If you’re in the process of arranging a wedding, a photographer will be one of the main items on your list of things to book. It may be a long list of course. As well as the bride’s dress, bridesmaid dresses and pageboy’s outfits, there's the cars, cake, flowers .. invitations, DJ, and wedding rings! And as well as the photographer, you may also want to hire a drone operator for your wedding.
A drone wedding photographer won’t replace the traditional photographer who will capture those key moments of the day and portraits of the wedding party, but they can add another dimension. Aerial photography has a cinematic quality that makes everything look so much more impressive than shots taken from the ground. Picture your wedding venue and a group shot of the entire wedding party shot from the unique perspective of the air! Even more intimate shots like the bride and groom together on their special day look more evocative from a birds-eye view.
If you’d like to hire a drone operator for your wedding and don’t know where to start, here are some important things to be aware of.
Let your wedding venue know you’re going to hire a drone wedding operator. Modern drones are very quiet and shouldn’t disturb either your own guests or others at a venue like a hotel, but it’s important to be open and obtain permission. Don’t risk a problem on the day or being told that your drone wedding photographer can’t take off.
Hire a drone professional. Drones are very affordable now, so it’s easy for someone to jump on the bandwagon and set themselves up as a drone wedding photographer! Professional operators will have insurance and are likely to have a formal drone qualification. The latter is particularly important if the drone operator wants to fly close to groups of people, which will often be the case at weddings. You can find a list of safe and legal drone operators here XXXXXXX (link to quote system) A professional drone operator will carry out a risk assessment and take all measures possible to reduce the risks of an accident.
Drone wedding photography is a specialist area. Modern drones can product superb quality images and video footage, but they are only as good as the pilot in control. An operator who may carry out work like drone roof inspections and insurance work may not be the right choice for aerial wedding photographer. When you hire a drone operator for your wedding, ask how many weddings they’ve shot and ask to see examples of their work.
Costs can vary, but don’t go for the cheapest! You may only need a drone wedding photographer to attend for a couple of hours on the day, and this can help to keep costs down. By all means shop around, but if one quote is far cheaper than the rest that may be a warning sign that the quality won’t be that others can offer. The distance a drone operator has to travel to the wedding venue and editing required after the day are other factors that will affect the price.
Agree what you want before the day. The unique perspective of a drone camera can be used to great creative effect. Large group shots can be particularly effective from the air, and you can also form shapes like hearts or the couple’s initials. These shots take time, planning and preparation, so agree with your drone wedding photographer what you want before your special day.
If you want to capture every moment of your wedding in the most creative ways possible, a drone professional can help.
