the drone is not able to fly; it is important to consider that the winds at ground level do not necessarily reflect the winds at altitude. Given the unpredictable nature of British weather, this can be something of a headache. The pilot will check the weather forecast a few days before the ceremony using specialist tools, and they will let you know if they think there is a danger of inclement weather. Drone specialists will have contingencies in place in the event they are unable to fly on the big day, and they will invariably refund you in the event they aren’t able to provide their service to you. 

Another aspect to consider is that while drones have become significantly quieter in recent years owing to technological advances, they still generate a significant amount of noise. This means that there are parts of the wedding ceremony they will not be able to film, such as the exchange of vows and any speeches you may choose to include. While drones are able to fly inside buildings under certain conditions, this tends not to be practical due to both the noise and the downdraft created by the drone’s rotors. You will also require permission from the wedding venue to use a drone either inside or outside, as there is the potential for the drone to suffer from interference and for the pilot to lose control, potentially leading to an accident involving either the buildings or the wedding guests.

Does the Drone Pilot Need to be Licensed?

For these reasons, as well as others, you should always make sure to hire a drone pilot who is properly accredited and licensed. The Civil Aviation Authority manages accreditation for commercial drone pilots, and anyone offering drone photography services for profit is required to register with them and obtain permission to undertake commercial operations. All of the photographers featured on our service are fully accredited and will be able to guarantee you the high-quality service you expect. 

Are you looking for a specialist in drone photography, or a general wedding photographer? Find a qualified photographer and videographer on to find-my-photographer.com today to discuss your photography needs for your wedding day.