From reception décor to the social media hashtag, many couples strive to be as creative as possible when it comes to designing their wedding. Now thanks to the recent buzz around wedding drones, it seems like there's one more way to add a unique angle (quite literally) to your nuptials.
But are wedding drones something you should really be considering for your big day and are they here to stay? We interviewed a representative who wished to be unnamed from Aerial Affair, a company that operates drones for wedding photography and cinematography, and wedding filmmaker David Robin to find out.
"Using drones to capture video for personal reasons, such as documenting a house someone may be moving out of, has been around for a few years," says the spokesperson from Aerial Affair. "And recently our founders thought that they could apply this same concept to capturing special events — such as a wedding or an engagement — in order to provide a new angle or view from which someone can remember the occasion."
The rep explains there are many benefits to drones. "Using drones allow us to capture those shots in a way that wouldn't be otherwise possible unless you had a helicopter. For example, we might have our drones flying over the ceremony area while guests are arriving. Many brides also want us to film her as she is coming out, and then pan out as she walks down the aisle to get shot of the full venue."
Though this doesn't mean you should cancel your photographer and videographer. "Even top of the line drones on the market currently have about 15 minutes of battery power," the source continues. "We bring enough batteries for about an hour's worth of footage, and we use this to complement, never replace, videographers and photographers on the ground."
See More: Genius Instagram Tips From Wedding Photographer Jose Villa
There are also some other limitations to using drones. "For one, it's very dependent on the venue and weather. The best-case scenario being an outdoor wedding on a clear, calm day. Drones also rely on GPS, so if your nuptials are held somewhere with spotty service, that would also not work. They could quite literally fall out of the sky. And lastly, drones need to be operated by someone who is trained and skilled — both in how to fly the machine, as well as in how to shoot and edit video, so you can actually get footage that you can use."
Intrigued? If you're thinking of capturing aerial videography, Robin, who also contracts freelancers to operate drones, thinks you should jump on the trend sooner rather than later.
"Aerial videography is still fairly new, but it is catching on thanks to word of mouth and social media. However, I think this trend is going to be short lived. For one, using drones in a commercial setting is in a bit of a legal gray zone," he explained, "and all it's going to take is one accident — someone crashing a drone into a person and it'll be all over."
"But aerial videography can produce stunning footage of décor and venue that would add to the cinematic feel of a wedding video," Robin continues, "I would just recommend always exercising caution — making sure that the aerial videography company is licensed and insured — and to limit the drone to capturing wide shots and to stay out of areas where there are a lot of people."