Drones & Wedding Photography Explained
Wedding planning season is now officially open and lots of couples will be considering whether a drone can add something to their big day.
Christmas and Valentine’s Day traditionally see a lot of marriage proposals and now that Spring seems to be poking its head around the corner, many newly engaged couples will be starting to plan their wedding day in earnest.
Along with all of the traditional items on a wedding planning checklist, there is something of a newcomer as couples are beginning to consider whether having UAV video and photography at their day can add something extra special.
If your chosen photographer or videographer doesn’t offer drone coverage (and many won’t as it’s not an easy qualification to obtain), then you can look to hire a drone operator separately. All of our Drone Safe Register pilots are qualified and legal (you’d be surprised how many people are trying to make a quick buck out of wedding drone coverage without the proper qualifications) so you can be sure that you’re hiring the very best and we offer nationwide coverage.
Check your Venue
One of the first things to do when you’re thinking about a drone for your wedding is to check your venue. Some venues are not naturally suited to drone flights – for example if they are in a congested area, close to an airport or have a ban on drones in place for whatever reason. Some of those obstacles can be overcome with time and planning but some are not so easy to work around and so that’s the best place to start. Drones add a cinematic quality to your wedding video and can provide amazing creative opportunities for your photography and if you’re marrying somewhere with an impressive building and sweeping grounds, they have the potential to give your wedding imagery some real ‘wow factor’.
When to Fly
Drones can be noisy and so, although they can be flown indoors, they aren’t ideal for that purpose. Also, you don’t want to be drowning out your vows during the ceremony so generally people don’t fly at this point in the day either – even if your service is taking place outdoors. However, while your guests are arriving, and at the drinks reception are ideal times for your drone pilot to fly and capture some footage or photos. They can present your venue from a completely new angle, with a real Hollywood high budget flavour, and you can also take the time to arrange your guests into shapes to create some fun and memorable shots (the most common one is to have everyone form a heart shape with the happy couple at the centre).
Planning
Your drone pilot will need to plan your day in order to fly safely and also to get the most from your investment in them and so you will need to spend some time with your chosen provider answering some questions – it’s not a case of them showing up and making it up on the day. Once they have a good understanding of what you would like, they can liaise with the venue coordinator and make sure they create exactly what you want on the day. Of course, drones are limited of when they can fly weather-wise as they can’t take to the air in high winds or rain but your pilot will be watching the weather reports the week before and will be able to advise you of flight possibilities, tweaks to the plan to take advantage of weather windows or ways to make the most of your aerial photography opportunities.
Check the Experience
Some drone pilots fly creatively at weddings and for TV / cinema footage and some take photographs for roof inspections or create thermal images of large buildings and so you need to make sure that you’re hiring the right operator for you. You’ll need to check if they have wedding experience so they know how to achieve exactly what you want so always check their website and show reel. When you’re searching for a pilot on the Drone Safe Register website, you will be able to see a showreel so you can check out their specialities before deciding to contact them.
If you think you’d like a drone pilot to capture some of your wedding day and your venue allows for flights, then it is definitely worth adding that to your wedding to do list. A drone pilot can create some truly member wedding photography and videography that provides a different perspective and enhances your wedding memories.
Drone Safe Register are the market leaders in drone hire in the UK and Ireland offering great benefits to both it’s professional and hobbyist members as well as an easy way to find and hire your local drone pilot with the guarantee that they will be CAA approved, legal and insured operators. Drone hire with peace of mind.
