Drones are pretty much all over the news at the moment and the wedding industry has been quick to try out what they have to add in terms of photography and videography. Used correctly, with their sweeping views and unique bird’s eye perspective, they can add a real sense of Hollywood production to your finished wedding images or video but there are a few things to bear in mind if you’re considering hiring on to capture images and / or footage of your big day.
First off, it might be a bit dull but safety first. Professional drone equipment is dangerous and there is a whole raft of safety regulations to ensure that you get great images whilst keeping everyone in the area out of harm’s way. A licensed drone operator (and they all have to be licensed by the CAA in order to fly legally) will have lots of questions for you and your venue to make sure it’s both safe and legal for them to fly. If the person you’re booking doesn’t ask anything, they are most likely unlicensed and flying illegally. The cost savings aren’t worth the risk of them cutting corners on the right safety procedures.
Licensed drone operators will have insurance and they’re not going to be offended if you ask to see it. Better safe than sorry.
Outside of the qualifications of the drone operator, it’s really up to your venue as to whether they allow a drone to fly. If it’s likely to be in close proximity to other guests, to members of the public on adjacent properties (and therefore invade their privacy) or even if they are close to an airport, all these can throw up road-blocks to check before you start to plan. Your drone pilot will need a contact at your venue to get permission for take off and landing and to liaise with to create a plan – it’s definitely a team effort.
Drones are sturdy machines but they are subject to the weather conditions. Rain and thigh winds will mean they are grounded so you need to be prepared that they might not be able to fly for you (though obviously you don’t pay if they don’t fly). Your operator will be watching the weather during the days before and will let you know where there might be problems.
Drones, although they can fly indoors under certain circumstances, will generally operate outdoors. If nothing else, they are relatively loud so you wouldn’t normally have them operating close by at a wedding ceremony for fear of drawing attention away from the main attraction.
Make the Most of your Drone at your Wedding
First things first, drones don’t carry the right kind of cameras to capture anything close up. Leave that to the ground based guys. But do make sure you get your operator to capture your wedding venue at it’s best. Video sweeps are a gorgeous addition to your videography and we’re happy to work with your photographer or videographer to create images that complement and enhance their images. You can make shapes with your guests on rolling lawns, you can capture aerial footage of your venue to reveal details and angles that would otherwise remain unseen.
Drone Media Imaging at your Wedding
We’re happy to work in tandem with your venue and photographer and videographer to provide our own unique brand of imagery and footage of your wedding. Pricing is determined on an hourly rate basis – we usually find that £145 is enough to provide the required coverage and this fee includes all the images and video taken. Just get in touch if you’d like to talk further.
