10 Things to Know About Aerial Drone Photography at Weddings

It’s safe to say that drone photography is taking over - it’s even made its way into the popular field of wedding photography. But if you’re thinking of taking your drone for a spin at a wedding, or offering your services as a professional drone wedding photographer, there are a few things you need to consider before zooming into someone’s big day - even if it’s your own!

To help you out, we’ve put together some tips to keep you out of trouble. From the best drone for wedding photography to organising drone insurance, here are the top 10 things you should know about aerial drone photography at weddings:

Understanding what drone safety rules apply to you is a vital step for all types of drone photography. A happy couple wanting you to film their wedding in the most cinematic way possible is unfortunately not enough - it’s important you first check local regulations to ensure your drone plans will be possible.

A wayward drone can quite easily disturb wedding proceedings or become an unintentional danger to guests. To avoid any incidents, you need to make sure everyone’s safety has been considered before you begin shooting. It’s wise to do a thorough risk assessment and ensure your drone flying skill level is up to the challenge.
Some drones come with obstacle avoidance tools, and although you don’t want to rely on these too much, a drone like the DJI Mavic Air Drone with FlightAutonomy 2.0 can help you detect and avoid collisions.

3. Keep a weather eye out

For the wedding party’s sake, hopefully, the rain holds off for the day - but keep in mind, drones do not do well in heavy rain or strong winds. A little bit of rain or slight drizzle probably won’t damage the drone, but also won’t do any favours for the overall look of your drone footage.

4. Aerial photography drone insurance

Accidents happen. It’s important to consider purchasing drone insurance before the event. In the case of an unforeseen accident, you or the drone operator needs to be sure that they are covered for any potential damage that may be caused.

5. Capture the day but don’t get in the way

Weddings are very special events - the last thing anyone wants is a loud drone ruining the mood. Drones shouldn’t be used to capture intimate moments up close, such as the exchanging of the vows - they’re far more suited to capturing the overall feeling of the day, from the beautiful surroundings and arrival of guests, to the ceremony from afar.

If you stick to sky drone photography, you can still offer a unique view of the proceedings and special moments - simply at a safer and less intrusive distance. Utilising pre-programmed flight patterns is a good way to capture more consistent footage from the sky - for example, the DJI Mavic 2 Pro paired with the DJI GO app, can provide a wide range of intelligent flight modes for you to use with confidence.

6. Spend some time focusing on the venue

One of the major strengths of an aerial photography drone is its ability to capture an incredible vantage point of locations.

The wedding location has been selected carefully, so spend some time navigating and capturing the venue from various angles and perspectives - think how amazing aerial drone beach and ocean photography can look. The unique perspective is a major selling point of drone photography when compared to traditional wedding photography.

7. Get to know your settings before the big day

Whether this is a one-off experiment or a possible business venture, you don’t want to be experimenting with settings on the day of the wedding.

Spend plenty of time with your drone before the big day comes, ideally in the same location, or a similar one, to where the wedding will be held. It’s a good idea to brush up on the basics of drone flying, so you can feel confident in the safety and quality of your drone photography.

8. Aim for different angles

Capturing the action from multiple different views and angles is key to the ultimate success of your drone wedding photography. Whether it’s the location or the gathering of the guests and wedding party, there are a range of fun alternative wedding photography ideas you can take advantage of with a drone.

9. Get the guests involved

If you have the blessing of the newlyweds, see if you can get the guests involved and positioned for a staged group shot. Direct the party group on the best way to pose for wedding photos, and don’t be afraid to propose something creative.
Capturing a birds-eye-view or similar angle of such proceedings is another opportunity for you to explore the inherent strengths of drone photography. It is also a little bit of fun for all involved and something that they will all remember fondly when they see the finished image.

Elevating the wedding photography experience

Even the best drone for photography will have a relatively limited flight time of less than half an hour. While this might seem like long enough to capture most of the important parts of the day, you’ll be cutting it very fine if you want to capture the whole event, plus the landscape, from various angles. To avoid missing any special moments, it’s a good idea to come prepared and pack a few spare batteries.

Purchasing something like this boost kit, with extra batteries and propeller guards, is a smart way to ensure you don’t miss a second of the action.

As more newlyweds look for creative ways to make their wedding photos truly unique, aerial drone photography will only become more and more popular. There’s an exciting opportunity for you to flex your drone skills and help elevate wedding photography to new heights.

To learn more, check out our guide to The Best Drones or get in touch with the team at Ted’s Cameras today for some expert tips and advice.